72 Hood Mod Discussion

[sick472]

I have a wild hair to modify my hood on my 72. One of the hoods I have is oil-canning real bad on the top drivers side, the other is rusted through low along the front. This has led to the wild hair...What if I took the top 1/2" (or 1") of the rusted hood and grafted it onto the hood that has a floppy top. Both hoods could be repaired but the repairs might take as much work as the mod.

This would give the hood a beefier more muscle look, but at 1/2" taller might not be real obvious or absurd.

I have attached two photos where I have blocked up the hood (1-1/2 inched mind you) to help visualize the change. keep in mind that the body lines of the hood sides would stay as original, only the upper portion would grow upwards.

I think the upper portion would slide back a little so that the front and sides would match up, but that would cause the back to overhang the cowl vent a little. This mod could be taken to a full functioning cowl hood induction, but I probably would not go that far.

BTW, my truck is so far from original, I am not worried about ruining the VIN. In fact, it has several years worth of body parts and a Pontiac 400 engine. What do you restomod'rs have to say?

[Rod Run]

What would you do with the cowl to make that work also?

[sick472]

The cowl would stay original, there would be a step-down from the raised hood level to the cowl just like any cowl hood, but the back lower corners of the raised portion of the hood would have to be cut forward at an angle to meet the original hood where it meets the cowl.

I think that the 1-1/2" (2x4 blocks) raised amount in the above photos will be way to much. The mod'd hood might hit the wipers when opened all the way, but with only about 3/4" raise, that will be less likely. The attached "touched up" photos kinda shows what would have to be cut at the back corners. I will try to use some 1 by blocks for the lift instead of the 2x4's and even take some new pics and photoshop them for a better visual.

I could really do a mock-up if I could cut up one of the hoods, but I don't want to try and not like the outcome because the hood I would have to cut up is the one that I would use if I stayed stock.

[tjc]

if you are very good at body work, I think it will work.

[JustToxic]

That's a different way to think outside the box. Be interesting to see when it's completed.

[Rod Run]

I personally think it might look to bulbous with it going back down to meet the cowl. With the whole hood raised up like that, it might just look like a cowl induction hood gone bad. I could also be completely off too

I'm only offering my opinion because you asked, so don't take it the wrong way. You might be best served by getting a rendering, or a sketch together for something like this. The money spent on stuff like that up front, can save A LOT of heartache in the end

[sick472]

I appreciate everyone's opinions here...it helps me think of all the possibilities, good and bad.

Rod, I hear ya! I hope to establish the renderings myself in the near future and I hope to mock it up with a lot less rise. The blocks in the pics probably raise it up near 2 inches and that's too much. I would be going for a bulbous look, but one that the extreme Chevy truck lover would have to take a second look to tell what was off. Then again, I don't want the hood to look like the hinges are sprung and it's just riding high in the wind.

I am tore between the "challenge to do something different while pushing my metal working abilities" and the "time and risk factors in scrapping two decent hoods without a 3rd hood to fall back on". I know I can do the metal work. Maybe I can come up with a really trashed hood that could be sacrificial but yet still allow me to cut the top off and just lay it on one of my better hoods for a look-see.

[sick472]

Here's some photoshop attempts. First pic is untouched side shot. 2nd is about a 1" rise and 2nd is about 1-1/2" rise. Give or take!

[sick472]

Here are the front angle views. 1st is untouched. 2nd has the GMC letters in place for reference for those of you used to seeing them there and the 3rd, I erased the letters as they would be should I go this route. These are about 1-1/2 rise. The 1/2" photoshop attempts I made were hardly noticeable so I exaggerated them for discussion purposes.

[sick472]

I just wanted to bump this for more opinions. This forum is so alive that it does not take much time to bury a thread.

I wish I had the grill on with a bumper in the pics, but I don't have a bumper and the restored grill is hanging on the wall up high as decoration until "the day" comes.

I have put feelers out for a local scrapped up/rusted up hood to sacrifice to make sure it will physically work without too much cutting and welding. My current fear is that the top piece would have to be narrowed and I do not want to just take it out of the center ridge which would mean taking two very narrow sections out on either side. That would be ALOT of work and risk in warpage.

[harpo231]

Get a tweezer and yank that hair !!!!!

[sick472]

Originally Posted by harpo231

Get a tweezer and yank that hair !!!!!

OK Harpo...there's a vote for the concourse enthusiast. I hear ya' loud and clear. I am struggling with the "keep it simple and stock" OR "get a little wild and experiment".

