I posted this in the paint and body section yesterday, but it hasn't had many views and so I thought I'd try posting here where maybe more people would see it...

In my 02 Z28 yesterday I had a fender bender, and I'm going to need a new hood, nose, and driver's fender. The silver lining in this cloud is that now I can get a cool aftermarket hood to replace it.

After searching around on here, everyone seems to love the VFN hoods, that's what I'm leaning towards. For those in the know, are the SS style hoods they have even a real air scoop at all? or is the air scoop totally fake? even though it's not going to give me any more power (not being connected to the airbox), I'd still rather have a scoop where air can flow through and at least look cool with a real hole in it, than have a fake scoop with the middle filled in.

question #2..with the pin on hoods they have, are they a pin on where all 4 corners are pinned and you have to lift the hood off with two people? or does the back still connect to the factory hinges and it just has pins up front with no factory latch system?

Even though I've looked at their website and searched around on here I can't find the answer to the two above questions. Of course I could just call and ask them when they open Monday morning, but I want to know ASAP so I can start making plans for what I'm going to do with this!

Also I'm trying to figure out the best way to go for the nose and fender replacement, any suggestions you may have about that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance...

 

my SS hood wasn't OEM, but it had the provisions there for the airway. I had to cut out the opening, but once that was cut out, it became functional (as functional as an SS hood could be)

 

Thanks. Specifically I'm wondering about the ones from VFN since that's the company I'm leaning towards because they have a good reputation.

I just looked at one a guy had for sale, and it did have the hole cut in the scoop so it's not just fake.


And still wondering about the pin on hood, if they pin in just the front and use factory hinges in the back, or if they are a 4 pin lift off deal. Anybody know?

 

I had a VFN ram air hood on my old T/A and it was great. The key is to get a quality body shop prep and install it.

If I remember right none of them are directly connected to the airbox but you can have them cut open the hood to help bring air into the engine bay. And mine used the factory mounts and I believe that the pin on hoods don't use the factory hinges

 

I'm a huge VFN fan. I will always recommend them.. They were easy to deal with and helped me with my order while I was deployed in Iraq.

I can feel you on wanting a "functional" ram air hood to avoid ricer status.. but read around and you will see it's no myth that ram air won't net you hp because of forced air of some sort.. Just lower IAT's..

If you have the option of having insurance buy you a new hood.. STAY AWAY from a pin on hood just to save a few bucks.. when you purchase a pin on hood.. The title is self explanatory. It pins the entire hood to your car... ROYAL PITA to pop the hood..


Check it..

 

I'm not sure if they are open before they ship or if that is just an option. Just ask when you order, it's no big deal for them to open up the scoop. Just be sure and realize that the SS hood is not the same as a factory SS hood, it's a 3" version. It's much bigger / taller.

Pin-on hoods do NOT use factory hinges. Trust me, a pin-on hood isn't what you're looking for.

 

Thanks everyone. That's just the info I was looking for.