1965 Big Block Hood

[Jim B.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

Hi Bill
Thanks for your response and photo post. Very helpful. My current hood is probably a GM counter replacement style hood as it has the flat pads on both the left and right side for mounting the hood prop. but only the drivers side has the actual backing plate and has been drilled and tapped for the hood prop. Good suggestion on measuring a replacement hood for fit before purchase. I will also make some detailed measurements of the hood I have now.

Jim

[Jim B.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

Thanks Joe... I will be patient to find the right hood. If I can't find a hood before Carlisle I will for sure look for one there.

[John H.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

Wasn't there only one manufacturer of Corvette body parts during the production run? Does anybody know if it was Chevrolet or a sublet vendor?

Stewart -

There was only one vendor for each panel, and all were outside suppliers (Molded Fiberglass Inc., Goodyear, Rockwell, etc.) that shipped direct to St. Louis and A.O. Smith; Chevrolet had ZERO in-house fiberglass molding or fabrication facilities.

[Wayne W.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

Stewart -

There was only one vendor for each panel, and all were outside suppliers (Molded Fiberglass Inc., Goodyear, Rockwell, etc.) that shipped direct to St. Louis and A.O. Smith; Chevrolet had ZERO in-house fiberglass molding or fabrication facilities.

As John says the parts were the same. All pictures that I see show hoods stacked in bins ready to be installed. They look to be preassembled before arriving at the factory. If this is the case, how can they be different AOS vs St. Louis? Also 67 BB hoods have a preformed edge which makes them very consistent in curvature. They are certainly not different.

[Bill W.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

Wayne , I agree the parts were the same between STL & AOS . But did more than one Co. make hoods ? And DSCN1934.jpgDSCN1935.jpgDSCN1937.jpgDSCN1938.jpgdid the same Co. make BB & SB hoods ? Here is a picture of a 1965 built BB hood and a 65 SB hood ,they have different rivets holding the plate . It looks like the Co. could have used more than one rivet supplier or different Co. made the two hoods ???
On the BB hood it looks like the striker was on when the paint was applied . The current judging manual says the striker should be bare ???

[Stewart L.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

Stewart -

There was only one vendor for each panel, and all were outside suppliers (Molded Fiberglass Inc., Goodyear, Rockwell, etc.) that shipped direct to St. Louis and A.O. Smith; Chevrolet had ZERO in-house fiberglass molding or fabrication facilities.

John,
In the article about AO Smith that Gene linked, you wrote about Smith constructing a fiberglass molding facility in order to bring Corvette panel production in house. What panels did they produce? Did they supply St Louis with those panels? Did this start with the 1965 model year?
Stewart

[Wayne W.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

There were at least two types of rivets, one large flat, one smaller and round top. I have never found any correlation between BB,SB, AOS or SL.
There may be, but I haven't found it. Problem is, you never know whether the hood actually came on the specific car that you are observing it on.

[Tom D.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

An NCRS friend told me my '67 big block hood was a service part, due to the smaller rivets. IMO, I think he's wrong.

[Tom D.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

JPG below is NOT the same hood that I mentioned above. It's the orig. from another '67 427. I guess these the larger flat rivets...?

http://midvette.homestead.com/67_Hood_LR_corner.JPG

[Bill W.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

Tom the service parts I have had all had "pop" rivets holding the metal plates . The also had plates on both sides for the hood props .

[Jim B.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

Bill Williamson,
Here are some photos of my current BB hood. The hood was apparently on a 66 before it found its way on my car as the emblem holes on the leading edge have been filled and are visible on close inspection. From your previous post I gather the service replacement hoods were supposed to have backing plates for the hood prop on both sides? On the hood shown, I don't think there is a backing plate on the passenger side at least not one that is ferris magnetic.

From the photos supplied, what to you make of the hood?

Jim

[Bill W.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

Jim , Its not a 65 hood .I'm guessing a 66 hood . Service parts would have had nut plates on both sides . I'm sure someone who knows 66s will tell us .
I have a 66 BB hood down stairs but its buried .

[Georges C.]

Re: 1965 Big Block Hood

My '66 427 L36 car ( I have POP) is an AO SMITH Convertible built Jan 21, 1966.