Any reason to use a steel hood over a fiberglass or fiberglass over steel?

[Intercooler]

Obviously glass is about 1/2 the weight of the steel, doesn't rust or dent.

The factory steel hood will of course take less time if at all to get installed correctly and may have a better finish.


Reason I ask is because a new GM hood across the counter is the same price as a fiberglass with the freight then you also need the light-weight spring and cylinders.

 

[Intercooler]

It would kind of be nice to not get those pesky dents on the front from closing it or little hits from debris.

 

[Slow91z]

A glass hood can mess with radio reception, due to the magnetic waves coming off of the electronics.

 

[99Formula]

The 30 lbs or so you'd take off the front end with fiberglass would pretty much have me sold. Although I'd probably just use fasteners so the whole thing could come off.

Peter

 

[ChrisCairns]

I'll give ya my opinion.

I've only seen two hoods. The VFN, which I use, and a Token. The VFN is much lighter and thinner than the Token. Because of this "floppiness" the VFN paint cracks. The Token is much heavier and thicker and doesn't move as much so the paint doesn't crack.

For a street car I'd keep the steel hood since the Token is almost the same weight. For a race car you just put up with the crappy cracked paint but lose a lot of weight.

 

[Intercooler]

Out of the ones I have looked at these look the best : www.glasstek.com

The 4" cowl on the Regal picture looks nice. How about the construction.... looks pretty good!

 

[wiked87gn]

just a little story about fiberglass hoods, a friend of mine was at the track racing he busted a retainer clip from one of the sides of the hood that was enough for the hood to lift about 2 inches and enough for air to get under it, needless to say hood flew open even with the safety latch in place it just broke when the wind went under the hood, the hood broke in half hit the top of his car which in term destroyed his T Tops, ripped both fender the place from where the hood attaches too, and also ripped the fuel pressure mounted gauge on the hood, fuel was pooring out like a fire house, (he still ran a 12.4 at 112mph ) this happen 200 feet from the finish line, fiberglass hoods( NO THANKS)i will stick with the steel one. now he needs both fenders, hood and T tops, which i gladly provide, found some good ones for a good price.

 

[RKHiPerformance]

I used a Harwood cowl hood on my Monte for about ten years. The surface began to 'spider web' after about eight years, but I am not sure if that was the fault of the painter or the fiberglass. The car was seldom garaged, so I don't know if that problem would have occurred if the car was kept covered.

I saw a silver '87 T at the Nats this year, from Canada I think, and he had the 4" cowl hood. The car looked awesome. The huge increase in underhood ventilation has got to be of some benefit as well.

If you dig the cowl then I suggest you go for it.

 

[DR BOOST]

i have a glastek turbo hood on my car. the fit and finish are pretty good. the final finish of course, depends on your painter.

ive never seen it vibrate or shake going down the quarter.

i recommend it.

oops , there is one flaw in its design. the mounting for the stock pop-up spring is not there. you have to fabricate some way of mounting it. i did it the ghetto way of putting the spring on the core support. it works, but its ugly.


surej

 

[GNVYUS 1]

This is not a repeat post!!

I also have the glasstek hood and truck due to hail damage we had here. The fiberglass will save weight and money if hail happens again.

 

[Intercooler]

I went ahead and ordered a GM hood. Don't need the hassle.

 

[Unsafe6]

Do you guys know what the Glasstek hood weighs? TIA!