Started on my hood project...

[Blacdout96]

Ok a few weeks back I asked to buy a hood (or two) and thanks to my main man ProcamaroZ28, who I gotta plug, anyone looking for a nice camaro for a decent price, he's got a 94 wihta LT1 and a 6-speed with 98+ front end conversion. PM him if you guys are intrested. Anywho, I finally got around to tail stripping one of the hoods that he gave me last weekend, and started drawing lines on it, and im so psyched about doing this. Im also trying to get a hold of ACP, who makes hoods for corvettes, one of their blister air ducts, and mold it into the hood, and now idk if I wanna make replica's, cause if this comes out the way I want it, i think i want to be the only one with this hood, the only prob is that the hood is still steel, so its a little harder to mold stuff into, and id prefer a fiberglass on top, but what can ya do about it. so without further adue, heres some pics of the hood being drawn out.


http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/?action=view&current=Camarohood011.jpg
http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/?action=view&current=Camarohood003.jpg
http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/?action=view&current=CopyofCamarohood009.jpg
If you cant see the lines, check out the next two. the one shows the outlines, the next shows what it might look like.

http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/?action=view&current=Camarohood009.jpg
http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/?action=view&current=Copy2ofCamarohood009.jpg

[ar0ck]

Got any pics of the Vette your trying to emulate?

[Blacdout96]

yes sir. just to give you a heads up, I dont want the whole center peice, I just want the two blisters that are in teh back o the center peice, they come seperate hen you buy them, so I wantto split them up and put the toward the rear of the hood on both sides. i originally was looking for C6R vents but nobody makes a mold of them, I guess Pratt and Miller got the rights for that mold, so I opted for something else.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e360/foxbatracing/IMG_0833.jpg
the big piece to the right is what I want for blisters.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e360/foxbatracing/IMG_0853.jpg
Id loveto do that, but im not too sure on the center piece. If you want to find out more, heres the link to the site, this guy did it all himself at home.
http://www.z06vette.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101919

[ar0ck]

Seriously keep me updated because this is super interesting! I wouldn't mind a custom hood on my car. ;-)

[Blacdout96]

Alright, update everyone...who cares lol. I sanded down the hood to remove any imperfections to make sure i didnt have to dab any bondo on a ding, but to my amazement, that hood was smooth and clean!! I hit it with 220 grit, then 320, and since i didnt have any 600, I went right to 30 micron, then 15 micron ( equivilent of 800 and 1000 grit). I then began to cut into the vent in the front, and I was afraid I was gonna screw it up, ill be honest, but it came out straight and great. Finally i turned the hood over and cut the bracing that was under the vent, but the only snag is I made it a little too far, cause the tip of the vent sits right under the hood latch in the front, so im deciding to go with hood pins so I can cut that out and reinforce it later. heres some pics.
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/Camarohood002.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/Camarohood003-1.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/Camarohood004.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/Camarohood005-1.jpg

[procamaroz28]

thanks bro
now that i see what the vent things look like on a car i think that will definatly come out looking sweet
thanks again

[Blacdout96]

Alright quick heads up. Unfortunately I couldnt find my camera, but Igrinded the last of the metal that was in the way, and pulled the vent down and have it held with 2" blocks, and when I say they are perfect, bothe depth and curve, I aint kidding, hopefully I can find the camera and snap a few shots and load em on tomorrow. I have decided to make a mold of this after I fill in the fake vents in the back of the hood, so itll be smooth, after that illadd what I want to the hoods I castout, and it everything goes well, I just might start takign orders lol, alex, since youve seemed to be intrested so much, youll get first dibs on a hood I make after this, and cut a deal on it for ya ;) Ill drop in the photos tomorrow.

[Blacdout96]

I was thinking more along the lines of these louvers now, I think the Corvette ones might be too eye catching. Viper louvers from their hoods would be perfect.
http://www.playstationnotebook.com/GT4/camaroLM.jpg

[bubba428]

thats a sweet hood but I don't know how that would be in a 93-97

[Blacdout96]

Ok heres the pics.
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/Camarohood007-1.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/Camarohood008.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/Camarohood009-1.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/Balcdout96/Camarohood010-1.jpg

[ar0ck]

Oh Boy! :)

Looks great so far I can't see what you have in store next for it. I think I'm going to have a spare hood ready for you.

[bubba428]

You just sparked an idea..............

[ar0ck]

Any updates Jeff?

[Blacdout96]

nah I had a packed weekend, but im gonna stroll out there in a little an fool around with it right now

[ar0ck]

Any plans for a grille like the Evo's?

http://www.deftracing.com/carbon_fiber_hoods/images/carbon_fiber_hood_03_up_mitsubishi_lancer_evo_2.jp g

[Blacdout96]

Ha! I was just coming on here to write an update on the hood. Ok, well last week there was a small boo boo involving heat, and is being fixed right now, the next step is to keep the front vent open by glassing it, so I can start to stiffen the underbody of the hood again. its amazing how much a hood flexes by cutting just a few structure points in it. at this point and time Alex I wasent thinking of putting the Evo vent on it, I wanted it to be a slope style vent, but after this is done And I pull a mold off of it, I can do things to make it like that, infact I had a few friends inquire me if that was the look I was goign for, so maybe when I pull a mold and then make a fiberglass top piece from the mold, ill use the stuff they use on mythbusters that they use to make body parts. We have that at work and use them to make plugs and dams, so ill fill in the vent and I could make one wiht the Evo look. the other thing that will be gone permenantly on the hood is the two vents that come on the hoods, those are getting filled in permenantly with 15lbs. rated foam ( I swear to god its as strong as plywood, but is so easy to sand) so if you can photo shop those two vents out, thats mainly what itll look like. Alex if you want the Evo look, just let me know and ill see what I can do for ya after I cast the first mold.

