I've been told that all of the repro SS hoods are foreign made and I know that many of them come from the same factory in Taiwan.
I'm not sure what company produces the hood offered in Ausley's but I purchased a hood a few months ago from Chevyland (Rancho Cordova, CA) that was Taiwan-made and it actually fit better than the GM SS hood my father purchased for his 70 El Camino. Plus the repro hood had fewer ripples than the GM hood.
I found that both the GM and repro hood needed a bit of work in the rear area to accomodate the rear trim. The stainless trim piece wouldn't butt up along the ridge of the recessed trim area, so I had to cut an eight inch off the width of the rear of the hood to push the stainless trim all the way on. (If you have the right tools, you can accomplish this easy task in about 20 minutes.)
I have also heard that it is necessary to change the windshield washer sprayers, as the SS sprayer tubes are longer. I found that the original, shorter ones worked okay (though they are not the original style that would have come with the SS hood). When you install the hood, make sure that it is high enough so that the windshield wipers clear the hood and the trim. Don't wait until it rains to find out that there is not enough clearance.
The SS hood sure makes a difference in the appearance of the car!
I'm not sure what company produces the hood offered in Ausley's but I purchased a hood a few months ago from Chevyland (Rancho Cordova, CA) that was Taiwan-made and it actually fit better than the GM SS hood my father purchased for his 70 El Camino. Plus the repro hood had fewer ripples than the GM hood.
I found that both the GM and repro hood needed a bit of work in the rear area to accomodate the rear trim. The stainless trim piece wouldn't butt up along the ridge of the recessed trim area, so I had to cut an eight inch off the width of the rear of the hood to push the stainless trim all the way on. (If you have the right tools, you can accomplish this easy task in about 20 minutes.)
I have also heard that it is necessary to change the windshield washer sprayers, as the SS sprayer tubes are longer. I found that the original, shorter ones worked okay (though they are not the original style that would have come with the SS hood). When you install the hood, make sure that it is high enough so that the windshield wipers clear the hood and the trim. Don't wait until it rains to find out that there is not enough clearance.
The SS hood sure makes a difference in the appearance of the car!
