imaking

iTrader: (2)

I know the weight savings of a fiberglass hood is great, but how does overall finish and fitment of a fiberglass cowl hood compare to a steel cowl hood? I know it's kind of a matter of opinion, but who would I look to for top quality glass hoods? It seems glasstek is popular, how do the cowl hoods on hawks rate?

imaking

iTrader: (2)

ok i did some searching i know, I should have done that first, I still didn't find any info on the hawks hood or driving with a jonglbloed (5"). I found ALOT of positive feedback on the cervinis but it just doesn't quite fit my taste, I think I'm leaning towards harwood, goodmark 4" steel, or glasstek. Anyone with the goodmark or the hawks hood?
Still looking for input on the jongbloed, thanks

89importeater

i have a goodmark steel 4inch and love it. looks great and not as much prep work to do before painting. i can usually tell a fiberglass hood from a steel one but it doesnt look bad or anything. and i will say that this hood is heavy, i actually thought about selling and getting a fiberglass pin on hood for less weight on the front but i changed my mind, ive grown attached to it lol.

Tobias05

i have the goodmark hood, love it. my only complaint is that i had been backed into before i installed it, so my panels are all out of alignment, had to fiddle with the hood for a while to get it to latch.

likeenz24

iTrader: (2)

I just got a goodmark 2" cowl hood(which is actually closer to 4" at the rear)..
it was almost perfect out of the box....It had one tiny dent the size to of pin head....it pit perfect....that was the main reason I went with steel is for the fitment...

racerx520

iTrader: (1)

i personally wouldnt go with fiberglass because you run a risk of the glass flexing and cracking the paint off the hood or the hood itself possibly cracking if the glass is really that crappy....but the way that i see it, if your car has a stock 305 putting out like 200 h.p. (i dont know what it really is), i dont think that the extra 5lbs difference between steel and fiberglass is really going to make a difference....and thats just my 2cents

imaking

iTrader: (2)

thanks guys, I've been leaning more and more towards the 4 inch goodmark, it seems like a really nice quality hood and I'm not drag racing or anything so the weight is not my primary concern. Hopefully the new 355 that now calls the camaro home won't even notice it

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

Don't bother with a steel hood if you are going aftermarket. There is just no point. The weight savings are huge when it comes to adding things up over the long run. if you get the FB hood, then later a K-memeber, then later some A-arms, then later maybe some lighter seats and so on. Stuff adds up fast. Braking will benefit too. When you slam on the brakes all the weight being located on the nose and that high up creates a moment and will pull the car forward.

I have a Cervini 3" and it is excelent. I did not paint it. A body shop did, but they couldn't stop commenting on how beutiful the fit and finish was. If it is not your tast get something else, but def not a steel hood.

FB doesn't crack all to hell if it is a nice piece. My car drove around in 98* weather this summer and is now parked and seeing temps around 15*F at night. Looks nice and slick.

I would not recomend any other hood, esspecially if you want to make you car look slick, in my opinion.

I have almost 30 grand in mine and even if I only had 300 I would still go with this hood. People alwasy think it is steel due to it being so smooth. It also has a show finished underside.

Best hood out there. Hands down.

imaking

iTrader: (2)

Well no point getting a steel hood seems like a pretty strong opinion but I agree with your thinking about how everything adds up. I also agree that the cervini hood does appear to have a great finish but it's just not my style. I still haven't ordered my hood so I still may be swayed to a Harwood 4" show hood or glasstek hood, but the goodmark still does look pretty good. I'm also shocked at how a fiberglass hood can cost as much or more than it's steel equivalent

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

Maybe my opinion is a bit strong, but thats just how strong I feel about wieght and hood selection.

Why do you think steel would be more $? Just cuz it is metal? Steel is not really a rare metal by any strech of the word. FB is not really an exotic composite either, but since they are both "cheap" materials and the FB is lighter.... extra $ doesn't seem uncalled for.

Take a look at my car, and many many other pics before you decide on what to buy.

Tobias05

Cervini's are made by the hand of zeus, they don't count as a typical fiberglass hood anymore they're so nice.

plus the cervini is about 200 dollars more than the goodmark...awesome hood but expensive.

KYLE87

iTrader: (5)

I have the Supposivly "2" inch goodmark steel hood, it is a great hood, I would recommend it. Most of the people I know with the fiberglass hoods wish they would of gotten steel now

imaking

iTrader: (2)

anyone else with pics of 4" hoods? any more glasstek vs. harwood vs. goodmark opinions?

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

Why?

