I’m restoring a 72Cutlass S and have just about finished the interior and am turning to the engine compartment. The hood is missing the insulation and I was wondering how important that is. Is this something I need to do right away to prevent engine heat from cooking my hood paint or can I add the insulation as my budget allows? I certainly don’t want to waste the last years work by working on the glamour stuff and miss what is really needed. Thoughts on my priorities??

 

I think the hood insulation is there more for sound deadening than it is for heat insulation. Not all cars came with it (cheaper cars tended not to). As your car travels at speed, there's considerable air blowing over it, which keeps the hood cool. I doubt the hood's temperature would ever get high enough in normal engine operation to damage the paint. There's probably more to worry about with the paint getting heated by the sun on a hot summer day.

 

Neither did the 69 H/O

 

OK, maybe not just cheaper cars, but I think this supports my point. What's one of the selling points of a performance car? The SOUND it makes. Who's going to hear the sound of a car like an H/O if it's partially muffled by insulation?

 

Just funning with ya my friend.

The H/O had big greese pencil X's under the hood, that I've been told ment no insulation on this car.

 

Thanks that all makes snese to me.... I'll wait on that..

 

The 3.8L engine in my Buick has a plastic cover over the upper intake manifold that I always assumed was just for looks but the name of it is audio damper or something like that, hence it's function.

 

I researched the subject tirelessly and hood insulation is for acoustic dampening, whatever that is?
I have two brand new molded ones with chunks broken off courtesy of UPS.
They could probably be glued back together if anybody want them for free, local pick-up only.
The third time was a charm (after the place I ordered it from read UPS the riot act). Fusick's cost a little more but they use Fed-Ex, I recommend them highly.
The things are very fragile and and want to crack and break where it curves around and down by the front corner clips. I wetted mine with a spray bottle with water in those areas to make it more flexible, still have to be real careful. Save the chunks that you pop out where the clips go for repairs if needed.

 

My 68 F85 (definitely a cheaper one) does not have hood insulation. I thought it came off but could not see how it would have been mounted. And no remnants. So chances are it never had one?

Anyone agree?

 

Yes, I would guess your F-85 never had insulation. I think that if it did, there would be little holes here and there in the underhood support frame where the clips that hold the insulation on would be pressed in. Unless it could have been glued on originally, but the few instances I've seen of hood insulation had clips holding it in place.