Here is the C5 convertible...
Here is the C5 convertible with its standard hood. In fact, this shot was taken in 2004 (for insurance purposes no less) and multiple upgrades have been performed on the car since that time, the last being this trick stinger hood upgrade.
Upgrading the hood of your Corvette is a sure-fire way to give it a distinctive look that sets it apart from other Corvettes. There are many different styles of aftermarket hoods available for C4, C5, and C6 Corvettes, and many give the additional clearance needed if you're installing a supercharger or turbo setup; however, you don't need these mods to change your hood-just the desire to give your ride a different look. I always liked the aggressive look of the stinger hood on my big-block '67 427 Corvette, so that's the look I wanted to endow my C5 with. The hood came from Vanacor's Corvette Parts, and to make the installation a bit easier, I obtained hinges and latches from Contemporary Corvette. After fitting the new hood, the car was driven to Ultimate Collision Center where the prep, paint, striping, and re-installation was performed using DuPont Automotive paint products exclusively.
Anytime you're installing aftermarket fiberglass parts, a lot of massaging is required to get the fit and finish the best it can be, and installing this hood was no exception. However, it's best to get all the fitting done prior to painting so that you don't inadvertently mess up that nice new paint job. Just make sure to scribe marks for the hinge and latch locations on the hood once you're satisfied with the fit. So, here's what it took to do the job.
| Difficulty Index - 2 Wrenches |
| Anyone’s Project: no tools required | 1 Wrench |
| Beginner: basic tools | 2 Wrenches |
| Experienced: special tools | 3 Wrenches |
| Accomplished: special tools and outside help | 4 Wrenches |
| Professionals Only: send this work out | 5 Wrenches |
Things You Need To Have
Tools: ratchet/sockets, drill
Time: 1-2 hours (not counting paint shop time)
The bolts used to hold the...
The bolts used to hold the latches on the Vanacor hood are a larger diameter than the stock C5 latch bolts, so the latch holds had to be drilled out to accommodate them. The extra hood mounting hardware came from Contemporary Corvette, and the reason for it is to make reverting back to the stock hood simple and fast should I ever decide to do so for some reason.
With a helper supporting the...
With a helper supporting the partially-open stock hood, the struts are disconnected and the four (two on each side) hinge mounting bolts are removed from the hood and the hood is then lifted off.
A cardboard box was used to...
A cardboard box was used to support the latch side of the stock hood while the hinge bolts were being loosened and removed. The same cardboard box will serve as a support again when the stinger hood is being installed. Prior to that, however, the new latches were installed on the hood.
With the box supporting the...
With the box supporting the latch end and a helper supporting the opposite side at the nose, the hinge bolts are inserted and tightened in the stinger hood.
After reattaching the struts,...
After reattaching the struts, the hinges are adjusted to get correct closure; shims were added/removed as required to get optimal fit of the new hood.
Here's the hood at Ultimate...
Here's the hood at Ultimate Collision Center after being removed from the car, primed, block-sanded, and wet-sanded prior to the black base color coat application. DuPont Automotive Finishes were used exclusively.
After the black base coats...
After the black base coats were applied and dry, the striping tape was applied for the second color, which is silver. This step takes a steady hand and lots of time and patience, but the quality of the finished job depends on it.
More wet-sanding after the...
More wet-sanding after the second color then the clear coats are applied. Again, paying attention to detail and lots of elbow grease results in a finish that looks like it's under glass.
And here's the completed upgrade,...
And here's the completed upgrade, looking good and giving the C5 a no-nonsense look that pays homage to its big-block ancestor of four decades past.