sx455raidercelticfan

hi im looking 2 buy a oai ive allready bought a glasstec and i didnt like it at all so i sold it for half price, i want a real 1 but im having trouble finding 1, are thorton hoods really the exact same as a original?? and if so i heard that they didnt fit right from the factory and had 2 be tweeked 2 fit, is this true?? would i be better off finding a original or are thorton hoods just as good??? thanks

442much

If your car didn't come with one why spend the money on an original? It's just for looks anyway since it still won't be original for your car. Save the money and buy another version. Use the money you save for something else. Just my $.02

sx455raidercelticfan

i tried that im a body/paint man and i didnt like how it fit even after i took it off and tweeked it over and over it still needed many hours of work 2 look how i wanted it 2 look, ive also seen a all fiberglass hood fly off, id rather spend the money on a real 1 it will cost more but save time on labor and look better in the end hood up and down

Aceshigh

Kinda what I was thinking too if the quality of craftsmanship is there.....

No point in blowing coin on all original if you're car isn't all original

sx455raidercelticfan

i understand what you guys are saying but a aftermarket medal frame hood is going 2 run around 1000 shipped than need 10-20 hours of work 2 look good, id rather work on some1s elses car for 10-20 hours and use there money 2 buy a real oai, it almost equals out! PLUS the oai in 10 years will be worth 10 times the aftermaket hood, thanks 4 the input but i need a real 1

thorton or real oai???????????

70Post

Doesn't really matter if you buy Thornton or original. I'd buy the Thornton hood if I could tell that it had never been repaired (like a lot of originals have). As you know, those old "repairs" can easily start showing up again in the form of shrinkage, cracking, etc depending on how they were repaired.

Also...a lot of the original hoods have had rust problems in the underside metal liner so there's another area you have to worry about with an original.

A good Thornton hood is also going to hold value. They are virtually duplicates of the originals and the materials are new. The underside screen is made of a slightly lighter gauge but that's a minor difference and shouldn't be a dealbreaker for you.

stevengerard

yeah, buy the Thorton unless you can use the winter to be pateint and find an original one, believe me the original ones are not all that straight or even either.

Gary's 2 442-S

I bought one of the hoods from Thornton and the workmanship is very,very good. They are pricey and takes a very long time to get one even when they put you on the waiting list.

sx455raidercelticfan

gh5168 how long was the wait for your hood? did it need alot of work, was it wavy, was the body line straight? or did it just need a couple blocks for paint?? thanks

Gary's 2 442-S

I waited over a year. They were not taking any orders when I first tried to get one in July of 08.They let me make an order with them in Jan 09. I received the hood in July 09. They old me they would have the hood ready for me in about six weeks because there was about 2 other orders ahead of me and it takes them 2 weeks just to make one.They have only 2 molds. I called the 3 or 4 times after I made the order. The hood is very straight. It is only going to need blocking and sanding.I have not painted it yet but I did bolt it down and the fit was really good.I will be painting it in about 2 weeks. I am happy with the hood and those people from Thornton are very nice.

6inarow

This guy in Atlanta has an original for sale for $1850

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/pts/1999085499.html

sx455raidercelticfan

thanks for the info!!!!! i just emailed them i sure hope the wait time is down or they have a couple allready done, ill keep you posted

sx455raidercelticfan

thanks 6inarow

Gary's 2 442-S

IMG_0038-1.jpg














My Thornton hood

6inarow

That is a beautiful hood. I got hood envy!

