Real 69 cowl hood or a reproduction ?

[69 Zee]

This past June I too answered a CL's ad about a 69 cowl hood.  The seller stated he wasn't a Camaro guy and he wasn't sure if it was an original or reproduction but to come look at it and I can decide.  He received it in trade for some work he'd done and it had been hanging in his detached garage for nearly 25 yrs.  I haven't really ever paid attention to what a reproduction looked like but for his asking price I thought I couldn't go wrong either way.  He was asking $120, I got it for $100.

I read over several other cowl thread and from what I've learned ... It has the standard notching (rear side corners) that a real GM cowl hood has but no "week stamp date" on the drivers rear side metal.

My questions are ... does it appear to be GM original ?   and If it's a GM hood, does the lack of a "date stamp" just mean it wasn't a line production hood or could there also be a chance that a line hood was never stamped ?

[69 Zee]

And to add to the mix ... These are pics of my flat hood.  This is to be my original hood to my Z and the dusk blue paint can be seen under the repainted white.  There's no "week stamp date" on my flat hood as well.  Which lead me to asking if it's possible that a line hood was never stamped ?

or have hoods been stamped further up than the lower corner ?

Thanks all

[L78 steve]

ZL2 hood is GM. Probably over the counter replacement.

[ko-lek-tor]

Darrell, Can't rule out hood was replaced? Any signs of a collision? Or hail?

[69z28rsbilly]

Its a GM....
My factory assembly line ZL2 hood has no date stamp numbers etc.

[Sauron327]

The corners and hood bumper discs are not the only telltale sign of a reproduction. Repro hoods have poor definition at the front near the hood latch. Pics here: http://www.camaros.net/forums/12-body-shop/296466-1st-gen-ss-hood.html

I've bought numerous hoods over the years and had to repair them because people are compelled to stand a hood on the corners. A hood will stay upright if stored on its side.

[BULLITT65]

Billy, how do you know yours is assembly line vs. over the counter?
(just curious)

[69 Zee]

Darrell, Can't rule out hood was replaced? Any signs of a collision? Or hail?

Bentley,  None that I can see.  Unless someone popped their big ole behind on the orig.  But all looks to be original.

[69 Zee]

I've bought numerous hoods over the years and had to repair them because people are compelled to stand a hood on the corners. A hood will stay upright if stored on its side.

Scott, much appreciated for pointing that out.  After I pulled them out I rotated them to their sides to clean the edge looking for the stamp.  I left them on their sides, thinking "boy I don't want to bend these corners in".  So yes they all set on the flat sides. 

[69z28rsbilly]

Billy, how do you know yours is assembly line vs. over the counter?
(just curious)

Hey Bullitt 65,
I know the history on the car and it was repainted once.....the repaint is flaking in some areas and a I can see the original paint underneath....
Its a factory ZL2 optioned car....

[BULLITT65]

k. When did you purchase the car?

[firstgenaddict]

01B original paint Yenko with a 53 week stamp.

[69Z28-RS]

Week 53?   Is this a screwup...?   they guy punched 52 last week and just incremented the punch?     Should it have been a '1' punch?

[BULLITT65]

That does seem weird to me as well since mine is 26 on a original paint 08C car.

[X33RS]

I would say that seems a normal date stamp to me when I compare to mine.  My Z is a 12D 68 build so it's about 2 weeks before James' example, and all my body panels on the car are stamped with 50 or 51.   But what confuses me is that I thought the body panel stamps (weeks) started over at the first of the year???

My car is right in about the same week range where the cowl hoods hit production too and the serial number is just a few numbers past the first reported cowl hood car in Norwood which was a ZL1 if not mistaken.