i picked up a used hood today, it looks like the raptor, but then again the mecham doesnt look to much diffrent. how does the underhood of the two look diffrent?i cant find any underhood pics. if i were to guess id say raptor. its at the paint shop or id snap a few pics. got it about 5th hand so the owner didnt even know.

 

mechams have 4 large port extractors. Think reverse ram air....

 

Yeah, the Mecham hood has vents along the back of it the Raptor doesnt. (see below)

There are other hoods that have small vent holes along the side, above the wheel well area's but those still look nothing like the Mecham hood.

Mecham hood


Raptor hood

 

Raptor = bigger openings in front, bigger nostrils, heat extractors in rear IF you order it that way

Mecham = smaller openings in front, smaller nostrils, heat extractors two per side on top of the nostrils

Raptor FTW =

 

Or just look at the hoods and see how the crappy garbage that Mecham makes compares to the Raptor quality. When you get done laughing at all the cracking, pitting, and wavy lines, then you just looked at a Mecham hood...
For example, my old hood....
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/518658/2

 

well, it doesnt have any heat extractors. but at the rear underside, it has openings like a cowl hood. i am pretty sure its a raptor, its prolly a few years old and its not cracking or anything either. josh99ta, you have any underside pics of youre hood?

 

The PRIMARY way to tell is this:



If you have an airbox opening like this then you have a suncoast creations hood!

That airbox opening is the key.

 

extreme, THANK YOU! thats what i have then. looks just like that underneath.COOL! it should be painted in a few days, ill post some pics of it then.
can you use the stock hood shocks? latch, and catch? like i said, i got it down the line so need to see what needs to be changed, thanks.

 

You should change out the shocks, and you have to get a different release. The release for the Raptor hood is shorter, and the shocks need to be replaced due to the excess "stress" the factory ones put on the raptor hood. If you need part numbers I will get the information off of my shocks for yea, but as for the release latch you may have to just purchase one from SCC. I cant imagine it being more than like $20-$25 (HIGH estimate)

 

yes, please get me the shock #s. thanks!

 

hey extreme: I have the raptor hood and tried to get the other release, but still having problems with it fitting. when I try to close the hood, the latch part is pressing up against the top of the hood, before the bottom passes where it needs to hook into. I have the firebird body style, and not the TA, so do you know if there is any differences in them?

thx