hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
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Car: 91 RS T-top
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3:42 fourth gen disk brake
hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
I have looked at a fiberglass cowl hood and a metal cowl hood. What is the differance in weight. What is the best long term every day driver hood. Should I go fiber glass or metal?
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Car: 1986 Trans Am, 1985 Trans Am
Engine: 400 SBC, H.O. 305
Transmission: TH400, 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt/3.73s, 10 Bolt/3.73s
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
I bought a 2 1/2 Inch Harwood Cowl Induction Hood from my local Craigslist for $200. It was a ******* son and father who scrap cars. Since the Hood wasn't metal they couldnt scrap it lol. Its in awsome shape, and weighs NOTHING compared to a metal hood. I plan to daily drive mine once my swap is done, and I haven't heard anything bad about having a Fiberglass Hood on a DD before.
#3
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Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
That's not to say a cowl hood won't be lighter, it very well could be. Steel hoods often have a lot more bracing in place, and that contributes to more weight.
Anyways, the moral of the story is, check for the manufacturers weight or e-mail them.
Mathius
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Car: 1986 Trans Am, 1985 Trans Am
Engine: 400 SBC, H.O. 305
Transmission: TH400, 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt/3.73s, 10 Bolt/3.73s
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
Eh, depends on the hood in question. A lot of claims of fiberglass being weight saving can sometimes be false depending on what you're looking at. For example a steel dash weighs just about as much as a fiberglass dash... actually in a lot of cases the fiberglass dash is heavier, ESPECIALLY if its a custom one with a wood structure beneath it.
That's not to say a cowl hood won't be lighter, it very well could be. Steel hoods often have a lot more bracing in place, and that contributes to more weight.
Anyways, the moral of the story is, check for the manufacturers weight or e-mail them.
Mathius
That's not to say a cowl hood won't be lighter, it very well could be. Steel hoods often have a lot more bracing in place, and that contributes to more weight.
Anyways, the moral of the story is, check for the manufacturers weight or e-mail them.
Mathius
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Car: 88 IROC, 76 Malibu Classic
Engine: 350 TPI, 350
Transmission: 700R4, 4-speed
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt ????
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
stock steel hoods are heavy as ****. should be easy to find a significantly lighter hood. the stock hoods can be pretty though, especially the iroc-z hoods.
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Car: 91 RS T-top
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Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
wish i could come across a deal like that. Just the shipping at most web sites is about 150 +
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Car: 1986 Trans Am, 1985 Trans Am
Engine: 400 SBC, H.O. 305
Transmission: TH400, 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt/3.73s, 10 Bolt/3.73s
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
Thats the Hood I bought for $200. It is on the car right now even tho in the pics in my sig it isn't. I couldnt be any happier, I plan to paint it when I repaint the Front/Rear Bumper this spring after my engine is built. There was someone on the boards a little while ago selling this same Hood for around $200 recently.
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Car: 91RS, 91RS
Engine: 305TBI, 3.1MP
Transmission: WCT5, TH700
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
My Fiberglass SS hood is way lighter than my factory steel hood. I'd say a cowl hood would be even lighter because the SS has this thick area around the scoop, for extra bracing I guess. Either way, after I pinned the front of it I've had no problems. I drive it all the time while the weather's nice.
Only downside I really saw was that I used to sit on the hood/fender next to the radio antenna when I was parked talking to someone. After the switch to a glass hood, no way I trust it under my butt. Probly flex and spider crack the paint all to hell.
Max,
Only downside I really saw was that I used to sit on the hood/fender next to the radio antenna when I was parked talking to someone. After the switch to a glass hood, no way I trust it under my butt. Probly flex and spider crack the paint all to hell.
Max,
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Car: 1986 Trans Am, 1985 Trans Am
Engine: 400 SBC, H.O. 305
Transmission: TH400, 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt/3.73s, 10 Bolt/3.73s
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
Id also like to add that my hood struts were worn out, and with the factory hood they couldnt hold it up anymore. I switched to the cowl hood, and the struts hold it up like its nothing now.
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Car: 1984 chevy camaro
Engine: 355
Transmission: turbo 350 2800 stall
Axle/Gears: 3:73 detroit locker posi
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
my 4 inch cowl hood by glassteck is extremely light. i love it
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Car: 89' IROC-Z
Engine: LO3
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10-Bolt/2.73
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
I have a Daytona Hood, IROC Cowl, Turbo Hood either one of those is fine.
I think it weighs around 35lbs and it has steel mounts for the hood brackets.
Stock IROC Hood as stated in the Weight Reduction Thread says 67.5lbs. So over a 30lb weight loss.
Also my hood struts were blown not holding the stock hood at all. Replaced with fiberglass hood and struts hold her up oh so well.
Now I wonder what happens when the struts go out completely and need low tension hood struts? Anybody know of some? I know they make them for tuner guys.
Edit: Future reference for OP. Click Here
I think it weighs around 35lbs and it has steel mounts for the hood brackets.
Stock IROC Hood as stated in the Weight Reduction Thread says 67.5lbs. So over a 30lb weight loss.
Also my hood struts were blown not holding the stock hood at all. Replaced with fiberglass hood and struts hold her up oh so well.
Now I wonder what happens when the struts go out completely and need low tension hood struts? Anybody know of some? I know they make them for tuner guys.
Edit: Future reference for OP. Click Here
Last edited by I H8 WWD; 02-03-2009 at 06:36 PM.
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Car: 1984 LG4 Camaro
Engine: 350 Roller Motor
Transmission: Level 10 700R4
Axle/Gears: Strange 12 bolt 3.42
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
There are two types of fiberglass hoods - the lift off type and the ones that use hinges and the factory latch.
The ones using the factory latch and hinges save 20-35lbs depending on the design and who made it. Good idea to pin these hoods at the front due to wind catching the hood under the headlight buckets.
The lift off hoods fasten using pins or dzus and are at least 30lbs lighter than stock, but flex too much at high speeds.
The ones using the factory latch and hinges save 20-35lbs depending on the design and who made it. Good idea to pin these hoods at the front due to wind catching the hood under the headlight buckets.
The lift off hoods fasten using pins or dzus and are at least 30lbs lighter than stock, but flex too much at high speeds.
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Car: 86 Corvette, 89 IROC, 1999 TA
Engine: 350, 350, LS1
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Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
I wonder if the struts for smc hoods would be adaquate? Edit: Nm, covered above.
Last edited by 89RsPower!; 02-04-2009 at 09:46 AM.
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Car: 91 RS T-top
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3:42 fourth gen disk brake
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
thank you all for the info. I believe I will be getting a 3" fiberglass cowl hood. It will bolt on and saves a little weight. I couldnt find a 3" metal hood anyway so fiberglass is the winner.
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Car: 1986 Trans Am, 1985 Trans Am
Engine: 400 SBC, H.O. 305
Transmission: TH400, 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt/3.73s, 10 Bolt/3.73s
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
Mine is a bolt-on too. You wont be disappointed with it, they are really nice and it doesn't hurt to lighten up that front end.
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Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
I have a Harwood 4" lift off cowl hood and it weighs 8lbs with paint. It will be less than 9lbs even with the dzus fasteners. It's almost a 60lb weight difference.
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Car: 1986 Firebird Formula all options
Engine: 305 tpi soon to be 383 stroker
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 4/10
Re: hood weight differance? Fiberglass or metal
I just have the normal Formula hood on my 87 bird and it took me and a buddy to pick it up off the car because of how wide the hoods are. My arms weren't long enough to do it my self and because of how heavy it is.
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