I want to mod my headlights, and put a Camaro hood on my firebird. I was told that a camaro hood wouldn't fit, as it's a little shorter than my hood. I measured my hood length-wise in the center, which came to 57 1/4 inches. I also measured the bottom (from the far end of each light to the other) which came to 59 inches.
Now all I need is for a helpful camaro owner to make the same measurements that I did. If anyone could do this I would really appreciate it.

The measurements are for my '86 bird.
Here is a crude diagram for anyone that doesn't understand what I mean. I searched the net for hood dimensions, and I couldn't find squat. Thanks in advance.

 

i will try to get you some measurments. i think it will take alot of fabbing to do it. and i dont think it will match your body lines. what kind of hood are you looking for? the only different hoods on the cars are the Z's and TA's. they both have flat hoods, and you can buy any hood for a bird that you can for a camaro.

 

Thanks purpleZ. I'm not sure what kind of hood I want. Any hood that would look good with the headlight mod in the pic below. But I don't want to get a camaro hood if it doesn't fit. And I also haven't welded since grade 10 metal shop which was about 6 years ago, so I don't really trust myself fabbing a nice straight hood. Know what I mean?

 

I measured both of the hoods I have and the center measurement was 55 1/2 inches and width wise it was about 60 inches.

 

Thanks mav. I guess I'm gonna have to try and fab a hood.

 

Your easiest solution would be to use the stock headlight covers as a template to cut out some new sheet metal that's a hair bigger (say 1/4") to fill up the gap, then weld that to the hood, and figure out a way to properly brace it underneath.

 

The Camaro hood wouldn't line up with your fenders/bumper so that's entirely out of the question. You would have to fab a hood. But it may be easier to modify an aftermarket fiberglass hood than a stock steel one. Just a suggestion.

 

Wouldn't it cost a load more for a fiberglass one though scotty? I'm a newb at this, and know absulutely nothing about aftermarket fiberglass parts.

 

Nevermind then.

 

I'm not shooting that idea down, I'll try anything. This car is a project car rite now, and a learning experience. Are there any links with fiberglass cowel hoods for sale that you could post for me? I'm interested in trying it as long as it doesn't cost tons of money. I'm a youngen with not too much money.

 

I think from Classic Industries a regular fiberglass hood for a Camaro costs about $270, I imagine it's around the same for a Firebird.

For one with a Cowl, it's gonna be more expensive, how much more i don't know.

 

I found some fiberglass hoods at Autobody Parts and the stock hoods there were $329 (race weight), and 2 inch cowels are $299 (race weight also).

 

I can relate. I'm only 17 and had to detail cars on the weekends to liven up my Camaro a bit. But I just got a real job, and I'm starting to look for a 400 SBC.

Most of the sponsors on this site (Hawk's, G&T Fiberglass, etc.) sell fiberglass hoods. Check them out first. Classic Industries is also good. I order from them a lot, and highly recommend them.

 

i think if you just got the fiberglass hood, you can measure out the headlight covers and glass those pieces, its actually easier than it sounds. you can get a fiberglass kit at walmart for about $30.

 

Project_86, how much do you want to spend?

 

I'm not as nervous as before. You guys are calmin me down

Well 87Iroc, I wouldn't mind spendin a couple hundred $ on a fiberglass hood, as long as it turns out right. I don't want to spend that much on it if I'm going to screw it up, but from what you guys are sayin, it shouldn't be too hard.
One snag that I'm gonna run into is the shipping, since I live in canada, and it normally costs quite a bit more money to ship things here from the states. But I still haven't checked, so I could be wrong.

 

you know. if you did it with a steel hood you can do all the welding (if thats easier for you). i know for me welding is alot more convienient. but fiberglassing is easy to do, and VERY easy to fix if you make a mistake.