I have a 91 RS, with a 4 inch aftermarket fiberglass cowl hood. I hate having to use a telescoping rod to prop the hood up, im not into fabbing a pole like most other cars. I was looking into introducing a support (like for the rear hatch) into the engine compartment along the quarterpanels but rumor has it the fiberglass hoods are too light to sustain the pressure lift supports exude. Then i was thinking, wel maybe just one support on one side (but oh, snap the hood on one side).

Another thing, at high speeds/driving against high winds my hood shudders and shimmies and sometimes there is so much turbulence in the engine compartment that the rear of the hood (next to windshield) will raise a couple inches.
I think by installing lift supports or something similar i can create more stability in the hood and less "walking".

what do you think?

 

Sounds to me like you have a fairly lightweight hood. I've had my glass hood since '92 and it has never raised up or shimmied at all. I also use the stock hood struts. Not all fiberglass hoods are as structurallly strong as others, and I'd guess from what you said that you either need a set of worn out struts or the prop rod. What brand did you buy?

One thing... I'll bet your hood takes a lot more weight off the front end than mine

 

im actually venturing to replace my rear hatch supports as the damned things always drop a bit when i open it.

i didnt buy the hood...it was formerly an FBI sting car, then found its way to a crack ***** (literally) who did her best to mess up the nice paint and pristine ground fx and burn the clutch within the 3 mos she had it.

So i may just try to swap the old rears into the front and find a way to mount them.

Im open to any other suggestions as well

 

The rear struts are more powerful then the hood struts, since the rear hatch weighs a lot more. They are also longer. Does your hood have the attaching points for the stock hood struts? You would probably be better off going to a wrecking yard and looking for a worn out set for the hood. Tell 'em you want worn out ones, and they may give them to you for next to nothing.

 

unfortunately there are no Camaros/firebirds or any 3rd gen at all at any salvage yard in my area...i have to drive 90 miles away

i may just snoop around for some CRX rear hatch supports

 

I might be able to help you out….
I haven’t been to a bone yard yet, (I’ve had my ’87 Trans Am for 18 months or so) but I do have a Corvette/Camaro/Firebird/Fiero bone yard about 10-15 miles away from my house. I’ve been planning on making a trip, but haven’t really had a reason to go yet.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, give me a holler. I could check if they have what you are looking for and how much they are asking.

And by the way, I’ve lived here in So. Cal for almost 6 years and haven’t been to Palm Springs yet… A road trip with my girlfriend isn’t totally out of the question.
(If nothing that I have said makes any sense, keep in mind that English isn’t my mother tongue…)

Let me know if you need any help…

/forsete

 

I always wondered if you could use the struts from an 82-83 z-28. The ones that came with the fiberglass hoods. I bet this won't cause the hood to flex. Any body know if this might work?

 

I'm looking into this for myself..... I've heard "rumor" is should work.

 

I have a turbo daytona fiberglass hood on my 83Z and the hood struts work perfectly. No flexing or any other problems. That would probably be the best solution for you guys. Just my .02

 

When I bought new hood shocks for my cars I noticed different part numbers, one says steel hood the other doesn't say anything beside it. Maybe the part no. that doesn't have anything beside it is for lightweight hoods.

Even worn out hatch shocks would probably bend a steel hood.

 

83 MidniteZ,

Did your Camaro come with the factory composite hood originally, before you fitted the Daytona Hood??? I know a non-steel composite was offered in '83 and that would explain why your lifts are perfect.

If that was the hood you had originally, then I know what I must buy....

 

I'm really not sure which hood my car came with stock. I purchased the car with the turbo daytona hood on there. Sorry I can't be of any help.

 

The z28's with the L69 305 HO came with the fiberglass hood.

 

Keith5,

This ONLY occured in '83. In '84 GM went back to steel. My car is the L69 with the H.O. package. Until I put on the fiberglass hood, facto-original was steel. And all my resources claim it was only '83 (maybe even '82), but not '84 to offer a fiberglass hood. And the L69 was offered from '83, I believe up until '86 (the nice IROC-Z upgrade of fuel injection killed the L69)....

 

Sorry I left that out.

I meant to say that in '84 they got the steel hood.
In '82 some of the Crossfire cars got the fiberglass hood.
I think '83 was the first year for the L69, and that was the year the L69 got the fiberglass hood.

