The red hood is the Hawks, anyone know what brand the silver hood?

Which one looks better?

 

I’m not certain of who made the silver hood or what it’s called but it looks an awful lot like an SLP 4th gen hood they called the “H.O.” If I remember correctly. The inlets were all the way up by the front edge like this one. Think this is the first 3rd gen one I’ve ever seen like this.

I personally have the second version myself but it’s not a Hawks. I like the looks of it much better than the first but that’s just my opinion

 

The silver hood is by Suncoast Creations, the S/C Ram Air hood. The company appears to still exist, with a search showing a listing on Facebook. Looks like it's in Florida, or was at one time, which would make sense for a company named Suncoast. Plenty of vendors appear to offer its hoods, mostly for newer cars, though, so I don't think this Firebird hood is available anymore, but maybe.

The red hood is the Ram Air hood, as you know. Then when the second Ram Air hood came out, this one became Ram Air 1, and the other Ram Air 2(sometimes known as a WS6 hood). Not sure who actually manufactures it, but it's sold by many vendors. Hawk's is just one of those vendors. Some vendors might list either Ram Air hood as WS6, so searching for that might return more results.

The lines of the RA1 hood seem to blend with the car's lines better than most other aftermarket hoods do.

 

The hood I have was made by American Sports Car Design, or ASCD as known back when. Not sure if they still exist, but I got this hood from a long time friend and he purchased it around the late 90’s. I know we had been contacting this company about it prior to them releasing it, and he was one of the first to get one. It looks identical to the “Hawks” hood

 

Well since you asked, my vote is that the 4th gen styling has absolutely no place on a third gen (wings included). the grey one is just plain hideous and the the other looks completely out of place and the body lines don't line up. Show your car some respect and don't do either of these.

 

I purchased this Ram Air 2 hood from Hawks about 10 years ago. I like it with the tunnel effect down the center of the hood. Also, you could purchase the functional portion of it which made it much nicer. I get compliments all the time for the look of it. I am not sure they still make this particular one.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...l#&gid=1&pid=3

 

Yes, that's it, ASCD. I've had a link to their site saved, but I couldn't remember the name. The company appears to still exist, although now as just ASC, with Stinger Fiberglass. I didn't see the hood listed anymore, but Hawk's does still list it and sell it, so someone is still making it, maybe ASC.

Maybe if we encourage PaulyC a little bit, he might tell us how he REALLY feels. LOL

 

Not a huge fan of either. The 2nd hood looks better at the front but the body line down the middle and how it's peaked down the middle to the windshield is just... no..
Should be flatter left to right in front of the windshield and only be at most 1/2 inch higher than the original hood. More like the 96-7 RA hood.

 

I liked it because I owned an 88 and longed for a 4th gen 93-97 Ram Air car. Finally got that car but still like the look and lines of this hood even 20 years later. For me it fits perfect for what I’m trying to do. It’s a 3rd gen T/A with a 2nd gen true Pontiac engine, 4th gen style hood and spoiler, and kicking around a T56 in it and some 17” Rally II wheels. All real bastard, or mutt if you will. Ultimately, it’s a hood. No different then a set of wheels. It’s whatever your preference is. If you like it, who gives a **** what anyone else thinks. Just don’t scrap your original, you can always go back! Lol

 

I make it a rule not to say anything unless asked when it comes to this subject. Obviously, owners can do what they want with their cars and I don’t intend to offend anyone who has this, I just don’t get it.

I often wonder what the attraction to this is. Is it a desire to look like a 4th gen? Performance? I honestly don’t know, is there room make these hoods functional on a third? Don’t get me wrong, I like the styling of the second and I have one, it’s on my 97 though so it is perfect and matches the overall styling.

 

I’ve seen many “variations” of this hood in its day. This is the one I personally think looks best as far as the opening in front and where it’s positioned, and well as the dividing line. The hood on my 94 Firehawk is similar in nature but the original SLP hoods had more of a roundness to them that fit the Formula nose better. The 3rd gen hood in question as TTop said is based closest off the 96-97 WS6 and Comp T/A cars. Again, it subjective lol. And yes these can be made to be functional. There are (were 🤷🏻‍♂️) kits to make these functional with the factory TPI. Or in my case with the Pontiac engine and hugely tall dual plane intake and fuel injection, this hood gives me about 4” of under hood clearance. I’ll be building a sheet metal pan sealed of to hood with a straight shot feeding the throttle body. Better than a hole in the hood or a cowl induction hood, which has never looked right on a Firebird. Pontiac is famous for notarizing Ram Air, so it fits. And I was never a fan or the fake air extractors on these cars either. Give me GTA fenders and a flat base model hood all day long 👍🏻

 

And to the OP I will add if you are considering one, at least with one I have. The fitment quality is a little to be desired. Granted, I have really adjusted it much or anything else, but as I saw mention on other hood threads the arch is off slightly. This hood is 20 plus years old, may have had some time where not stored flat while not on car. But it’s still in perfect shape otherwise. If one was building a show car this may be of concern, but with this car I’m aiming for more of a bruiser so it’s irrelevant lol

 

Anyone in here have a functional ram air that can show me the underside of their hood? I need to see where the opening is supposed to be. My cowls are opened but the underside isn't that connects to airbox