Early Hood Differences

[26th-Z]

There has been a conversation going around my e-mail about early hoods (bonnets) and the differences between them. A couple of friends are pouring money into their restorations and the rest of the low VIN club guys are watching with delight. The conversation got on to hoods one day and I rushed home to have a look at what I have.

Of course, you all know that Princess 27th of the rust brothels in Dover, Delaware is pretty trashed. I bought a hood from a guy who swore it was a very early '70 style. 27th's hood is trashed, but like most of her, its original.

So I lined the two up and compared. The major question being; "Is there a difference between the hoods of the early model years" and "Can a replacement hood be made to look like an original early (1969 build) because a 69 hood is unobtanium. Read on to see what I came up with.

Please feel free to add photos of your hoods along with model year. How many different hoods are there?

[26th-Z]

The green rusty nasty hood is from 27th. Pretty obvious why I bought another hood, huh? The blue hood is the used one I bought. The punch-outs for the front inner rail are pretty much the same.

[26th-Z]

Along the side rail of the hood; a punch-out on the blue hood and none on the green. Same condition both sides.

[JimmyZ]

Maybe I need to get my eyes checked but it looks like the blue hood is not as wide as the green one.

I have heard complaints about some aftermaket hoods being off in length but didn't know that there was a width issue.

[Mr Camouflage]

Maybe I need to get my eyes checked but it looks like the blue hood is not as wide as the green one.




I think that's just perspective playing ticks on your eyes.

[26th-Z]

A big difference appears on the rear inner rail. The blue hood has a punch-out and the metal pressing around it is different. See how the pressing is raised?

The huge difference is a gusset plate in the back corners of the hood. The metal folds are different as well.

So the blue hood is very different and not the early style it was purported to be. I'm curious to see what other variations there are. Have a look at your hood and lets collect some pictures!

[26th-Z]

That's just the perspective playing tricks on your eyes.

[AZ-240z]

[QUOTE=26th-Z;225956]There has been a conversation going around my e-mail about early hoods (bonnets) and the differences between them. A couple of friends are pouring money into their restorations and the rest of the low VIN club guys are watching with delight. The conversation got on to hoods one day and I rushed home to have a look at what I have.

.

So I lined the two up and compared. The major question being; "Is there a difference between the hoods of the early model years" and "Can a replacement hood be made to look like an original early (1969 build) because a 69 hood is unobtanium. Read on to see what I came up with.

Chris,

I took a look at Kats web site, and under the heading of "Original Details" there is a subsection, "inside hood", where he gives his explanation of early vs. later hoods.

In his explanation, the earlier hoods had no cutouts on either side of the hood latch hardware and no cutouts in the outside edges of the hood. If this were the case, it appears that your green hood is the earlier of the two shown.

Kats seems to be pretty accurate in these matters and it would be interesting to know the vins which defined these early characteristics.

You may have already seen this Chris, but, if not, hope it helps explain the differences.

Dan

[e_racer1999]

it doesn't look like anything some careful cutting/welding/grinding can't fix!

[26th-Z]

I can tell you with all certainty that the green hood is circa October 1969. But that's what got me going to photograph the two and show that there are far more differences than the holes on either side of the hood latch. In fact, the entire pressing profile of the inner rail is different. My biggest surprise was to see the reinforcement gusset plate in the back corners of the hood.

[Walter Moore]

I have my original 71 hood, but I suspect that it isn't early enough for this discussion. Am I correct in that assumption?

(Besides being rusted out, it is bent as well. But I will take pictures if you want.)

[Mike B]

Chris,

#237 looks like #26 (no corner reinforments or holes on either side of the hood release. However, my 72 does not have these holes either. Also note the difference in the hood release itself. The one on #237 is flat and the one on my 72 is angled at the top.

-Mike

[kats]

Hello Chris,

I have been also interested in this,and I think Mike B showed nicely.

My understanding is,

#1 Earliest does not have reinforcements nor holes/with flat hood release handle
#2 second production has reinforcements but no-holes/with angled hood release handle
#3 third production has reinforcements and holes/with angled hood release handle

I confirmed HLS30-00476 (Nov1969) has #1 hood,PS3-00088(Jan1970) has also #1 hood.HLS30-02156(Mar1970) has #2 hood,but this one may not original from the car was born.

What date is a borderline between them?

kats

[zpizzaman20]

Chris,
An interesting topic which we have chatted about at length. When I get back from the adoption overseas I will take a picture of the bonnets I have. Flying out this morning,
Fred

[zhead240]

can't tell with 26th's pics, but do both hoods have the small bracket on driver side like mine ( 11/71) and what is it for?

[Sailor Bob]

Hood prop.

[e_racer1999]

Hood prop.

exactly.

[kats]

#1 Earliest does not have reinforcements nor holes/with flat hood release handle
#2 second production has reinforcements but no-holes/with angled hood release handle
#3 third production has reinforcements and holes/with angled hood release handle


What I have seen so far is,#1 is always seen on 1969 car.#2 is seen quite long term period,from1970 to 1972(not sure the month)

I guess the transition was made from #1 to #2 in the early 1970.#2 to #3 was in the 1973?

kats

[CanTechZ]

My 1970, number 6521, has the #1 style hood and has a production date of July '70, it was delivered to Vancouver BC, Canada. I have owned the car since 1978 & to the best of my knowledge it is the original hood.

Mike

[26th-Z]

I'm glad you guys enjoy this conversation! Hi Kats. Hi Pat.

My green hood from 27th is a #1 hood, but it is so rusty! I would like to repair it, but for how much?

[JimmyZ]

I've got a MIG, TIG, plasma cutter and 5' steel rule graduated in 100ths if you want to bring it up here. It would probably take 2-10 hours of welding depending on how bad the hoods frame is. I'm sure the frame has some rot too and not just the front. After laying tacks I'd like to see what kind of warpage an .020 tungsten makes when welding 1/8"-1/4" at a time. (Probably next to nil.) Of course I'd do warpage experiments on areas of the donor hood first of course.

You could build a plywood tank and line it with plastic for your own electrolysis bath. Add washing soda and a little phosphoric and let it do it's thing for a few days. Electrodes could be made to fit inside the frame so that it gets cleaned too. Just can't have 'em touching anything metal. (Spacing insulators)

All you'd owe me is an argon refill.:)

Just offering, I know Sarasota is a long way from Mt Dora.

Jim

[eulb1]

Mine is like #1, does not have reinforcements nor holes, but does have the angled hood release handle. HLS30-04831 5/70

[dal240z]

Hi- I just checked the hood on #194 (build date of 10/69) and it does not have the holes on the side or the reinforcement plates in the corners.

Mine has been plastic media blasted and then left in primer (moved, changed jobs, old story). The very nose has this weird concave region and a hole in it that were bondo'ed up. Were they both filled in from the factory? Is this the remnant of a bad repair? Anyone seen something similar?

[a7dz]

My 70 was like number 1. 6/70 6160

[John Coffey]

Another data point...

I just recently looked at #502 with a build date of November 1969. Its hood matches the blue hood in the first post.

[26th-Z]

I replaced the hood on 26th in 1990 without noticing the differences. The original hood had been bashed and a new hood from Datsun was cheap. It is just like the blue one I posted. Seems like a 3rd production Kats mentions. Funny, the part number doesn't change..65100-E4100

Just for grins, the part number for the PZR hood in FRP is 65100-E7200

[JonnyRock]

Sometimes, I don't like what I find here on the site.

Looks like my hood must have been replaced at some point. It's a #3 hood with the reinforcements, and holes. Doesn't seem to jive with the build date of 02/70, so it must be newer.