fastvert

iTrader: (4)

I am about to purchase a ramair hood for my car (98TA), but i cant find one i like. My question is, which aftermarket hoods have the grooves around the nostrils like the factory one? I want one that looks as close to an original as possible, but i keep finding ones without the body lines around the nostrils or with odd shaped nostrils that just dont look correct. Also, some of the poorer ones have bulges that taper very oddly from the front of the hood towards the cowl, and doesnt look at all like an original. I know ill never find one thats perfect, and i dont have the money to buy a factory one and have it painted. Help me find the best possible! ( PS i searched already, if you know a post where this was discussed, plz direct me to it)

Heres where my research has led me thus far, corrct me if im wrong:

SunCoast Creations:
http://www.suncoastcreations.com/Pro...lery.cfm?id=26
No Body lines, Nostril cut outs look wrong
$789 +ship. inc. grilles decals (i think)

RkSport:
rksport.com/product/p_07011220/view_detail
No Body lines, grilles may not be right (hard to tell from pic)
$535 + ship. doesnt mention what is included, prob nothing

American Sports Car Designs:
http://www.americansportscardesigns....ges/ta-700.jpg
Looks the best so far, appears to have body lines, (any one have a better pic?,close up?)
$694 +ship. grilles inc. no decals

Ramairhood.com:
www.ramairhood.com/photo_gallery/pontiac/98_02_trans_am/98-02_ta_gallery.htm
Made from plastics rather then fiberglass which seems to be advantageous, no bodylines,
$695 + ship. inc grilles, decals, nostrils cut

(EBAY) Tamraz's Parts Discount Warehouse:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1998-...68850002QQrdZ1
Has body lines, looks to be correct, Quality/Durability questionable (any one hear anything about these?)
$489 +ship. no grilles, no decals, nostrils not yet cut

VFN Fiberglass:
http://www.vfnfiberglass.com/site.htm
Looks very good, has body lines, closest ive seen, Some dont agree however(read: https://ls1tech.com/forums/texas-members/500223-wtb-oem-ram-air-hood-i-have-vfn-ram-air-trade.html)
$495 +ship. inc grilles, no decals

Thats pretty much the best list i could come up with, with the exception of trying a salvage yard or buying one from a dealer.

What do you guys think? Which one do i go with?

LS1obsession

I believe the VFN is as close to stock as your are going to get. The only other one I would recommend out of your list is the ASCD hood, but it does not match the shape of the OEM towards the back.
If you choose not to go with any of these hoods I would suggest checking on Ebay for OEM hoods, or check the For Sale section. Also, you may look into the WS9 hoods. I think it looks identical to the OEM hoods (see sig), only it has the heat extractors. They are made by U.S. Exotics, however, they have discontinued them. Occasionally they will be on Ebay and in the For Sale section. Anyway, I think your best bet may be with VFN.

fastvert

iTrader: (4)

thanks, thats the type of input i was looking for. leaning towards VFN

fastvert

iTrader: (4)

anyone else? suggestions?

Luster

iTrader: (1)

I just priced the factory hood.... believe me, you don't want it....

Dealer price... $1957 !!!!!

GMPartsDirect... $1150 + boxing + shipping

Then you have another $500 for test-fitting, prepping, painting, clearcoating, installing.....

Have you looked at the SLP hood? SLP hood...

It's a little pricey, but is is SLP, and it works with your factory air box, so you don't need to upgrade that portion of your system...

RahuL

iTrader: (10)

The WS9 US Exotics hood by Roger is identical to the WS6 OEM hood, with functional heat extractors [from the Firehawk Hood]... Unfortunately, Roger doesn't make these anymore [switched exclusively to Viper Hoods now]...

The SLP Hood looks no where near the WS6 OEM.. Try looking for an OEM or WS9 on Ebay or the Classifieds here... Or even try Salvage yards.. There's gotta be a few around for sale at a reasonable price...

What color is ur car ?

Here's mine with the last WS9 Hood [custom made with larger heat extractor ports]

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

I got the plastic/composite hood because of the material, the 3-year warranty, and the fact that you can order it pre-painted and just bolt it on. It doesn't have the lines around the nostrils and the edges of the openings are maybe a little more rounded than stock but the fit is excellent and so is the paint finish. It could easily cost more than the $970 to buy a fiberglass hood and get it fitted, prepped and painted.

