CRG Discussion Forum

Model Specific Discussions => Trans-Am Camaros => Topic started by: firstgenaddict on May 15, 2011, 11:59:56 AM

Title: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: firstgenaddict on May 15, 2011, 11:59:56 AM
I saved these photos from an Ebay auction for an old racer, the auction was a few years back, if this should be somewhere else please move or delete.

(http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/47978/2094812600059464720S500x500Q85.jpg)

(http://inlinethumb32.webshots.com/47775/2716309940059464720S500x500Q85.jpg)

(http://inlinethumb05.webshots.com/48260/2368301390059464720S500x500Q85.jpg)

(http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/47819/2143309040059464720S500x500Q85.jpg)
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 16, 2011, 03:43:02 AM
James... Really great of you to post that here. Thanks a lot. Any idea who the seller was, how much it may have sold for, what year the auction was, etc?
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: firstgenaddict on May 16, 2011, 01:37:13 PM
Jon... The whole car (1968) was on ebay at least (2 years ago but no more than 5 years ago) painted the same color, it was in a self storage unit in Southern Cali. It had flares and rear spoiler with the notches for deck lid pins. Had straps over the rear glass positive but not sure about the front. Wide AL wheels and racing slicks which may have been blue streaks, had been in the same storage unit since the 80's.
For some reason I want to say that the Hood was not included in the sale, it was a separate auction which ran concurrent.
I'm pretty sure this sale/car was discussed on the Yenko.net board at the time. 
 
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 16, 2011, 07:58:43 PM
Thanks for that info, James. It doesn't ring a bell to me. I guess I must have missed it when it came through at auction. Did you (or anybody else reading this) happen to save any photos of the car?
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 17, 2011, 02:30:00 PM
Many thanks to Frank DiHartce for sending me these photos of his original GM fiberglass hood to post here on our
Camaro Trans-Am forum. This is an authentic hood from the late '60s, not anything reproduced years or decades later.

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr399.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr402.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr122.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr126.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr135.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr137.jpg)
All 6 photos above courtesy of Frank DiHartce
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 17, 2011, 03:02:10 PM
More underneath detail shots of Frank DiHartce's fiberglass GM hood.

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr137.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr140.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr144.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr146.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr147.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr150.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr151.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr153.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr155.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr157.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr167.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr169.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr212.jpg)
All 13 photos above courtesy of Frank DiHartce
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: firstgenaddict on May 17, 2011, 03:50:03 PM
Jon - I may have photos of the car somewhere... I have close to 50 CD's LOADED with photos I am currently going through... have only scratched the surface...

NICE Hood photos from Mr DiHartce, the two appear to be similar if not identical from first glance.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 17, 2011, 05:34:49 PM
Thanks James, I do appreciate you looking. Would love to see photos of the car if you are able to find them.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 17, 2011, 05:44:10 PM
More terrific photos courtesy of Frank DiHartce. When the 1970 Trans-Am racing season came around, the
2x4 crossram manifold was no longer legal. Racers had to run a single 4-barrel carburetor. Chevy accordingly
created a 1x4 carb adapter so the same fiberglass hood could be kept and used.

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr240.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr242.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr248.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr258.jpg)
All 4 photos above courtesy of Frank DiHartce
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 17, 2011, 06:00:15 PM
These photos, also from Frank, show the 1x4 aircleaner for use with this special racing hood. Note that
there's no snorkel like you would see with a standard production Z/28 equipped with a cowl induction
(on Camaro it was technically called a "super scoop") hood. Note also the original hareware to secure
the hood, the prop rod and the lighter-duty hood springs. Some rare-as-hens-teeth stuff here.

