One of the coolest ways to improve the looks of your musclecar, while maintaining the OE appearance, is to replace the trim and flat hood with some cool SS emblems and a factory-style performance hood.
By simply opening the pages of most any reproduction catalog or going online, you can easily find SS 396 hoods, emblems, grilles, and trim in kit form for all Chevelles, Camaros, and Novas.
The emblems, grille, and trim basically bolt on, while the hood requires a little paint and bodywork first. For most of these items, the preparation, paint, and installation take about a weekend to complete and will leave your car looking awesome. Of course, we're not suggesting that you try to pass a non-SS car off as the real deal; however, if you're simply itching for the look, it's easy enough to obtain and, more importantly, it won't send you to the poorhouse.
Case in point: We took a clean '67 Malibu and ordered the items through Goodmark Industries and Original Parts Group and went to work. Most of the SS trim and grille parts arrived in kit form, while the new SS hood came primed with EDP (electro disposition primer). For the hood we needed to prep, prime, and color coat before installation. The trim installation required removing the old stuff and, in a few cases, filling and painting existing holes and then duplicating the original SS locations and drilling some additional holes. If you're not in a position to paint the hood yourself, most body shops will perform the task for less than $350.
The best part is that since this car is a Malibu and not an actual SS 396 Chevelle, there are no rules as to what's correct and what isn't. You can add all or just some of the parts. The only requirement is that you have fun doing it and enjoy the results.
Once we unpacked our Goodmark...
Once we unpacked our Goodmark SS hood, we wanted to check the seam fit and alignment before we started the paintwork. After we bolted the hood onto the hinges we made a few minor adjustments to make the hood fit squarely between the fenders with a 31/416-inch gap on all seams.
We also checked the levelness...
We also checked the levelness along the top of the fender lines and the cowl panel. This hood matched evenly on both planes.
Once we found that the hood...
Once we found that the hood fit correctly, it was time to begin our at-home bodywork and paint. Our first step was to sand down the hood's top surface with a DA (dual action) sander using 180-grit sandpaper. This was done to expose any high or low spots and to rough up the surface before we sprayed primer on the hood.
QUICK NOTES
What We Used
Reproduction SS Chevelle hood and trim items
Bottom Line
One weekend's worth of effort doubled this Chevelle's cool factor
Price
$1,150
After the hood was sanded...
After the hood was sanded and blown off to remove any dust, we added three coats of self-etching primer. This primer is a 50/50 mix of primer and phosphoric acid. The blend allows the mixture to bite into the metal and lock in.
Next we added a few coats...
Next we added a few coats of high-build primer then waterborne primer sealer. In many locales waterborne products are required to reduce emissions from the paint as it dries. Waterborne paint contains a partial mix of water and water-soluble solvent. This reduces the total amount of VOC (volatile organic compounds) that evaporates into the atmosphere. Our friend Tom Ocasek, who helped us with our painting project, has used waterborne paints for years without any durability problems.
The basecoat that was matched...
The basecoat that was matched to our Malibu's existing color was next to go on. To match the car's color, we stopped by a DuPont paint distributor store with a sample, and the technician used a color-measurement instrument to read the color and furnish a formula. A cowl panel often works well as a sample.
We let the basecoat dry for...
We let the basecoat dry for roughly 30 minutes, then added on a few coats of clear. The clearcoat protects the paint from UV rays and pollutants. After the clear dried, we color-sanded the topcoat with 3,000-grit paper and polished the hood for a glistening shine.
Next we installed the simulated...
Next we installed the simulated hood airscoops by aligning the four mounting studs and two guide pins on each side. Once the scoop was down in place, we just tightened the sheetmetal nuts onto the four mounting studs. Each simulated scoop includes a foam gasket so that it does not scratch the hood.
Each hinge uses two 31/48-inch...
Each hinge uses two 31/48-inch coarse bolts to hold the hood down. Be careful that you do not install bolts that are too long; this can cause a dimple in the hood's top panel from the inside up. All the mounting holes, both to the hood and the fender, are elongated so that necessary adjustments can be made easily.