[njsteve]

I got the section painted and reinstalled the inner fender. Here is the finished product. Looks like a 1972 fender once again.



As compared to the actual 1972 driver's side fender:

[njsteve]

Some more tinkering on the NOS Formula hood today.

I used a Dremel tool and a file wrapped in sandpaper to reproduce the factory cut outs in the scoops. I formed the rounded edges on both ends by using a Chevy fuel pump push rod wrapped in sandpaper. It was a perfect fit for doing the curved edge areas. It was very difficult to keep the same 1/8" inner edge as the original. The reason is that there are molded-in decorative grates in the scoop area that you have to transect. Some of the edges of the grates remain and some have to go, to maintain a consistent permimeter on the curved inner surface.

Here is the original Ram Air hood cut outs. The metal grates slide into a slot from the underside of the hood and are held in place by two screws.



And here is my version on the NOS hood:

[njsteve]

I finished the other fiberglass repair work on the missing corners by the windshield and the chipped front corners. I also spent a while grinding and fiberglassing the three cracked defroster ribs. I used a Dremel tool to make a deep groove, 9/10ths of the way through cracked area and then used the fiberglass gel repair to fill the trough I made. It worked out nicely. I even trial fitted the press-on stainless steel edge molding. (That was rather nerve wracking as you have to tap it in place with a rubber mallet to seat it fully).

[LeighP]

Looks good. I never realised there was a slight lip around the cut outs in the factory RA hoods.

[Formulabruce]

nice work Steve! I should have you come up and do my hood lip edge moulding, scary stuff removing and installing it.. Is it reproduced?

[The Boss]

I don't believe they are Bruce & Steve is a pro at it! We grabbed a spare off one of my (now based on these pictures repairable) damaged hoods & Steve had it off in seconds.

As always Steve, spectacular work!

[njsteve]

It's kind of like pulling off a band-aid. You have to really commit! The tricky part on installation is getting the ends in the right place. If not, the stainless trim piece has a fold over on each end that will gouge the hellouta the edge. I used a plastic dead blow hammer and a vinyl pry tool to get it off. I would tap against the edge of the trim in a few places until a section popped above the fiberglass. Then you can "walk it" off remainder of the hood edge.

It's also much easier if it's not your hood. :-)

[njsteve]

Originally Posted by LeighP

Looks good. I never realised there was a slight lip around the cut outs in the factory RA hoods.

Oh yeah. That's the real way to tell if someone is selling you an original ram air hood versus one they just cut out on their own, even though its the same hood. (For bragging rights you'd like to be able to claim its an original one).

[Formulabruce]

I was always under the impression the Lip was to keep rain out. In his Living room, Leigh isnt worrying much , his car is dry hehe

[johnta1]

The groove under the hood keeps the water out.
(where the screen goes through)

I always thought that the factory may have planned to put a functional flap on the scoops and they would shut against the ridge.

[njsteve]

With the help of the wife and daughter I swapped the NOS hood onto the car (that was entertaining to say the least). I then set the hood in the right spot and readjusted all the gaps on the fenders. I noticed that I had both peaks on the hood at too high of an angle so I had to add another 3/8" of an inch of the fiberglass gel to the underside of the tips and then sanded away the top sides until they matched the contours of the fenders, exactly. I then recruited the wife and daughter to once again to pull the hood off so I could do the finish work on the added material on the bottom side. After getting the hood off, they promptly went shopping.

That gave me time finish up the underside and also trial fit the screens into the scoop openings and drill the two mounting screw holes. There are actually built-in bosses that the screws go in to on the inside of the scoop area. There was also a bunch of excess bonding adhesive from the original manufacturing process that had to be ground away so the grills would slide into the factory slots. Dremel time once again.

Once the "hood crew" returned from their shopping spree they assisted in installing the hood back on the car. Here is the finished product before I drop the hood off at the local bodyshop to get it prepped and painted black.







And this is the best part: the hood is dead flat with no bow in the center like all the other 40+ year old hoods out there. Right now I have the original hood sitting on four drums spanned by 2x4s with 30 lbs of weight in the middle to try to flatten the old hood back into shape. We will see what happens.

[Norwood]

NICE....but that is what we have come to expect.

[Formulabruce]

wow, nice!!
The body guy, make SURE he takes it down to the Gel coat.. speaking from experience here.. all the old paints are cracked, and you cant see it... Good luck!!

[njsteve]

There is no paint on it, only a thin black primer, not even a gelcoat.

[The Boss]

The underside will be the closest to factory new of any you will ever see. Just blow some overspray on there when you do the edging and leave it!

Great work Steve!

[Brewster]

Looks good Steve and cant wait to see it done!

[Judge273]

Is it going to any of the big Pontiac shows this year?

[LeighP]

Originally Posted by Formulabruce

I was always under the impression the Lip was to keep rain out. In his Living room, Leigh isnt worrying much , his car is dry hehe

Everyone should have a garage like mine.....I'm sitting here in my study and 5 feet away, through the 6' x 6' window, I'm looking at my Firebird parked....its like having a 1:1 scale model in my study.

Hood came up nice. Mine needed some f'glass added around the front corners on the forward edges to close the gap to the nose so it was even all the way across. Makes me wonder how good the fit was on these when new.

[njsteve]

I drove the car over and dropped the hood off yesterday at the painter's shop. I then went home and bribed the wife and daughter into helping me reinstall the original hood back on the car since there is supposed to be a cruise night this weekend and maybe I'll take it out somewhere for the first time since I bought it. (I have been driving it - almost 600 miles so far, since the engine was finished, but with no particular place to go.)

I will probably drive it to the PY Open house in a couple weeks in case anyone else is going.

[6 Grrrs]

I will be at PY's open house for the 3rd year in a row and will check out your car if I see it.