hey guys, i have been toying with the thought of a new hood for a long time. I have always liked the classic cowl hood, but my wife likes the stock powerbulge....i kinda like the double powerbulge, but i miss that it doesnt have the front vents. I'm looking for the best hoods on your firebirds, not just for decision making, but cuz i want to see your cars too!!!

 

I've been thinking about which hood to install on mine for years. Seems like fiberglass hoods can have issues and I would feel unsafe without hood pins. The VFN cowl hood would be my pick for a fiberglass hood: http://www.vfnfiberglass.com/8292firebird.htm

If I could fabricate, I may modify the 85-92 Trans Am hood like this one in post 208:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabr...-making-5.html


Or install a 78 TA shaker on a 85-92 hood. Similar to this, post #6:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...en-bumper.html

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...gen-shaker.jpg


Or simply paint the vents gloss black on a 85-92 hood.

 

Be careful, it is really easy to screw up the looks of a Trans Am. The Pontiac body lines are not nearly as tolerant to changes as the Camaro. Personally, I think the squared off cowl hood looks terrible on the Pontiac. If Elmo was standing next to the car he would spontaneously break out in song, "One of these things doesn't belong with the other"

Personally, I would leave the body alone and spend the same effort on wheels/tires and ride height. I think some day you'll be glad you didn't mess with the car too much.

 

I think that hood looks great. The only critique I would make of that hood is if the creator had bolted them from the underside and made a raised section so it would sit flat with the hood. But still a well done hood for a firebird.

I would only use this hood if you were doing a full on Bandit edition of a thirdgen. Using all the classic styling ques.

I would skip on all the other hood designs except for the factory power bulge hood which I have always thought worked well.

 

TA vents could probably be added to the double bulge ISMA hood, and it would look good, too... if you could somehow get ahold of one of those hoods, as they haven't been available for about a decade, or so.

But there's a multi-page thread in the FAQ forum that should help you out: Best Firebird Hoods... Also, I have a thread in the Body forum about fiberglass and carbon fiber Power Bulge hoods, where a pic has been posted of VFN's hood.

 

agreed. 100%.

racerx520, for that car, you already have the best hood. unless there is a legit clearance issue, i wouldn't mess with it.

 

I wasn't in a position to copy-and-paste earlier, so here are the two threads I referred to above.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...d-choices.html

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...***-power.html