Hood pads again!?!

[dwall]

I have a couple pics of the trial run & a couple questions. It looks like it would have been a good idea to spray the whole thing black first - maybe.

Applied 3-4 coats of Duplicolor silver base. The chalk lines you can see will come out with a wet rag & the small amount of gum residue (from the 505) disappears with a few rubs of a finger - any finger.



I am ready to fasten this thing to the hood.

1. Anybody think I should use more than just the hood pad retainers that are readily available? I don't like the idea of using adhesive on the fresh paint.
2. Also what about a foil backing in the area of the turbocharger?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[turboc87gn]

Looks awesome maybe do a foil backing as an option....

 

[Heskahoka]

That looks very, very nice!

 

[dwall]

Thanks for the compliments. I am shooting for something that looks like the original but maybe customized to suit me or you should you decide to try one yourself. It should look NICE ENOUGH that it does not offend most TR folks.

Using that rule of thumb on this trial - a casual observer might say "On the DIY one the 'C' is not quite right." True - when compared to the original - on my 'C' the serif (if I have the terms right) is very different from the original hood pad - seen back at the beginning of the thread. That can be fixed with some masking & SEM trim black or even for some minor corrections a black permanent marker might be used (or even black paint & fine brush?).

The LOGO is different and is a variation of the power 6.

The plan at this point is to fix what needs fixing and use the result as a possibly permanent ('till something better comes along) insulator for my car. I am not quite ready to install - still thinking - as best I can.

Notes:

1. One company that makes insulators for the Cutlass & Monte & Regal responded when asked ... that they might be willing to get the right size & hole configuration for Turbo Regals AND have it cut in reverse so the black side would be considered the OUTSIDE. That would be the side that I used for spray-on Turbo Regal logo stuff. If they did that rea$onably it would save some cutting shaping & measuring.

2. Looks awesome maybe do a foil backing as an option....

   The idea of extra heat protection right over the turbo seems like a good one. I think there is some foil backed jute that might work - I'll check.

 

[Mattthias]

That looks awesome!! Super job! You should make them and sell them! I would buy one at a reasonable price!

 

[dwall]

That looks awesome!! Super job! You should make them and sell them! I would buy one at a reasonable price!

Thank you -however I'm not in the business. I am doing it for kicks & for the thought of coming up with a cheap (aka reasonable) Do-It-Yourself insulator for most folks - a substitute for the original that will hold up to the under-hood heat etc.

So at this point I have a lettered & logo hood pad cut to size with holes cut/marked in 9 locations - woohoo!!! a 9-hole pad. I found some leftover foil backed 1/4" jute to apply to the back of the pad in the turbocharger area. Hopefully it will hold up with some of the 3M 90 spray adhesive. Next the whole thing will be installed without adhesive - only using 9 black plastic hood pad retainers (the 2-1/4" discs with the barbed Xmas tree type post) pushed into the 9 openings.

It might be a concern that my generic hood pad is lighter and less rigid than the original (& current blank replacement) GM insulators. If my lightweight/inexpensive alternative does not hold up, the blank GM hood pad (still available I think ~$200) could be painted in the same way my cheapy was painted - using stencils & adhesive & your choice of spray paint for about 1/2 the cost of a letter/logo ones I have seen for sale.

Installed pics soon.

 

[dwall]

OK - the prototype is finished & as far as I am concerned - It's good enough & done for now.

I may do another one using what I learned:

1. The pad "Scrim side" could use a coat of satin black - maybe SEM Trim Black would make it look BLACKER.
   
2. The foil insulator for the area above the turbo made the pad thicker and harder to fasten in place. So instead of the new 2" retainer, I broke the Xmas tree post off a used one & drilled out the center hole so I could insert a new small head 1" GM fender retainer - Dorman part no? c-144.1 or 457931BP thru the hole so there would be enough Xmas tree (the barbed post) to reach thru & into the hole in the metal flange on a turbo hood.
3. I also found out by accident that one of the holes in my new pad had been enlarged by some dumb##?! clumsy installer - see pad picture just above/left of "BUICK". I made a large plastic washer out of a flat broken piece from an old chrome headlight bezel. "See how he recycles old stuff!"

Pictures show some of the parts and whatever that I came up with.
First three show the foil backed insulator for above turbocharger.



Next four pictures are new & old hood retainers, small fender retainer & cobbled up plastic washer.



