Don't need one just yet, but looking ahead... The liner in my Iroc is looking pretty ratty. I've got a chipped hood louver I need to address and I don't think the liner is going to survive being removed and reinstalled. So who's tried some of the repros, and what are your thoughts?

 

Unfortunately None Of The After Market Hood Insulations Are Made To Factory Specs,None Are Embossed.

Factory






After Market

 

Yup, kinda figured that much. Doesn't need to be restoration perfect, my Iroc is what I would call a "nice driver" more than any kind of showpiece... But it's getting better.

Also if anyone has impressions of the aftermarket hood louvers, I'd love to hear them. I've got one with a rock chip, and I assume when I go to remove them, I'll lose a few of the studs. I can probably fix the chip and repaint em so they'll match, but buying a new pair would be easier.

Got a bit sidelined on the car today. Was fishing around under the passenger's dash and noticed my hand was wet. Tastes sweet. 20 minutes later that last impossible screw was out, and it looks like I caught it early, wet but not dripping. Also noticed the drip tray had a couple drops of antifreeze on it, looks like maybe one of the oil cooler lines... Thirdgens.

 

Those darned aftermarket pads look like a giant black diaper. It's a shame no one makes an appropriate reproduction.

 

 

-Big Sigh- I know... And I know where there's an Iroc sinking into the mud with a minty original hood liner. Perfect hood, hood louvers, fog lights, 350TPI, aluminum shhaft, 4 wheel discs, etc etc. "Oh that one, the boss wants to put that engine in an old Cadillac, can't sell any parts off that one..."

 

 

https://www.carmotorsports.com/Under...Insulators.htm

Not reproduction, and kinda pricey too. But they do seem to look nice.

 

Interesting, but damn their photos are blurry... Seems like the selection is a bit limited too, 82-84 Camaro only? Their 3rdgen Formula liner has the 4th gen bird and emblem script.

Seems like they need a role model. If they used the right logos and you could see what they actually look like, they'd be a lot more attractive.

 

These guys used to have the nicest floor mats going, had GM licensing agreement too.

 

Those are handsome. Have that site bookmarked, and saw another custom one at the T/A Nats last year. But again, all done on flat stock. The embroidery helps distract your eye from the "flatness".

 

get hold of JamesC and get a picture of the liner that he put on his car, i thought it looked nice.

 

Have you considered going without? I did on my IROC.

 

If you're a stickler for originality, none will make you happy.

 

Well the ones from Classic Industries aren't molded for the 2nd gen 79 TA. But for $32, better than nothing.

 

It just doesn't seem to have a function besides being a fire blanket. Looks good also.

 

The problem with companies offering a correct molded hood insulator, is not with the item, it's with the shipping. That cost would be prohibitive.

 

I'd love to have an OE liner for $30 from the dealer like the late 90's... But since that's not an option, and the factory liner that's in it now looks like death, I have to do something. I can live with a replacement not being 100% accurate as long as it's cheap and looks the part.

Maybe I can refurb the antique that's in there now. It's got some frayed spots, and it's sagging here and there. Maybe I can hit with a waterbased adhesive and give it a little structure back.

 

Embossed Insulation Would Have To Ship In A Box The Size Of A Hood,Would Be Way To Costly.

 

BADNBLK restored a couple originals on his projects. He removed it, soaked it in Purple Power or something, then power washed it and let it dry, IIRC. The results looked pretty good.

 

Yeah I'd have to do something to adhere the fluffed spots back to a near solid. Kinda thinking some careful application of a water based stickum, brush the loose areas down with a cheap HF paint brush, let dry, remove the raised fibers, squirt with some flat black. Probably look better than I think it would. I'm not sure I could call the one in the car "embossed" it's pretty fluffy.

I'd love to find a 90's style liner with the plastic'ish coating. Had one in my 6cyl 91.5 Firebird, was in awesome condition even though the car was trashed. Was easy to spray it down with the pressure nozzle to keep it clean. They didn't make them that way very long.

The OE hood liners were shipped in a cardboard sleeve about the size of a hood. They just folded the cardboard, and stapled it with the big shipping staples all around the outside. Still have the original liner I took out of my Formula when I put an NOS liner in it. Haven't had it out of the sleeve since the 90's, if it's still decent it might end up in my project car. Might experiment on it, or the original out of my Mustang... Removed the Mustangs when I put the 79 hood scoop on it, never put it back in with the turbo 2.3 because I didn't want to cut a hole in it. But it'd make a pretty good test piece. Hmm...

 

Behold! The very last GM Crossfire hood insulation left on the planet. I bought it for my '83. In the end, I put a cheapie eBay insulator on it instead, because I didn't have the nerve to use it. I guess one day, I'll sell to someone doing a cost no object '82 Pace Car restoration.

 

wow! nice find.

 

Thanks! Every now and then someone will contact me about selling it. I think they're shocked when they find out I'd want more for it than the cheapie ebay ones.

 

I had to get a re-pro one.. got it from 1AAuto because Mice chewed up my original one.. it looked old and dusty anyway.. The Repro looks better IMO

people said it was the best one (not sure how different they could be). I believe it came with new pins too..

It really doesn’t look bad at all to me.. I think some of you guys are a little dramatic and appraisers don’t care about it either if you do have a show car.. I know for our piece of mind it would be nice to have all original GM parts..

