Best L-88 hood.
11-04-2015, 05:49 PM
#1
Dr. Detroit
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Best L-88 hood.
This has been covered before...I am sure...but can't get a bona fide answer.
Who makes the best fitting L-88 hood for wiper door cars?
I may have to go this route......not sure yet.....
Would love one with an air chamber too.
Jebby
Who makes the best fitting L-88 hood for wiper door cars?
I may have to go this route......not sure yet.....
Would love one with an air chamber too.
Jebby
11-04-2015, 06:05 PM
#2
Race Director
The GM Original hood is the best you can buy....Problem is that finding a new hood or a good used one may prove difficult......Either way they may be expensive
11-04-2015, 06:10 PM
#3
Dr. Detroit
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They do pop up from time to time....but I get weary of buying
anything like that due the sheer age of it......it may be beat to crap.
People like to use glamor photos these days for junk.
Jebby
11-04-2015, 09:36 PM
#5
Race Director
A couple of years ago I bought an L88 ACI hood and that fit well.
11-05-2015, 11:53 AM
#6
Dr. Detroit
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Thank you for the replies......
I can deal with gaps and some height anomalies......it is the front of the hood that concerns me the most.....I have seen a lot of finished cars where the hood does not roll into the nose well enough and it kind up sticks up (duck bill). That kind of repair is very difficult to fix....
Anyone else with good experiences on their aftermarket hood?
Remember this is a wiper door car....
Jebby
I can deal with gaps and some height anomalies......it is the front of the hood that concerns me the most.....I have seen a lot of finished cars where the hood does not roll into the nose well enough and it kind up sticks up (duck bill). That kind of repair is very difficult to fix....
Anyone else with good experiences on their aftermarket hood?
Remember this is a wiper door car....
Jebby
11-05-2015, 12:51 PM
#7
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I normally would hit ecklers, ACI never gets back to me.
I scored a very nice short L-88 hood with air box on cl for 125.00
The seller wanted like 300, it took over a month of waiting and I made the low ball offer he took it, he was 100% sure it was a real gm L-88 hood it of course is not, but Craigslist is a gold mind for cheap corvette parts some good some dog doodoo
C3 hoods factory or not are hit or miss with fit some fit good some need work
I scored a very nice short L-88 hood with air box on cl for 125.00
The seller wanted like 300, it took over a month of waiting and I made the low ball offer he took it, he was 100% sure it was a real gm L-88 hood it of course is not, but Craigslist is a gold mind for cheap corvette parts some good some dog doodoo
C3 hoods factory or not are hit or miss with fit some fit good some need work
11-05-2015, 03:07 PM
#8
Safety Car
Thank you for the replies......
I can deal with gaps and some height anomalies......it is the front of the hood that concerns me the most.....I have seen a lot of finished cars where the hood does not roll into the nose well enough and it kind up sticks up (duck bill). That kind of repair is very difficult to fix....
Anyone else with good experiences on their aftermarket hood?
Remember this is a wiper door car....
Jebby
I can deal with gaps and some height anomalies......it is the front of the hood that concerns me the most.....I have seen a lot of finished cars where the hood does not roll into the nose well enough and it kind up sticks up (duck bill). That kind of repair is very difficult to fix....
Anyone else with good experiences on their aftermarket hood?
Remember this is a wiper door car....
Jebby
See my sig photo.....
11-05-2015, 04:26 PM
#9
Dr. Detroit
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11-05-2015, 07:18 PM
#10
Le Mans Master
I want the long hood but the standard length bubble.they all seem to stretch the bubble on the long hood so the inlet is about 1.5 inches from the windshield destroying and effectively blocking the fresh air intake.plus I.M.O it looks like crap.
11-06-2015, 10:02 AM
#12
I went with Ecklers as well. It took better than a day to work the warbels out, and the Ecklers hood was wider than the original so it sat too tight between the fenders. It came with a one page instructional telling you if the hood fit too tight between the fenders you need to break the bond and move both fenders out. Yea right Ecklers. I'll just break two 40 plus year old bond joints so your stupid hood will fit. No thanks. I think I'll just mod the hell out of your brand new hood and make it fit.
Case in point. Expect to have to work the hood. Unless of course you can find an NOS L-88 GM hood.
Case in point. Expect to have to work the hood. Unless of course you can find an NOS L-88 GM hood.
11-06-2015, 02:41 PM
#13
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I went with Ecklers as well. It took better than a day to work the warbels out, and the Ecklers hood was wider than the original so it sat too tight between the fenders. It came with a one page instructional telling you if the hood fit too tight between the fenders you need to break the bond and move both fenders out. Yea right Ecklers. I'll just break two 40 plus year old bond joints so your stupid hood will fit. No thanks. I think I'll just mod the hell out of your brand new hood and make it fit.
Case in point. Expect to have to work the hood. Unless of course you can find an NOS L-88 GM hood.
Case in point. Expect to have to work the hood. Unless of course you can find an NOS L-88 GM hood.
11-06-2015, 05:15 PM
#15
Dr. Detroit
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Looks like ACI or Ecklers.....hmmmm.
Jebby
Jebby
11-06-2015, 07:14 PM
#16
The ORIGINAL and bestest
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That is exactly how it went for me as well. I feel I should add that I bought the hood about 12 yrs ago, and it was a used hood, so I don't know exactly how old it is, and maybe Eckler's products are not what they used to be.
11-06-2015, 11:26 PM
#18
Melting Slicks
What fits one Corvette may not fit all. When the factory assembled the front end they used a jig to assemble the surround and the fenders so that they would all be the same. Well the didn't necessary turn out the same. And today how many haven't had any work done to them. I once worked with a Corvette body Shop and when doing a front end they would bolt the Hood on first with some shims. Then they would line up the upper surround to line up with the Hood and when they had it as close as they could get it bond it all together. Ecklers and ACI have been making these Hoods for 40 Years competing with each other. If they didn't fit OK they wouldn't be in bussness anymore.
11-06-2015, 11:31 PM
#19
Safety Car
I have an ecklers 4" high rise l88 hood and the fit and finish was pretty good, now I wished I gone with a glass tech with 5 or 6 inch rise.