Funkwagon455

I have both an OEM as well as a Thornton hood, I am a body guy as well and have first hand experience with both versions. The OE hood will not pass a ball bearing test without a LOT of work, once finished if properly repaired they are great and look so. They usually require a fair amount of structural work in the transitions of the scoop openings and often tend to crack back out after a couple of years of a lopey 455 shaking it. The Thornton hood is new resin, glass, gelcoat, and steel with fresh adhesive, fits at least as good as OE if not better looks identical with the only exception of screen attachment as well as the triagular indention in the screen found in the OE. The Thornton hood is also a licensed GM replacement part. Both hoods have a tendency to dip on the driver's side front and don't want to line up with the eyebrow molding. Next time your at a Nationals check out how many really nice W cars have this problem. My original hood is in exceptionally good condition for it's age, but I still don't really favor it over the later version. I would suppose that if you intend to build a trailer show car maybe the original is better........But if your looking for a quality hood with good longevity perhaps the Thornton hood is the better route.


Heath

sx455raidercelticfan

yea thats a beauty!!! god i hope theres no waiting list! did it come primed/sealed? i paint for a living paint inside the scoops b4 you paint the car so you can blend the excess paint you dont want a build up of paint around the openings, the paint will be a little off if its a metallic or pearl, post pics as as its painted

sx455raidercelticfan

thanks funkwagon yea my fingers are crossed that theresnot a 6-12month wait, unless i find a real oai for a great price im going 2 go with a thornton

Aceshigh

Good God man......!!!!

$1850 for a HOOD!?!?!?!?!?

Crack smokin for real......
these cars do NOT bring in that much money to justify that.

toms vista

I had found an original rust free frame hood with very slight damage at the front corner of the grille and gave $ 2000.00 for it. I also tried the parts place hood , only to sell it for a loss.I too am just too detail oriented to accept the look of a cheaper hood. BTW that thornton hood looks awesome !

w-30dreamin

Ive been on Thortons waiting list to place an order for almost a year now. Last winter I was told they would contact me in the spring. They never called me,Ive called them a few times over the summer and was told the hood project is on hold while they re-tool. They say hopefully they will start producing hoods in the spring and working their way down thru the waiting list.

sx455raidercelticfan

just my luck!!!!!!! thanks 4 the info

Gary's 2 442-S

Yes the hood came just as you see it, primed and sealed. When I was trying to get my hood from them I called a few times even after they took my order. I guess the wait didnt really bother me because I knew that I was not going to be ready to use it for quite some time which is now over a year later. From my experience with them it is going to be a long waiting period.

BlackGold

Get up on the wrong side of bed this morning?
First, that price is not so strange. Have you priced original quarter panels lately? Second, the finished value of an original W-30 that is in need of a hood easily justifies that price. Third, if we restored our cars based on what is "justified," we'd never restore our cars.

There are many on this site who think the crack smoker is the guy who would pay good money to make his car look like yours. I'm not one of them (to each his own). I'm just saying be careful where you throw stones.

cutlassjoe

I think what Aces high is talking about is this...His car like mine are clones, not original numbers matching cars. So in my case spending that kind of money on a hood is kinda nutz. If I had an original numbers matching car with a 455 I would spare no expense on whatever I needed. But, since mine is a clone, and done the way I wanted I used good parts, but tried to be as price sensitive as possible. I wanted to make sure I would not have more into it than it was worth.

A good friend of mine did get a Thornton hood a few years ago, and they are sweet!

stevengerard

I had to re-read his post, I was thinking wow 1,800 for a real hood that's cheap glad I don't need one because as cheap as that is its still too much for my taste. But I see where Aces is coming from... lots o money for some of these parts even in today's economy.

bccan

That must be smokin' crack! I can get a whole, unrestored, mint condition 71 442 for just a little more than that!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

sx455raidercelticfan

i just found a 71-72 aoi that i sold for 400 14-15 years ago and paid 1700 for it!! its in great condition!!!!! its never had any fiberglass work done!!! the only bad part is they took the screen off and it has a stress crack now, it hasnt even been on a car in 14-15 years its the same orange with with stripes it was when i sold it, i figure it would be cheaper 2 buy this 1 and trade it for a 70 than it would be 2 buy a 70, this is 1 of the cleanest oai's ive seen!!!! NO DAMAGE NO REPAIRS!!!!!! if any1 whats 2 trade shoot me a pm, heres the link 2 the craigsist add and ill post some pics 2night

other than the stress crack the hood is in GREAT CONDITION!! the frame has no rust at all ITS SOLID!! as you can tell im very happy, now i just got 2 find some1 2 trade me 4 a 70 in the same condition

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/1997778528.html

Funkwagon455

Here is a link to a '70 hood in Tulsa that is about as cheap as you'll find for not been on fire. Good luck

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-...Q5fAccessories

coltsneckbob

Absolutely true....

