SDS Photography

I think the next step in my BB swap will be a L88 hood. Does anyone have experiences with them - good or bad? I know several forum vendors sell them - just wanting to get the best one possible.

Thanks guys.

Jebbysan

I went with an ACI. It had good gaps but a little low on the front.....we built that up and bonded in an Air Chamber.......came out amazing......
Hood gaps and "duck billing" on the front peak are pet peeves of mine.......
I was impressed with the quality and service at ACI.......mention their E-Bay ad and the hood was only $500......they do not sell an air chamber for some reason.....got mine from Ecklers for $125.

Jebby

The13Bats

I used to always say ecklers was the way to go but they have been slipping, aci seems to get good feedback, as does that one glass vendor on feebay,

With hoods keep in mind all do not fit the same car to car hood to hood,
Even with stock hoods swapped around, some fit great some do not.

The L88 is so popular used ones pop up all the time, i scored this nice one on cl
125.00 note how smooth the inside is and how the air box isnt 100% gm correct,

Mako72

I have an L88 hood with an airbox I bought back in the mid 70's. It may be a real one, not sure. Sometimes ACI will show up at the MidAmerica Funfest. Their hoods look to be well made and I was considering one w/o the airbox. I ended up finding one on CL. Anyway, here some pics of the ACI L88 hood I took.

The13Bats

Real gm l88 hoods have a little Z brace in the rear of the scoop and are press molded like the other vette body parts

Jebbysan

If you look closely at my first photo above along the back of the scoop....we decided to bond in some "high fence wire" and then bury it in 3M panel bonder. Why? Over the years I have seen many of these hoods sag right there......and that would bother me terrible. That and bonding in the air chamber made this hood stiffer than the stock one at a lot less weight........lighter by at least 10 lbs.
Sanding the panel bonder and then carefully taping the lip and shooting some semi-gloss black made for a factory look.

Jebby

3JsVette

Another vote for an ACI hood. The one we used fit very good.

SDS Photography

It looks like ACI is where I should head. I did a wide CL search and the only way I am getting an L88 hood is to buy a car with it.

The13Bats

Took me a month to buy my l88 on cl the guy wanted 1200 thought it was gm showed him no, and after he got done being butt hurt i got it for 125.00

The recessed headlights i just bought nos 200.00, took a few years to score them, took about a year to score flares for less than 100.00 a pair new,

i like bargains better than being in a hurry. ;-)