I will bite the bullet on certain things

I have seen NOS ones go for $500-700 so Chazman’s will probably be a good buy and hold investment..



They didn’t give me enough pins so I used maybe 4 of the best looking original ones..

 

The Interstate battery bothers me more.. but it’s been a really good battery..

Delco would look better..

 

That actually looks pretty good!

$500 -$700! Holy smokes. I need to up the ante!

 

Thanks! yeah.. I actually thought about buying an NOS one and couldn’t bring myself to do it on that.. One was in Canada.. there were two for sale a while back..

The IROC-Z bumper emblem NOS is pretty pricey too.. $300-500.. the repros are just a sticker.. they’re terrible and a waste of money..

 

That's crazy!! I had no idea. Reminds me of my TUNED PORT INJECTION emblem thread.

 

I got lucky the painter saved my emblems.. That bumper “IROC-Z” one he was unsure about because they used to just rip them off, throw them out and get a new one at the dealer for under $10.. Back in the day they’d just replace all the emblems.. they do make decent “Z28” ones..

The repro “IROC-Z” is a flat sticker and doesn’t have the correct color scheme..

There is a more correct one out there, but the font is a little off..

Some repro stuff is pretty good, but some is uselessly off the mark.. it’s that way with all of it I guess.. I’ll have to find that TPI thread and check it out..

 

Here you go.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/hist...roduction.html

 

The one emblem I did replace was the “TPI” because mine was faded and had a small crack in the middle. That was an interesting read and insight on the quality of repro parts.. I think they got mine right and maybe because of what you went through.. (I can’t believe it drooped like that) thanks for sharing

I kept the original just in case, but I’m happy with this and it looks identical right next to the original..

I think the parts are improving and I do recommend the 1AAuto hood insulator


(My exhaust doesn’t stick out like that anymore either)

 

*snicker* My garage fridge is an authentic "IROC-Z".




I agree. That looks better than my original, and better than a lot of the repros I've seen pics of. May have to take a look at their site tomorrow.... er later this morning?

 

Which vendor did you get the TPI emblem from? Mine has a couple of small cracks and I wouldn't mind having a new one. Thanks.

 

I have looked at the 1A auto ones for 84, but they state not for Z28

https://www.1aauto.com/1984-chevy-ca...-mo-c/1984-8-5

 

Strange.. The Z28 hoods that had the contoured design instead of the louvers must be different in some way

This one fit perfect under all the ridges to hold it in place and all the holes lined up perfectly to the factory. There must be differences with the non louvre hoods

 

Fine print. Should be good to go for non-cfi cars.

 

SMC Z hood for reference.

 

Yeah, the holes won’t line up for one thing.. I’m betting the ridges that hold it in place are also not the same and it’s possibly a different shape part..

I think one of the companies makes one without the pre cut holes and I’m sure you could get it to fit.

 

I got the TPI bumper emblem from Hawks and it was $45 with tax and shipping.

I think I remember Classic Industries being sold out at the time.

I’ve been fairly happy with repro parts except for the “IROC-Z” bumper logo.. I got one from Hawks and it was just a flat sticker. Then I ordered the “Restorers Choice” from Classic Industries and it was the same.. but $10 more so I thought it would be the real deal.

The parts that fit most 82-92 cars seem better than the specific parts for certain years. You can tell when there’s no review and a vague description that it’s a gamble what you’ll get.

Is that a real bumper logo on that fridge? Could be worth a few bucks!

I put one of my IROC bumper decals on my Yeti that I drink coffee from.. good use for a $20 sticker! I do think that they call it a “decal” in the description now but you’d think it would be one of those raised up stickers and could look original, but nope.

 

It's authentic. I salvaged it, along with the 5.7L TPI emblem from a bumper cover I sold once upon a time. Stuck it on Ol' Faithful out of convenience. It goes well with the overall motif. It really ties the garage together.

 

The SMC hood insulator also needs the aluminum foil backing. On my '83, I remember the one I got off of ebay required a bunch of modifications. The hole locations, as you mentioned and some trimming. I also removed the aluminum backing from the trashed factory piece and put it on the ebay piece.

I wonder what those Germans who currently own the car, think of that.

 

I hope they appreciate your dilligence..

 

Smart move because they aren’t making those correct anymore.. I’m sure a lot of people would have just sold the bumper with the emblems.. goes to show, save anything off these cars you can.. wish I grabbed stuff off my 87 when it was totaled

 

Who knows?

I amassed a mountan of parts for that car. The hood insulation, blue Conteur interior, etc.

For less than a thousand bucks I would have included the whole shebang with the car. A fraction of what I paid to aquire them. I was trying to describe all of the parts to the exporter until he said: "you know, my German isn't good enough to describe it and the buyer's English isn't good enough to understand it, let's just worry about the car".

 

The hood liner in my 91 RS Camaro Convertible survived removal and the body shop just painted it black. Looked almost exactly like a new one. Repainting a used one might work.

 

Were all the Camaro's hood insulation molded? My 86 TA was not.

 

That’s their loss.. they didn’t fully appreciate the P.O.

 

Drive your car around on a hot day for a half hour or so with no hood insulation, park it, and put your hand on the hood and feel how hot it gets from the engine heat. And ask yourself how well your paint likes that treatment. The paint will be much happier with the hood insulation......trust me.