I think if you have the money you will be happier with the Thornton hood. I have been to their shop and it is evident these guys know their Olds.

My442

I paid $900 for mine 10 years ago.

sx455raidercelticfan

i email him last night, it looks like the rust damaged the square hole for the latch, if the latch hole is damaged than the hood isnt worth 1300 plus shipping, if you look at the picture the rear lip where the chrome goes is damaged and the rear corners are broken, that hood needs some work!!!

i just bought a real 70 hood on ebay for 1000 plus shipping and would buy this 1 too if the the square hole for the latch is usable

garys 68

I just got a partially finished 442 clone (no engine) with a stock cutlass hood and a Thorton ram air hood, complete with bonded metal frame.
The Thorton hood looks to be 1/8" high in the rear and about the same amount low in the middle of the fenders. The front lines up fine. I've only seen a few original 442 hoods and they looked to have the same issue, but not to the same extent. Is this common and is it worth trying to get to match perfectly?
I'm still trying to figure out if I want the ram air hood and rear wing that came with the car.
DSCN0113.jpg

sx455raidercelticfan

are you 100% sure its a thornton?? does it have medal rivits holding the fiderglass 2 the frame? i bought a tamarz hood a couple years ago and it had the exact same problem it was like a wave up and down, the rear was higer than fenders than the middle was lower than higher again

i just sent in my 1500 deposit for a 70 thornton hood yesterday i have a 70 and 71/72 original but ive heard so much good stuff about thornton ive decided 2 wait a few months for 1 of there hoods

garys 68

I was told by the previuos owner it was a Thornton. What do I need to look for to tell the difference?
With the frame already bonded, I dont see any way to correct it other than filling.

sx455raidercelticfan

where/why did they bondo the frame?? post pics of the medal frame and we should be able 2 tell if its a thornton or aftermarket

garys 68

Not bondo, "bonded" to the frame. It's not a glass one without a metal frame, and it came with a frame already bonded to it. So it's not like I can bend it to shape and then bond it in place.
I found inside pics of the Tamarz and Thornton inside hood frames. I'll take pics when I get back in town.

sx455raidercelticfan

opps!! LOL!! i just looked at your pic i dont honk they make a tameraz 71-72 medal frame hood so i think you got a original or thornton, i can see the body line in the pic that is pretty bad but fixable!! i paint for a living its just work!! play with the hood hinges (2 hood and 2 fender) latch and front stops once you get it as close as you can than start your body work, ive had hoods that took me 2 hours just 2 line up, thorton hoods are pretty much the same as original its work keeping even if theres work

garys 68

I'll shoot and post some pics when I get home thursday.

HWYSTR455

I'm in this shopping mode now, looking for an OAI for my 72 clone project. I have a body shop lined up in the begining of March, so can't wait for Thorton to make me one. I'm not going for correct, not going for show, just want a decent hood that lasts a while.

Does anyone have body-shop knowledge of the Parts Place metal frame hoods? Downsides/areas in need of attention? For $730, it's almost worth a look.

Someone told me (word of mouth) that Someone from Thorton is now over at another 'glass manufacturer and they are in production now making hoods. Anyone ever hear of these guys:

http://www.fiberpartsconcepts.com/index.html

They're even somewhat close to where Thorton is. If they are in fact re-tooling, maybe it's new tooling, and these guys bought the old ones? (molds)

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