Hey there. I was looking to get a hood pad for my '67 with 400 hood ('68 style hood). They (REM) only makes one molded hood pad for 67-9 'birds. Did the '67 400 come with a molded hood pad? Are the hoods too dissimilar to accept the same pad? Anyone know what the correct style clip is for a Pontiac (and Firebird in particular)?

GM only made one style pad for 67-69's.
So if you want cool air from your scoops, have to trim it.
I have seen both round and square retainers on them.
Dont know for sure which is correct.
Sure someone here knows though.

For 1st gen Camaros they are round plastic clips with 4 evenly spaced holes piercing the flange. I know '69 GTO used square plastic clips...also with holes. I have heard that some Pontiacs in the 60's used the square metal clips

My 68 400 Bird originally had square clips.

Yep, I don't remember much from way back when but I do know that my 67 had square metal retainers. I believe all of my Pontiacs from back then had square ones. Keep in mind though, the clip that ended up on the car when it was built was the one that Pontiac was buying at the time. GM has always changed vendors and styles of small parts any time they felt like it. The only thing that establishes a specific part number is that GM approved a vendor to ship under it.
DJ

Do yourself a favor and buy the moulded pad opposed to the "floppy". They are $80 vs. $20 but WELL worth the difference. I've had both and can tell you first hand the soft one sucks (lasted one day). I have pics on my photobucket web page click on the link below...

What the purpose of the hood pad ?
Is it needed ?

I have them on my Camaros and My GTO...before molded pads were available I had the soft pads on my 69 SS and 69 Z...both pads held up well but did not look nearly as good as the molded pad.

Still am not clear on whether or not the molded pad came on a 400 hood or a standard hood with V-8. would it look wrong?

I'm inclined to use the square steel clips on the 'bird even though the GTO uses plastic (Car's been in t eh family since June of '70...there were clips left to verify)


I do hear what you a re saying about GM's sourcing policy but I know that some normative manufacturing practices have been documented and verified...especially with the change over to different items being installed and variations at plants...at least this is true for 1st gen Camaros and early 2nd gen camaros (TA's I think also).

Quite the noise form the motor, keep the heat off the hood..I think that know it helps make the engine compartment look more finished.

I would think the latter (heat off the hood) would be it...otherwise why put it on a vert?
yes ,it makes it look better/more finished (until you damage it...lol...I have a 3/4" dia round hole/indent in mine after I propped the hood up with a plastic pipe , when I adjusted my hinges! think boy ,think! lol)

"Think ,Boy"....reminds me of an old story...a boy was helping his dad put upp a fence...he didnt see a hammer close by so he started hammering nails with his hand, and it hurt! started beeding...dad says "use your head , boy"...where upon the guy shortly there after had a bleeding hole in his head! lol

I don't believe there were any molded pads at all on GM cars in the 60's. So, it wouldn't be original looking..... Whether that is bad or not....you decide.

Noise reduction and more under hood heat.

Who wants more underhood heat ?

The mice?

I think its to 'reduce' the under hood heat getting to the top...and paint?

on mine it doesnt reduce noise since mine is a vert. and has Flowmasters 40....and I drive with the top down 98-99 % of the time

I have the floppy pad from classic. I ALSO BOUGHT THE clips. The more expensive ones. I tried to install the pad, but I can't get the clips into the holes in the hood. it almost seems the clips are too short? When i push really hard to compress the pad more, the clip bends. Anyone else have these problems?

I know for sure that 1st gen Camaros that received a hood pad received a molded one. I am pretty sure that 68-69 GTO's did also. Someone has told me their '69 Bonneville had a molded pad. I do believe that there are a number of '60s GM cars that received molded pads...the question at hand is if the 1st gen Firebird did. So far I haven't seen anything that points definitively either way.

Similar but not with the soft floppy pad. From what I understand..the '67 'bird used metal clips whereas the '69 used square plastic...don't know about the '68.

This is the logic I have heard as well

I distinctly remember pulling out very old hood insulation back in '81.
JimC could probably clear this up- he bought his in '69......

If they did then it's new to me... But that would mean I get to fill in a hole in my knowledge... Which is always great... Anybody got a picture of an original 'molded' hood pad? All I've seen is the flat pads.

OK I couldn't wait... I asked the magic 8 ball... And then I also asked my favorite GTO expert that's oh so knowledgeable and he says this;
I'll say all factory pads were molded.. non molded were just aftermarket parts , they fold up for easy shipping as well

I don't have one myself but I know where there are some...in South San Francisco. Next time I'm at my friend's shop I'll get a photo. As I understand it, the repro are not exact but close.

Did he say if that was for all years?

Yup, all years...

The GM replacements for 1st gen's wern't molded.
Still have one in box from the early 80's.

I would say you are correct but I was trying to determine what OEM was from the factory.

Do all Firebird's receive hood insulation pads? Or just some models? Which ones?

They may not have been molded originally, but I bet they were stiffer than the cr@p $20 ones. I put mine on, took one look at it flopping around, and ripped it off. I'm going for a molded now....

I've told the story before about the day I put the "floppy" one on my car. Went to a cruise, opened the hood, a slight breeze kicked up, the POS tore around one of the fastners. I walked over, ripped it off the car and crammed in the sh!t can right there and then. I had even used the high quality 3M tape around the entire out edge to help keep it in place.

The very next day I drove the the Camaro shop near where I lived and bought the moulded one. The guy behind the counter said "you can't say I didn't warn you", which he had. There is NO comparison between the two. This is one of the few items that if was not original, I don't care as it fits perfectly and really cleans the underhood up nicely. IMO...

I have the "floppy" one as its described (bought from A1Automotive, maybe different brands are made differently??)...have had it on for 6 yrs,(or 16-18k miles) no problems...its held with the plastic rectangular pieces...only problem is the "man made" hole I accidentally made...