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr265.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr264.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr268.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr432.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr605.jpg)

This is the original Hood Installation Instructions decal which had been glued by GM to Frank's hood.
(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr480.jpg)
All 6 photos above courtesy of Frank DiHartce
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 17, 2011, 11:32:40 PM
While not Trans-Am related, Frank also sent pictures of his NOS big block Chevy single 4-barrel
air cleaner base meant for use with the fiberglass hood. Also shown is the adapter plate which
gets mounted to the hood when running a big block. Frank mentions that he suspects this
base may be the one that Jim Hall and Smokey Yunick may have used on their '70 Camaros.

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr280.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr281.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr282.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr283.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr284.jpg)
All 5 photos above courtesy of Frank DiHartce
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 17, 2011, 11:40:09 PM
These photos show a side-by-side comparison of the 1x4 adapter plates for the small block (left) vs the big block (right).

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr291.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr292.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr298.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr300.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr303.jpg)

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/cr304.jpg)
All 6 photos above courtesy of Frank DiHartce
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: DONCZ28 on May 19, 2011, 12:26:31 AM
Were these hoods any lighter then the steel ones?  Also, the steel hoods could be acid dipped.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 19, 2011, 07:46:23 PM
The fiberglass hood would have to be lighter or there would have been no reason to have one. What the weight difference is, I have no idea but I'll ask and see if it can be found out. I think that by acid dipping the hood you would still not get to the weight of the fiberglass version.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: beighes on May 19, 2011, 08:02:29 PM
Jon,

When I crewed for JT, we purchased one of the factory steel cowl hoods, & it was fairly light.  To the point that we never bolted it on, it was lift off.  Later when I had the Traver/Rettig A Sedan, it had an aftermarket fiberglass cowl induction hood.  I was surprised that, to me, there seemed to be very little difference in the weight feel. 

Steve 
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: DONCZ28 on May 19, 2011, 10:05:24 PM
These fiberglass  hoods had to be expensive to produce, when compared to the steel hoods.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 20, 2011, 03:01:20 PM
I have no knowledge about the cost of making either hood but with the financial resources of GM and the desire to give the Camaro racer the parts deemed necessary to be competitive and win, I'm sure they didn't sweat the cost in the least.

Regarding the weight of the hoods, Frank relays the following to me...

"I never weighed the hoods, but I remember the fiberglass hood was definitely lighter than the steel hood. Wayne Guinn talks of the weight savings in his 'Camaro Untold Secrets' book on page 98: fiberglass hood 35 pounds vs. steel hood 50 pounds; and then factor in hood springs 8 pounds, ZL2 hood plenum valve 5 pounds, upper and lower latch mechanisims 2 pounds = 30 pounds weight reduction."
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on November 29, 2011, 04:14:00 AM
A copy of the original instruction decal. The size is 2.75" x 5".

(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/Frank/Fdihartceinstructions.jpg)
Courtesy of Frank Dihartce
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 10, 2012, 05:02:27 PM
The original hood from the Wiggins-Teape '68 Camaro. This is the first '68 Penske Camaro, which was later driven by Sam Posey, was sold to Posey after he left the team and then was sold back to Penske so he could use it as a backup car (for emergency purposes) during the '69 season. After that, the car went to England. This hood is owned by Jeff Barley and he was kind enough to provide me with these pictures to post.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 10, 2012, 05:22:19 PM
The Camaro was raced very successfully by Brian Muir in England before being sold to others and eventually, many years later, being returned to the U.S. where it is currently restored as the '68 Penske car and being raced in Historic Trans-Am by Don Lee.

Here's a shot of the underside of the hood.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 10, 2012, 05:23:48 PM
A close-up of the '72 decal.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 10, 2012, 05:26:48 PM
A close-up shot of the (secretive) Sunoco blue, which is still evident. Many thanks for sharing these with us, Jeff!
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: cuda48 on May 11, 2012, 02:28:59 AM
Jon,   I thought that car was rebodied as a 69"?
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Sixteen Grand Sedan #56 on May 11, 2012, 02:59:02 AM
Jeff, thanks for letting us see these COOL pictures. It's a privilege to view pieces of Camaro racing history such as this.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 11, 2012, 02:26:33 PM
Jon,   I thought that car was rebodied as a 69"?