Originally Posted by Swar

I think it's a cool idea, and I'd like to see it done. However, something looks off with the cowl, like it should come up flush with the hood? Just a thought. Also, awhile back I had thought about mixing a pancake hood with a slant nose. If the pancake hood went on 67 fenders and was extended down to meet the pointed edge on the front of the fenders like the 67/68 hoods.

Swar, I am also concerned that the cowl to hood area may be too odd to swallow. I know I could mod the cowl to be flush with the hood, BUT I'm not going to spend that kinda time on it. IF I were to just raise it up by about a half an inch, the new top section's rear lip would actually set on the original hood so there would be no air gap, but there would still be a step.

Originally Posted by demian5

Now here is a thought, what about a raised cowl too? Like an HD version on the newer trucks?

I really can appreciate the later model cowl hoods on later model trucks, but I think subtlety is my goal here without it looking (too) hillbilly.


Another thought is to try and just raise the front while tying the rear edge in at original level so that it's flush at the cowl. I'll try that in photoshop.

[Swar]

Been searching for this truck, finally found it... what do you think? Notice he even extended the fenders out.

[cleszkie]

I would be concerned with rain water sheet flowing off the windshield and dumping straight onto your distributor. Not to mention all the other fun stuff that would end up in the engine compartment like snow, leaves, nuts, berries, etc. Looks cool - sorta. Practical - not really. I believe all the modern cowl induction hoods (and true early factory cowl induction hoods) have ductwork that prevents these issues. They are not wide open to the engine compartment.

[sick472]

Originally Posted by cleszkie

I would be concerned with rain water sheet flowing off the windshield and dumping straight onto your distributor. Not to mention all the other fun stuff that would end up in the engine compartment like snow, leaves, nuts, berries, etc. Looks cool - sorta. Practical - not really. I believe all the modern cowl induction hoods (and true early factory cowl induction hoods) have ductwork that prevents these issues. They are not wide open to the engine compartment.

My concept of the mod would be to graft a piece of hood on top of the original so that nothing would really change as far as the fit at the cowl. There would just be a little extra hood above the cowl plane.

[Swar]

I think it's a cool idea, and I'd like to see it done. However, something looks off with the cowl, like it should come up flush with the hood? Just a thought. Also, awhile back I had thought about mixing a pancake hood with a slant nose. If the pancake hood went on 67 fenders and was extended down to meet the pointed edge on the front of the fenders like the 67/68 hoods.

[demian5]

Now here is a thought, what about a rasied cowl too? Like an HD version on the newer trucks?

[Overdriven]

If it were me, fix one of the hoods and look for another cheapie to cut up. That way you have a stocker to call back on.

This kind of mod is something that mini truckers do to close the hood on their body dropped trucks. I think it can look good and I kind of like it on the dually above except for two things. First I don’t like how you can see the seam on the side. To get rid of it and make it one flowing curve you might need to narrow the 2nd hood you graft on the top. Depends on how the curves match up and if you’re willing to cut the sides free from the front of the hood. Second I think the front is too tall and should be lower compared to the back. Achieving this while getting the curve on the sides right (flowing without a seam) would not be easy without lots of cutting, welding and filler.

If you’re going to scrap one of the hoods I’d be tempted to make a cut on the sides and try raising just the rear however much you’d like. You can fill in the gap with foot long strips of metal until the gap is filled. This method is probably easier than grafting a huge section of hood onto another, even if you want to raise the front as well.

[sick472]

Nice find Swar! That truck goes in all directions. I have put the idea out of my mind at this point (not because of the last post) and don't think I will revisit it. I'm most certain that the time involved and the risk of goofing it up are to great. AND the original hoods are fantastic without mods.

Great discussion however! I really appreciate everyone's comments. I really think a 1/2" hood raise could be cool, but not this time.

[Swar]

Originally Posted by sick472

Nice find Swar! That truck goes in all directions. I have put the idea out of my mind at this point (not because of the last post) and don't think I will revisit it. I'm most certain that the time involved and the risk of goofing it up are to great. AND the original hoods are fantastic without mods.

Great discussion however! I really appreciate everyone's comments. I really think a 1/2" hood raise could be cool, but not this time.

Good points, but I'm going to plant more idea seeds... lol this is kind of the idea I had, mixing the 2 hood styles together.

[sick472]

Boy, that looks nicely done, I wonder how they tied the hood together to the cowl? OR maybe the hood is not really above the cowl plane where they normally meet?

[Swar]

This one is level with the cowl. I think he just put a 69-72 hood on 67 fenders, then extended it down to meet the front body line. Here's a progress shot.