83Firebird420

just a thought...would shipping cost less with a fiberglass hood compared to steel? out of curiosity, does any one know how much less a fiberglass hood would wiegh compared to the steel?

KYLE87

iTrader: (5)

Becasue of fitment issues and imperfections in them. One has a harwood and I cant remember the brand of the other guys, but they both said they wish they would of gone with the steel one like mine because it fits better and so they didnt haft to get hood pins

87v6baby

most deff. go with a steel hood!

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

I wouldn't bother with a steel cowl hood at all, that has to be HEAVY. My hood is 13 pounds.

85gulstrandTA

What He Said

I have both hoods, I was shocked at how little the factory steel hood weighed when I took it off, very light. The FG hood I have is cool looking from a distance, cowl with screened oval ports and weighs the same. But is not as clean looking, maybe it could be with a lot more work than a steel hood. Good quality FG is thicker, thinner is pooper quality hence the cracking. I know many people with money that have bought a couple of FG hoods before going back to a goodmark hood. I like to use their experience of buying serveral hood before getting the one they like. If you are not drag racing, like I was, then weigh of 2 or 3lbs means little. I've heard of a carbonfiber guy using steel hood as templates to make the ultimate hoods, just open you wallet.

My next hood will be steel like many other that have purchased FG before.

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

Wow, I can't believe people are so wrong in this thread.

Just goes to show not to belive all that you read online.

Take a steel hood and weigh it, there is FAR great difference than 3lbs.!!!!!

People who are talking about FB hood here ALL have the bottom of the pile crap hoods. I am sorry but the cheap FB hoods are CRAPPY! They never ever fit right and give people problems. Get a quality piece like a Cervini and you will be thinking on the right track for what FB can offer. Less weight and better looks. My FB Cervini is 1/2 the weight of my stock flat hood. That is a given, I have no idea where people are pulling 3lbs difference.

If you buy a super cheap anything it will be junk. You get what you pay for. Shipping will most likely not really matter on the wieght as the part needs to be freight dropped anyways due to size.

When I got mine in the mail it was off a truck with a pallet mover kinda thing. Then the guy took it off the pallet and leaned the huge box againt the garage.

Anyways, this thread is getting very full of people that have no clue. Not going to name names, but people please think about what you are saying.

I have said it before and I will say it again. You want a nice cowl save up $ for another week or two and get a Cervini, get the look and weight reduction. If you get a steel cowl you are weighing a heavy car down even more and in the worste part, the nose.


For those who made a comment about hood latches. If your friends with FB hoods needed pins, then they got bad hood. Thats all there is to it. My hood went on with only 10 minutes of triming the extra shipping protective material off of it. Perfect fit, not lining up of anything just was perfect. Latches, hinges and all bolted up EXACTLY like stock and works like stock.

Sorry about the long rant, but steel hoods are not better. I can't really see how there is a debate about this. Granted a nice FB is a lot of $, it is still a better choice. I am done. Later....

imaking

iTrader: (2)

well your opinion on the cervinis seems to be the consensus, I have yet to hear a bad word about one, but the cervini look is just not to my liking. I still have no clue what the visibility is like on a 5" jongbloed hood as it would be one of my top choices. (side note: anyone ordered from gtfiberglass.com? good quality?) how about some help from people with ram air hoods, how is the visibility from the inside?

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

I like the Cervini, but the one feature that dennisbernal91z hates about the Harwoods is the one thing I wish were on the Cervini. :P Our cars have a ridge going up the center of the hood, and it seems that the Cervini hoods don't have such a ridge. And I wouldn't be able to use my louvers.

Oh, and fiberglass > steel. I thought that was just a given?

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

Thank you TheScaryOne!

Me and you like different styles yet can both understand the difference between heavy and light things.

TheScaryOne, are you wanting to add louvers ontop of your cowl? Sorta like the Daytona hoods?

Reason I wanted to get rid of that ridge is that I feel like the harwood's ridge is far too pronounced. I also went with a shaved look for my car, I have no antenna, fuel door, side marker lights or door locks. So it was only natural to go with a hood with less features.

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

Yea. Like the Daytonas. Except the Daytona hoods look freaking horrid!

There isn't a good louvered cowl hood, and I think there's only one company that makes an aftermarket louvered 'glass hood, and from what I hear, the quality is lacking.

I can understand how the Harwood seems to pronounced, but from what I can tell from the Cervini hoods it's not there at all. It wouldn't be that big of an issue if it wasn't pronounced in the front bumper cover, but it is.

KYLE87

iTrader: (5)

...