Mike, I have seen it written where it is sort of implied that the car was turned into a '69 but that was not the case.
It was just updated with whatever upgrades were made by the Penske team for '69 but stopped short of being
reskinned as a '69-bodied car. Thanks for asking.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Steve Holmes on May 15, 2012, 07:19:45 AM
Hi there Jon, those pics of the Wiggins-Teape Camaro hood are wonderful! Do you know if the whole car survived in this original condition, or just the hood? Is this the same car (pictured) that hood came from? Sorry, I don't know who took this pic, its just one of many random images I seem to have collected over the years.

(http://i49.tinypic.com/1414m1d.jpg)
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Steve Holmes on May 15, 2012, 09:46:01 AM
Its interesting to note the date on the Wiggins Teape hood decals relate to 1972, when Malcolm Gartlan Racing/Wiggins Teape ran a RS2600 Capri for Muir this season. I wonder if the Camaro was retained as a back-up, and had the '72 decals applied so it could be pressed straight into duty should there be a problem with the Capri. Or did they enter it for another driver?
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on May 17, 2012, 03:49:33 AM
Steve,

The car got very modified later in the '70s with a tilt front end, round tail lights, huge flares and other mods.
The hood appears to have been taken off in '72 to make way for the hood in your photo. I suppose more
height was needed for some different carburetion or injection. Someone kept the hood as is but it is unknown
who got it right after it was removed from the car. Two or three decades passed before Jeff got it. As stated
earlier, the car has been returned to the States and is restored as the first '68 Penske Camaro, which Donohue
drove at Daytona that year. It is currently owned by Don Lee. It think the car was being raced by Terry Sanger
in your photo and not Brian Muir. Below is a photo of the car from '71 as raced by Brian Muir and in Wiggins
Teape livery.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on December 30, 2019, 05:29:23 AM
Here are some Chevrolet issued installation instruction sheets and part of a blueprint for the fiberglass hood, all courtesy of Warren Malkin.

Thanks for sharing these with us Warren!

(https://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/January%202014/Fiberglass%20Hood%20Instructions%201_zpsyvn6jlwn.jpg) (https://s586.photobucket.com/user/1967z28/media/January%202014/Fiberglass%20Hood%20Instructions%201_zpsyvn6jlwn.jpg.html)

(https://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/January%202014/Fiberglass%20Hood%20Instructions%202_zpswuyo6fyf.jpg) (http://s586.photobucket.com/user/1967z28/media/January%202014/Fiberglass%20Hood%20Instructions%202_zpswuyo6fyf.jpg.html)

(https://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/January%202014/Hood%20Pin%2069%20Camaro_zpsarkngii7.jpg) (http://s586.photobucket.com/user/1967z28/media/January%202014/Hood%20Pin%2069%20Camaro_zpsarkngii7.jpg.html)

A closer look...

(https://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/January%202014/Hood%20Pin%2069%20Camaro%20blueprint_zpsuyrv3adz.jpg) (http://s586.photobucket.com/user/1967z28/media/January%202014/Hood%20Pin%2069%20Camaro%20blueprint_zpsuyrv3adz.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on December 30, 2019, 05:34:22 AM
Here is a thread showing Warren Malkin's very cool '69 Z equipped with an authentic GM fiberglass hood, 1x4 adapter plate, snorkel-less air cleaner and other very cool pieces.

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=17798.0
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: ZLP955 on December 30, 2019, 06:36:31 AM
Very interesting documents, thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: firstgenaddict on January 22, 2021, 09:43:36 PM
Jon,
Finally ran across the AD and photos for the light blue 68 racer, which was in Southern cali...
Turns out it was on Camaros.net in 2006.


Title: Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
Post by: Jon Mello on January 24, 2021, 05:31:43 AM
Thanks, James.  I am not remembering seeing that car from back then.  I wonder where it is now and what the full history might be.  Most likely somebody's hotrod, but still interesting.