Mecham Ramair hood for TA/Formula?
06-08-2007, 07:58 PM
#2
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I think you might be opening up a can with that question...few guys have it
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ht=Mecham+hood
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ht=Mecham+hood
06-08-2007, 10:43 PM
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SCRWS6- Thanks man that helps with that. I was asking cause I head the raptor hood from suncost has alot of problems too and I REALLY wanted that hood so back to looking.
06-08-2007, 11:27 PM
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I preped and painted the new desing Mecham hood for a local friend and I thought the quality was fine. It was quite a bit structurally stronger than the older/original design on my car and the fit was nice as well. I have seen other fiberglass manufacturers that had nicer products but over all it was a good piece. I have never worked with any fiberglass hood that didnt need some amount of work/prep/fitment. The SMC "Sheet Moulding Compound" hoods that come on all SS/WS6 cars are far superior to fiberglass in every way, I think people sometimes compare the two when there is no comparison.
The older hoods cracking problem is easily cured with a few spots of the 3M structural foam to bond the inner and outer panels. Without the extra support of the structural foam the outer panel is constantly vibrating/flexing and eventually this leads to the gel coat cracking. The older hoods are approx. the weight you would expect in some pin on race only hoods.
My car is an original 98 Mecham and has no cracking with exeption of where the first owner tried to put his hand through it.
The older hoods cracking problem is easily cured with a few spots of the 3M structural foam to bond the inner and outer panels. Without the extra support of the structural foam the outer panel is constantly vibrating/flexing and eventually this leads to the gel coat cracking. The older hoods are approx. the weight you would expect in some pin on race only hoods.
My car is an original 98 Mecham and has no cracking with exeption of where the first owner tried to put his hand through it.
06-09-2007, 12:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Jeremiah
I preped and painted the new desing Mecham hood for a local friend and I thought the quality was fine. It was quite a bit structurally stronger than the older/original design on my car and the fit was nice as well. I have seen other fiberglass manufacturers that had nicer products but over all it was a good piece. I have never worked with any fiberglass hood that didnt need some amount of work/prep/fitment. The SMC "Sheet Moulding Compound" hoods that come on all SS/WS6 cars are far superior to fiberglass in every way, I think people sometimes compare the two when there is no comparison.
The older hoods cracking problem is easily cured with a few spots of the 3M structural foam to bond the inner and outer panels. Without the extra support of the structural foam the outer panel is constantly vibrating/flexing and eventually this leads to the gel coat cracking. The older hoods are approx. the weight you would expect in some pin on race only hoods.
My car is an original 98 Mecham and has no cracking with exeption of where the first owner tried to put his hand through it.
The older hoods cracking problem is easily cured with a few spots of the 3M structural foam to bond the inner and outer panels. Without the extra support of the structural foam the outer panel is constantly vibrating/flexing and eventually this leads to the gel coat cracking. The older hoods are approx. the weight you would expect in some pin on race only hoods.
My car is an original 98 Mecham and has no cracking with exeption of where the first owner tried to put his hand through it.
06-09-2007, 03:25 AM
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I can tell you all that I've heard is that they have huge fitment issues. Buddy down in PCB had one and it took him months to get it to fit right, and even then it still had a little hole up front. Buy with caution I would say...
06-09-2007, 05:04 PM
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There is a member in here that has a SOM Trans Am and also has the Mecham hood, I think his name is Phoenix, But I ABSOLUTELY love his car and the look, I hope he can come in here and post some pics.....
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06-09-2007, 05:26 PM
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Originally Posted by SS DNA
There is a member in here that has a SOM Trans Am and also has the Mecham hood, I think his name is Phoenix, But I ABSOLUTELY love his car and the look, I hope he can come in here and post some pics.....
06-09-2007, 11:46 PM
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Originally Posted by BigT2002
I can tell you all that I've heard is that they have huge fitment issues. Buddy down in PCB had one and it took him months to get it to fit right, and even then it still had a little hole up front. Buy with caution I would say...
Originally Posted by Kavslayer
How do you put the 3M foam in between the panels? You've worked with a lot of fiberglass hoods? So this ones really not much different just needs a little reinforcement right. How about fitment does it take a lot of moding it to make it fit right?
I inject the foam through the hood strut and striker bolt holes, be careful not to get carried away with the amount. If you do get carried away it could expand to the point that it causes the hood to buldge or sepperate. I would experiment with the foam and get familiar with the expansion rate/size before doing your hood. I like to have a 3" contact patch on both inner and outer panels. Its amazing how mutch structural stability this adds to the early design hoods.
06-09-2007, 11:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Jeremiah
Anyone who spends a month on any fiberglass hood doesnt know what hes doing in the first place. I spend approx. 8 hours fitting/working fiberglass hoods, some a little more than others.
Only the older/first design needs the extra structural support, the newer design is quite a bit heavier in construction and needs no added support.
I inject the foam through the hood strut and striker bolt holes, be careful not to get carried away with the amount. If you do get carried away it could expand to the point that it causes the hood to buldge or sepperate. I would experiment with the foam and get familiar with the expansion rate/size before doing your hood. I like to have a 3" contact patch on both inner and outer panels. Its amazing how mutch structural stability this adds to the early design hoods.
Only the older/first design needs the extra structural support, the newer design is quite a bit heavier in construction and needs no added support.
I inject the foam through the hood strut and striker bolt holes, be careful not to get carried away with the amount. If you do get carried away it could expand to the point that it causes the hood to buldge or sepperate. I would experiment with the foam and get familiar with the expansion rate/size before doing your hood. I like to have a 3" contact patch on both inner and outer panels. Its amazing how mutch structural stability this adds to the early design hoods.
06-10-2007, 10:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Kavslayer
So I wouldn't need to worry about that if I bought the hood new. The best thing you would say is to take and get it installed by a shop that KNOW what there doing with it.
Expect some clean up but if its anything like the one I recently did it will be the usual as with most any fiberglass parts.
06-10-2007, 07:15 PM
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everyone badmouths the mecham hoods, but everyone knows they look gorgeous. also the hood is going to be a little wavy. what more do you want it is hand laid fiberglass made thin for weight reasons.
also the hood it made for weight loss, everything he did to the cars it performance oriented(big wing is functional, heat extractors for letting air and heat run through the engine bay for aerodynamics)
also the hood it made for weight loss, everything he did to the cars it performance oriented(big wing is functional, heat extractors for letting air and heat run through the engine bay for aerodynamics)
06-12-2007, 03:43 PM
#14
i have it, i love it, i havent had pne problem with it since the day i got it. no fitment issues with the actual hood itself and also it didnt take much prep time. their older versions of the hood were not great but i think they really have upped their quality nowadays