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

yeah, I just see the front bumper cover as a corner not really a ridge. The harwoods are like a little triangle. My nose when you look real close is pretty flat when you really get to looking at it. Here is a pic of my car up close with the hood. It seems like a soft corner to me, but I see what you mean that you want a stonger cont of the edge. I just love how the cowl starts at the front and not randomly in the middle like others do. really flows nicely.



a more backed up shot. If you look closely you can see the reflection of the branches break as there is a small ridge in the center of the hood. Just an observation.

creepingdeath

Im not much of a cowl fan but that hood looks the best out of all of them IMO, its on a great looking car too. I also agree with dennis The FB hoods even cheap ones are much much lighter than steel, I work in a auto body shop so ive lifted alot of hoods and the steel hoods are very very heavy (50-100 lbs) compared to fiberglass and CB. I want a factory 83 Z28 hood

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the compliments. Hope this threads helps people understand that there are nice well made FB hoods out there.

imaking

iTrader: (2)

mmkay, no one with info on driving visibility with a ram air hood?

85gulstrandTA

In regards to weight IF (AND IT IS NOT) the steel hood was 100lbs more that FG.This would mean 1 tenth of a second in a quarter mile drag racing. If you ever drag raced and are doind over 100 mph you will wonder who won, unless you cut a bad light. Which is IMO a mute point so as far as weight is a factor. Or how about top speed weight on your front tire is a good thing if the front of the car is not lifting. Hey we make deccession based on what we have learned. A whole nother point is the new GREEN movement. Steel is green and FG is toxic....So there

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

LOL!!!!!!!!!

Wow!!!!!

You are quite misguided.

If for some reason you are going to start making points that more weight up front is better for our cars then we can't even have a discution here cuz you are off the wall nuts. You might as well start saying that up is down and right is left. Oh and start calling Camaros imports!!!! LOL.

As for steel being great for the enviroment and FB being toxic, if you really cared about the GREEN movement you wouldn't be driving an old thirdgen!!! This really cracks me up... haha.

Hmmm, you know what else is better sub 2 liter motors and cast iron hoods and screw windows, that just good realestate for more sheet metal! More wieght please!!!! Wow, this is ritch. hmmmm... what other smart things can we say here.....??????



Now really, all joking aside....
Lets boil this down to bullet points and you can agree or disagree and we can maybe start a poll thread to prove how wrong you are.

This is to you 85gulstrandTA:
1. Do you care to make your car go fast over being more green friendly?
2. Can added wieght in the front of a third gen help in any way?
3. How many people add weight to the front of their cars to prevent the front from lifting?

I bet you my car that if you posted those threads as polls you would see that everyone else but you apparently doesn't conider their car a part of the green movement, thinks wieght in the front is BAD, and don't ever add weight to the front of their cars, even the ones that pop weelies.

Please analyse and get back to me. And just so you know I am not coming out of the blue with my info on these cars and materials in general, I built my car from the unibody up. Every last bolt was out. Now she has a 420 HP, 6-speed, 12 bolt with 4.11s and 315s out back. Just to name the power train. I did all the work my self exept build the motor. As for me myself, I am graduating in June with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I will soon be working for a company called Pollak that is in the auto idustry. We make sensors and plugs for the Corvette ZR1, as well as all other GM, Ford, Harley, Volvo, Jon Deere and many others. I have done very well in school and know a thing or two about material science as I might get my masters in that field.

Now that you know me, you can better judge what I am saying to you.

83Firebird420

hahaha something tells me he wont respond to that. so this GREEN topic, yes FB may be toxic. but having a fiberglass hood means less weight on the car which in turn means better fuel mileage ... thats GREEN?

Saber

iTrader: (2)

I just put a steel Cowl hood on my car. Its alot lighter than stock but it in no way compares to a fiberglass hood. But for the price i got it its pretty decent. If i was buying a new hood though i would get a fiberglass hood.

85gulstrandTA

Wow this is why I avoid crowds...stupid people!
1.) Do I care if my car go's faster......The 3rd gen is not my only car, only my second fastest. I used it to win over a dozen trophies at LACR (ever heard of it). My car when I raced it was plenty fast 114 mph in 1320' and got 18 mpg all natural SO BITE ME.
2.) Does added weight help your car.....Of course it does pulling wheel stands just kills ET at drag racing that is why you put spoilers on your car.
3.) Who adds weight to their cars....everyone going 200 mph or they died, drag races, It all depends on what you want to do.