[ar0ck]

I'm not really interested in the Evo look, I was using it to show the mesh they use at the lower part. Its kinda hard to explain. But just something in a mesh format to protect from debris.

[BonzoHansen]

Like Ted's lower grille? (hard to see, but there is mesh)

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j65/BonzoHansen/NJFBOA%202007-06-30%20Chatterbox/IMG_2422Small.jpg?t=1185567041

[ar0ck]

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/alexQTP/chop.jpg

[Blacdout96]

Alex, you ciese to amaze me, that looks wicked awsome, and waaayyyy better then what I had envisioned in my mind. A++ bro on the photoshop, and yes just like that. Im thinking about the mesh, I know now what your saying abotu it, and Ill look into it a bit more. Theres only so much room that the vent will be able to displace air because its almost right up against the hood latch. I did grind a little away so I have some room to work with but It might be a just for looks for now and the next mold ill make a small 1 inch dam to push it back an inch and that will be 100% functional. just to let you know the vent resides just up above the winshield washer tank, so unless your washer fluid is overheating, im not sure how much heat this will extract...for now, maybe my next goal is to make a functional radiator support, cause i do have one of those laying around as well....;)

[ar0ck]

Very simple, two metal brackets. I see them do it all the time on cars with intercoolers.

If you relocated the washer fluid or completely deleted it, shouldn't it just run straight into the front of your radiator?

[Blacdout96]

Good call on the brackets, totaly forgot, but im trying to keep the underhood stock looking as best as I can, and you are right, if you took out the bottle, and removed the small panel behind it, youd have access to your radiator, but im not sure if it would disrupt the airflow to it, or help it by relieving the air pressure from under the hood, probably 50/50 lol.

[ar0ck]

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/alexQTP/DSC00136.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/alexQTP/DSC00141.jpg

I've already ditched my AC compressor so this would be perfect on my car.

Also if you want to run a different style intake, possible those "open" element filters like the K&N for LS1's this would be perfect instead of a lid

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/alexQTP/DSC00163.jpg

[drmrman]

*Lurk*

This looks like an awesome project! I cant to see what it looks like finished... And you are right those vette hoods look mean...

Joe

[Teds89IROC]

I can't wait to see this hood when you're done, it's gonna look great! As for the mesh, I found it in my shed :lol: You can get the same stuff at home depot I'm sure. I cut it to size, scuffed it up and painted it silver to give it some shine.

[BonzoHansen]

I've already ditched my AC compressor so this would be perfect on my car.Then jack out that condensor. You'll get better cooling airflow.

[Blacdout96]

Alright, I finally got back to the hood after being away form Jersey for a while, and then catching up on work. I know holy old threads batman, blah blah lol, but seriously, the update. I applied my final coat of bondo and hopefully this will finish all the minor problems encountered a few months ago. I am letting it sit overnight and then sanding till I can see my face in it lol, actually I have the glaze to go on afterwards so its smooth as glass, then im going to start ot fill in the main vent, and moldign the initiallayer with, and yes this works, playing cards. Yes this does work, it actually prevents bondo from stickig on it, I used playing cards to make the wheel wells on my pine wood derby car a few years ago, it was a 1998 Le Mans Viper GTS-R # 51 that placed 2nd in the GTS class. Won me best looking and was cruising on a few pine wood derby iternet sites for a while there, took me 5 months to make it, and came out perfect. now with fiberglass tho I have to use a psecial red tape, but the playing cards, being thin, and easy to bend will help me form the shape. then after that I jsut fili nthe fiber glass wiht bondo, and smoothen it till tis to my liking, then test fit to make sure nothing hits, and them its cloning time. Now once the first hood is made, Im goign to check it out, make sure its acceptable, fix any problems and then makea mold off that, then make ANOTHER hood, and use that one for add ons like NACA ducts and such and make a mold of that. Its gonna take alot of fiberglass and time, but to me I enjoy this so much , Iwish I could just make a living out of it. now I am undecided if I want to fill in the two fake vents so people, let me hear your opinions, let them stay or let them go!! how do I makea poll on here?

[ar0ck]

Depending on how the scoop turns out int he front I would then make a decision to cover the fake vents. I figure there would have to be a lot of leveling involved in clearing them out.

[Blacdout96]

well I have leftovers of special shaping foam from work ( $600.00 for a 12"X4X8 piece of it!!!) that I was gonna use for them, but yeah idk if i want to just pull off a mold with them stillin, and then modify the hood without them and then pull that one, I just want to get it done and start a small prduction of them, i dont want to make many of them cause I dont want every tom dick and harry to have one, so and a few changes will be made like if someone wants NACA air ducts or louvers, Ill try to accomidate those requests, so in a sense almost every one of these hoods will be a one off!! but we'll see how the first one comes out. more then likely tho ill get rid of them cause after that photoshop of the hood you made without the inserts looked sick, I wantedt o go in that direction, but everytime I get close to being done I add somethign to the list lol.