hey guys, i'm looking to replace the stock hood of my 87 trans am within the next couple years (trying to rebuild the rear sometime this fall). I am looking for a cowl hood but i'm not sure what size to go. I see hawks has a 4" cowl but i'm thinking that may be too big. I'm also still trying to figure out if i want steel or fiberglass. I like the weight reduction idea of fiberglass but i hear they crack over time. So basically in all aspects i'm looking for help on where to buy, whether to go steel or fiberglass and what size is a good size (pictures appreciated).
Thanks for any help guys!

 

Run the smallest that you can, if you can get away with a 2" then go with it. If you don't even need one and just want it for looks id definitely only use 2". Some states it is illegal to have it too big.

 

Thank you. Right now not much of the car is legal and NJ does this neat thing where they don't care much about what's done to the car when it's "classic" registration (25 years old+)
I do like the sound of a 2", I would like to do fiberglass for the weight reduction but as a bolt on, how much of a risk of cracking would I have? I am contemplating doing a stealth ram in the far future and with my accel base, I already have very little clearance

 

If you take care of it, i think it will last a very long time. My buddy has a 6" on his 69 nova and it hasn't cracked in about 8 years so far. As well as one of my grandparents model A cars has fiberglass fenders that are very old with no cracking. I think it'll be ok

 

Just make sure you get one from a good company, so the fit and finish will be good. Also are you looking for a bolt on or pin on, if you are looking for bolt on, you may have to change your lift struts because its a lighter hood. I know when i swapped to a fiberglass cowl hood on my 77 Monte Carlo I had to change the hood springs, there was only one company at the time that made the hood, I was lucky and it was a great hood, and after about 8 years zero cracks.

 

Thanks for the info guys. I'm looking for a bolt on. I've heard about the hood struts being an issue, and I've heard even with the worn out ones they recommend some have still had issues. Does anyone have any recommendations on good companies to order from?

 

anyone have any sources to look for hoods from?

 

I put a 2" harwood on my 87 almost 10 years ago. The only problem I had was when I put my headlights down the first time the edge of the fiberglass hood being much deeper than the thin steel hung up on my headlight covers and tore up the new paint closing. I went to the junkyard and found a camaro with a hood that wouldn't stay up and have been using those struts the whole time without problems. It looks pretty mean, sometimes I wish I had a gta hood but I really need this room being carbed.

 

Little hard to believe I don't have more pics of my car on this phone. I'll have to fix that.

 

Before you buy buying a cowl hood, I bought a Camaro with the "Big block style" hood. It's got a tall cowl, and I'm 6-1". I couldn't see over it since the windshield in the camaro sits so high up compared to the driver. Also, it broke the windshield because rocks WILL pass through the engine bay and hit the windshield... often. There are a thousand pock marks, and 2 breaks in the glass.


Buyer beware, if you want a cowl, you had better find a way to install some fabricated venting so nothing can hit your windshield.

 

My harwood has metal screen built in.

 

Thanks for the info. I don't want a large cowl. Since I put the accel intake manifold on, it has raised the height of my plenum. I'm thinking I'd like to do a stealth ram eventually and I'd never clear it. Just looking for something to make the car look meaner and be of use. My wife actually likes the powerbulge on my car