Trans Am's also got a special hood. The HO Trans Ams got Aluminum Hoods.

 

No sweat.... Just making sure the bases were covered.... Nothing more...

 

< original poster


Essentially...I should gear my search towards the hood "struts" (basically hood supports) from an 83 Z28...I could just swing by Kragen and see if they have em...the salvage yards, the few that are around here, are overpopulated with hondas, GMC's, fords and the like.

Out of 7 yards, not 1 camaro that they could tell me about. I've yet to hear of even a partial camaro...

ok...searching for replacement 83 Z28 L69 HO 305 hood supports (the ones that came with the fiberglass hood).

Thanks for all the ranting! It truly narrowed down the search!

sincerely
TBIfly

 

Post a picture with the 4" Cowl, just got one put on my Camaro, hoping to get it back from the body shop today. I love cowl hoods. Lets see some pictures

Lynda

 

My '82 has the composite hood so it wasn't only just '83 that had it.

 

My 83 Z28 came with the LG4 engine. So, if the L69s were the only ones with the fiberglass hood, my car did not come with one stock.

 

My 83 Z28 came with the LG4, and also a glass hood. I was looking into replacing the supports today, and none of the local auto parts stores carried the supports for the glass hoods. I'm not sure which cars got the glass hoods, could be part of the Z28 package. Also, not all 83 Z's have glass, I think they switched mid-year to steel.

Oh, and where is the camaro/corvette/firebird/fiero wrecking yard in so cal?

 

Here it goes boys and girls:

I did a thorough parts search thru Carparts.com/Kragen.com/and even my local Chevy dealer. No match. I mean I checked all models for 82/83.

looks like we gotta dig thru the yards. or we can just use those pool sticks from the little pink panther billiards table you buy in the toy section at the grocery store...would those work?

 

I know if you go to www.auto-parts-for-less.com they have a listing for hood support lifts on the '83 Camaro. One set of lifts for steel and another for composite.

I have not ordered them, but they are available there (last I checked).

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/new...threadid=72315

that is the page for the fiberglass lift supports....

yay!!!!!


i will buy them within 2 wks.....and install them...and post results here

thanks for the website, boss

 

FIBERGLASS HOOD SUPPORTS FOUND!!!!!!!!


OK to all of you who have those fiberglass hoods and dont want to install a prop-rod, or use a telescoping pole...go to:


http://www.auto-parts-for-less.com and do the search for 83 Camaro
hood supports....or you can do it the easy way and call
(619) 460 1311...ask for:

pt# 14045326 you'll need 2 of these....i just put em on today and i have pre-come!!! sorry for the lack of class in that statement but its the only way I could adequately describe my excitement.

the list price is about $39 on my invoive but it mentions the web price to be 30% cheaper.....just check thru the website if it matters.
These are considerably smaller than any other hood support you've ever seen and they work perfectly, after the hood is a foot from the latch the struts start to aid push it up....no concerns about it falling, works like a champ!...i have one of the fiberglass hoods that already has the prongs/rods that stick from the hood-hinge that the struts go on..i only need to fashion a pin/retainer for it (do not buy the retainers that are on that site as they didnt fit the hoodsupports...im referring to #14036396

the total for my supports, retainers, and shipping came to 69.72...compared to buying $90 worth of hood supports for steel...well worth it!
any Q's? grab my attention

 

TBIfly, you are the man and a great "pioneer". I've been anxiously waiting for some one to try it with success. Thanks to you, I do believe I will be placing an order myself!!

Every person asked in the past either:
a. had no idea how they got shocks to properly support there hood.
b. go get weaker one from a junk yard (aka - ones that are going bad and could get worst).

I think I speak for everyone when I say "Thanks again"!!

 

thanks Maniac

ive also been awaiting some miracle fix OTHER than go get a junker set and heard all these things like "my stock ones work" without any other info...im just glad this frustrating issue can be easily remediated. here's the precise site for the lift supports im referring to

go to
www.auto-parts-for-less.com
select Find A Part
then select 83 Chevrolet
then camaro
then Body (i think)
then hood
then hood/components
then support cylinders
it should be the 2nd option of 3