[chuckies76ta]

Hi: Wondering if anyone here purchased one of these Fiberglass Formula hoods and your thoughts on quality, fit and finish?


https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=563355


https://www.vfnfiberglass.com/7081ta.htm




Thank you

[78w72]

I have a VFN formula hood on my 72 firebird, bought about 7-8 years ago, had to have the first one replaced by them due to some issue with the hood latch hole I will mention. Overall they are nice hoods that line up & fit pretty good, mine didnt require any modifications to fit right when installed.

Few things to keep in mind, they will require a good amount of blocking/filling to be perfectly glass straight, I didn't get mine to perfection but it looks very good with a few coats of high build primer & a quick blocking.
Both hoods have a slight raise on the edge to fender kinda like how original hoods warp but it is minimal and can probably be improved with some weights & time but its only on the driver side for about 12-18" in the middle area, doesnt bother me much to care & far better than most originals.
And there are no vents at the rear which is just cosmetic and I kinda like not having to worry about cracking vent slats.
Hood latch hole- The bolt on versions have the latch hole cut open with a piece of metal plate for strength, the 1st hoods hole was so far off/not cut right that it would not line up with the latch to work no matter what I did, they even suggested cutting it but it was off in the direction that cutting would not allow the latch hook to grab and hold it closed. After a long back & forth fighting to get it replaced due to a defect they finally sent a replacement that was better but still not like it could or should be to match teh factory hole. Mine latches pretty good, the latches have 3 "clicks" as you push down to engage the hook to the hood, mine clicks 2 times and so far has help the hod in super windy highway driving and more important, low 11s at 121-123 mph, but I freak out on every run that it will flip up!... so I will be adding some type of hood pins for extra security.

A friend of mine doing a high dollar 73 Firebird also just bought one, he & the body shop wanted it perfect so they fully blocked it, shaved any slight raised areas, filled in the hood latch hole and is using the black oval hood pin/latches they sell, he also filled in the rad core support latch area & all other holes with welded in metal for a smooth core support top, kinda neat but he said there was almost $1k in labor work to do all that!

One last thing, the opening in teh scoops is much smaller than factor, original hoods have a bigger oprning with very thin body material around the opening, the VFN scoops are almost half as big open & very thick around the hole, easy to grind that open more to match originals, I didnt do that but can still do it after paint then touch up the grinded area with paint.

[chuckies76ta]

Wow, Thank you so much for taking the time to post all that. I sent them an email and they want $590 U.S. to ship it to the border at Sweet Grass Montana. Sounds like it is a pretty sweet hood. I know it will need work but that's no problem. I do have one of there Cowl hoods on our 68 Firebird and I'm very happy with it. It does stick up a bit on the driver side, but I sure like the looks of both hoods. I too am ok with it not having the cowl openings. I glad there a bolt on hinge hood. I like the old school look of the pins at the front to hold the hood closed. Thank again for the information.

[johnta1]

In the ad, the pin on hood is $590?
Sounds like you want the bolt on hood? ($850)

The pin on would need dzus fasteners all around the perimeter.
(like the racing hoods)

[78w72]

Glad that info helps your decision. I was on the fence about buying the VFN, I had a nice original hood with good corners and only a few small cracks in the vent slats but all were still intact & easily repairable... but it had the common warping on both sides that I didnt want to deal with & it looked like crap once you noticed it, sold for $500 to fund the VFN, I paid about $600 shipped to the midwest but that was before the covid/last admin price hikes for everything... $850 shipped is still a good deal today compared to $1k+ for a good original. The other big thing that I wanted is the light weight compared to originals, the bolt on weighs about 26lbs!
Also they suggest using the lightweight springs they sell on the hinges, they were easy to swap on to stock hinges. Original springs will warp or distort the hood.

They also sell a 70-73 nose that is super light... zero crash protection but a nice option vs repairing original endura noses or paying for a nice original.

Heres a pic of the stock hood I had, the angle hides some of the warping but it also didnt line up as good as the VFN as far as gaps on the front edge.

[chuckies76ta]

Thank you. I just gotta get me one. VFN hood. They make the car.