Look I just joined this site to learn from other experiance and opions. If you want to attack me personally..Lets Go. I gave my opion based on experiance and people I know with much more money that I and decades more time. Also with people with little money doing better that unlimitted bugets. My next hood will be Steel because it will do what I want within a choosen out come.

Ok now this Green thing quickly because it is not the topic. I said that to bait a FG hood supporter, you sucker. I think the whole green thing is all about business. How can you call a eletric car green when the plant that makes the batteries will be toxic within 10 miles of it. however the water born paints ate pretty cool weather is on my steel hhod or your FG toxic hood.

dennisbernal91z

iTrader: (2)

Lets boil down this debauchle of a response.

To start this all off. "This is why I aviod crwods.... stupid people!" Waaaa Waaaa. If you want to start crying then go call your mom you Pus@#y.

Back to the relevant part of my respose to you.

First off, I am not attacking you. Per say. I am attacking you HORRIBLE advice.

If it is true that you know anything about racing and weight then you would have NEVER made your #2 comment.

To your #1 comment, YES EVERYONE ON THIS F....ING site WANTS THERE CAR TO GO FASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You want pressure over your rear wheels YES. But you don't want the overall wieght of the car to be high. Prettty sure my mom could have told you that and is a painter who drive a carolla wagon. haha.

I am not attacking you personaly. I don't know you. I just know what you have posted here, so I am attacking that.

As for where you have got your info, you must have seen people going fast and doing things right, but you must have intererpreted it the wrong way.

Maybe, just maybe when someone said "My rear is slipping, we need more traction" you herd, " We need more weight" Which is wrong, there is just no two ways about it.

Every car in the world wishes it could wiegh less, hands down. Everything from the Bugatti to a Honda Fit and from the LeMans cars to the Pro Drags.

Weight is the enemy. Adding a steel hood is a bad idea. If you think it will be safer due to it taking more energy to break it or something like that, then sure you are right, but every other statment you are making has no logical basis.

Oh and the toxic thing, might as well just drop that, since that is getting this thread no where.

You move, and please try and acctually PROVE you points. Saying and I quote "Do I care if my car go's faster......The 3rd gen is not my only car..."Doesn't really prove how the steel hood is better, it acctually says that the steel hood is worse.

Oh and another comment on your #2. When cars do wheel stands, they have wheelie bars. If the car it tuned right for the power and tracktion it has, it should move forward not up. Cars lift hard, when the car is not dialed in just right. I would have thought you would know that based on your 18 mpg racing you are so awsome at apparently.... Excuse the sarcastic remark, but seriously you really need to start boiling things down and acctually trying to prove something.

Outlaw28

ive got a FB jongbloed it was on the car when i bought it at first i didnt like but now i dont want to get rid of it i love it to death...ive only seen 3 other ppl on this site with the same hood as me...and visibility is not at problem at first it looks like its taking up a lot of the window but u get use to it and dont even notice it anymore...i say deff go FB jongbloed it flows with the lines of the car so nice...no cracking at all...

Arizona IROC

iTrader: (4)

You can quote ET numbers and green politics but putting a Fiberglass hood on any car makes an immediate difference. The car takes off faster and handles much better with a difference you can feel right away. I wanted to keep my car stock but a few changes like that are the way to go for better economy and performance.

samiam91RS

yea everyone knows loosing weight on our cars (any car) is for the better. ever see some rides with a stripped out interior? yea, fiberglass hood yea, ac and other accessories GONE YES! to loose weight. i say fiberglass over steel, im about to drop some $$$ on one myself. helps out i tell yea.
and heavy weight doesnt help from wheelies. thats why we have wheelie bars and drag shocks and drag slicks.
plus you want weight on the rear.

krisb410

iTrader: (9)

FWIW: I put on a Factory SMC (Fiberglass) hood that I bought at a junkyard for $40. Fit's perfect (being a factory piece)& it's much lighter than the factory RS flat hood.

I guess it's "green" too, after all, it is recycled.

Arizona IROC

iTrader: (4)

Do you know how much the stock FiberGlass hood weighs?

krisb410

iTrader: (9)

I really don't remember. I think the flat RS hood weighed @67 pounds, and the 82 Z28 SMC hood weighs @18 pounds. But don't quote me on those numbers.

87camaroirockid

i have a fiberglass hood on my car and i wouldn't trade it but my car dose have enough power so the hood broke from the steel frame that it sits on so it needs some fiberglass work steel is heavier but will last longer and you can use gas struts with fiberglass dont use struts the hood will bend eventually. what you buy depends on your needs less weight = better mpg and lighter but the steel hood = longer lasting and less prep work