Second to last picture shows damage caused by the now unemployed doofus of an installer. Last picture is finished (for now) hood pad.



All in all, this worked out OK. It looks like the stencil techniques would also work quite well on one of the plain but real deal Hood Insulators - GM Part No. 25525977. And that blank GM hood insulator would offer all the sexy contours & durability we all love.

For the DIY version, all that remains is a little road time to see just how well the low buck facsimile will withstand the heat, grease & scrapes that the original handled fairly well. So go ahead, try it at your own risk - If I did it that probably means anyone can. But like the jacka## in the movies says "Don't try this at home!"

Bob

 

[charlief1]

Since it looks like you're going to make another I'll be more than happy to store the first one for you until you need it Bob.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

I just picked up one of those blank GM panels for $269 at the local Chevy dealership. Blank is good enough for me.

 

[GNBRETT]

I just picked up one of those blank GM panels for $269 at the local Chevy dealership. Blank is good enough for me.

yea I can appreciate the effort to make it look original but ill be puttn a blank one on 2. its gonna get shitty again anyway.

but the original look is pretty kool tho but id just buy an original 9 hole and cough up the g-note and put it on for shows and use the blank one for daily rides.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Note! My local Chevy dealer did not have in stock. Had to be ordered. Took 2 days for it to come in. Brett, you can order from any GM dealer and not get raped on shipping

 

[GNBRETT]

ok kool thanx

 

[dwall]

I just picked up one of those blank GM panels for $269 at the local Chevy dealership. Blank is good enough for me.

Yea – one of our local MEGA brand GM dealerships came up with the same money ... $263 + tax delivered at the parts counter (plus about a week - must be Wisconsin cheese-head lag). Not a bad price. So some air brush work done by a pro could make it look like a lettered 8-hole original if desired. Actually I’ll bet not too long ago some of what was selling as OEM lettered pads - were done just that way.

Anyway cost for the DIY version was $52 plus hood retainers and shop supplies. Those supplies if not on hand might be up to $50 if they had to be purchased. Worst case cost a little over $100. I'll do a table later.

Forget the lettering & logo and cut & mount your own generic pad for $43 + fasteners. Doing this hood pad started out exactly that way - then a cold beverage & an idea? Why not letter it or make your own logo? That's how things start. Oh well.

 

[LIVE4RDO]

If you guys have friends in body shops, have them order it using their accounts. Much cheaper and no tax.

 

[GNBRETT]

Yea – one of our local MEGA brand GM dealerships came up with the same money ... $263 + tax delivered at the parts counter (plus about a week - must be Wisconsin cheese-head lag). Not a bad price. So some air brush work done by a pro could make it look like a lettered 8-hole original if desired. Actually I’ll bet not too long ago some of what was selling as OEM lettered pads - were done just that way.

Anyway cost for the DIY version was $52 plus hood retainers and shop supplies. Those supplies if not on hand might be up to $50 if they had to be purchased. Worst case cost a little over $100. I'll do a table later.

Forget the lettering & logo and cut & mount your own generic pad for $43 + fasteners. Doing this hood pad started out exactly that way - then a cold beverage & an idea? Why not letter it or make your own logo? That's how things start. Oh well.

the problem is the lettering all get ruined sooner or later which is why a blank one is a better idea.

 

[dwall]

Venus added a pdf version of the graphics to his thread on hood pads. Its pretty good and could save some time for anyone interested in having stencils made or interested in doing them yourself.

The file is located at post #37

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/gn-hood-pad.409617/page-2

the problem is the lettering all get ruined sooner or later which is why a blank one is a better idea.

Yep Brett,
That's exactly why I chose to do a DIY version on the cheap. Sooner or later heat, dirt, oil, road grime & flailing arms and tools will take its toll on my hood pad. So maybe then I replace it. Maybe it falls apart first, anyway I tried. I say time well spent ... but not a LOT of time at that. Maybe then I will grudgingly replace it with GM parts! Maybe then there will be a rea$onable replacement. Maybe.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

I just picked up one of those blank GM panels for $269 at the local Chevy dealership. Blank is good enough for me.

Mark, might you have a pt #??

 

[dwall]

GM # 25525977

A friend in Parts told me current list is $263 at the counter vs. $304 shipped from gmpartsdirect.com

 

[Gene Van Horn]

Nice job,reasonable price and excellant directions,looks great,thanks for the details.

 

[johnnycasx]

These hood pads are becoming scarce. Trying to find an NOS one is tough.