Luster

iTrader: (1)

I really like that hood.

fastvert

iTrader: (4)

Yea going with a factory hood wasnt even really an option i was considering, unless i came across a used one at a really really good deal.... my wallet just cant handle that right now. And the SLP HO hood is nice and the quality seems great, but i really wanna go with a stock apperaing one on my ride because i plan to add either blackbird or regular stripes in the future and besides that i like their look.

As far as functunality, i am just going to raise my lower air box with washers or spacers for now to make it more functional then stock, until i accquire a true lower ram air box down the road. ive seen them online in the 150$ range. but that will be saved for the future

I like that US exotics hood, too bad they arent being made any longer. The lines and nostrils look really good, and the heat extractors ( while not my original preference) really set it off. I currently have a post up in the Parts Wanted section for a hood, and i plan on calling just about every salvage yard in the yellowpages this weekend. (though my hopes are low cause i know this is a long shot) I know there are a few fbody specific salvage yards with websites and im gonna shoot them a few emails when i get time, but i dont wanna get raped on a shipping / crating fee.

My car is Bright Red with a black top. code WA8774 or WA917K i think, not sure ill have to go check.

fastvert

iTrader: (4)

Im almost positive that im not going with a hood that doenst have the body lines such as the plastic one shown above. I realize the material and warranty are superior and i wish other companies would produce them in different styles, but i feel that it just looks cheesy and is easily recognized as a fake. Again i know that none are perfect, but i just think that even to non-fbody people it is too easy to spot.

For convienence, there is certainly no match. Being prepped painted and ready to install is great, but i think its not worth what they are charging. I plan on doing test fitting and installing myself, and letting the shop just prep and paint it so im not too concerned with it being ready to go out of the box. Consider that if i find a hood for around $500 + $100 ship, plus $400 for paint, (which is very possible) i would have paid around the same as your $970, for a more accurate hood ( not that accuracy is a major concern for many people, but thats the look i want)

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

To each his own... it really depends on what your priorities are. In your case you are replacing a factory hood and want it to look as close to original as possible. In my case I was upgrading from a flat hood to the WS.6 style so other things such as durability, convenience, and warranty were more important to me. Little things like being able to use the original support struts instead of a prop bar also weighed in my decision.

I really wish you luck in finding exactly what you want in a replacement hood but I think you should realize that most non-fbody people don't even know the difference between a Formula and a Trans Am so they certainly wouldn't recognize an aftermarket hood because of the body lines. Buy what you want for yourself not what you think other people expect.

Luster

iTrader: (1)

LOL... I agree !!! 99% of most people can't even tell the difference between my 2002 V6 Firebird and my 2000 Trans Am!!! (at least until they hear those FLOWMASTERS!!!!!)

fastvert

iTrader: (4)

I too am replacing my stock flat hood, not an existing ramair; sorry for any mix ups. I do agree that most people know very little about our cars as you mentioned, but i was thinking more along the lines of car people, such as mustang, vette, and gto ppl, chances are they might spot it, especially at a car show parked next to an original. But yea, the general public is never going to know!

8GTOKLR

iTrader: (6)

RK SPORT

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Well, don't you think they'll notice the missing WS.6 emblem and the 16" wheels instead of the 17" wheels of a real WS.6 (unless you've upgraded them as well)?

fastvert

iTrader: (4)

damn looks good

fastvert

iTrader: (4)

still doing my homework on this one... who knows about the Harwood hoods from Jegs?


A quick search on here revealed the fit and quality are good, but its tuff to make functional because of how they are made i guess, and they do not have the body lines? any one got a pic? jegs shipping would be cheap as heck too! 79 bucks to my residence, prob cheaper to a business

fastvert

iTrader: (4)

after stumbling onto this thread: im really liking the ASCD a bit pricy compared to the others, but you get what you pay for...

https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearance-detailing/500397-finally-ascd-hood-waiting-paint.html

88monte

iTrader: (10)

the tamraz one is made by a company i cant post on here because they are not a sponsor. the cowl hood on my car was made by them. if you want shoot me a pm and ill tell you

tsench

iTrader: (15)

LS1obsession where u buy the ground kit ?