# Chroming the hood insert



## [email protected] (Apr 13, 2009)

I'm restoring a 66 gto convertible that will soon be midnight blue metalic. I bought an aftermarket hood. Unlike some of the other aftermarket sheet metal I bought and immediately returned the hood is very good. I was wondering about the small grill insert that bolts into the scoop and what color to paint that? From GTO's i've seen it seems some have that chromed and some just have it painted the same color as the car. While some have just the mesh inside the insert chromed and the rest the same color as the car (like the 67 in the upper right corner of the forum page, although that is larger). What is it suppose to be and what looks the best? I haven't seen enough other cars to really form my own opinion and internet pics can only go so far. I'm more concerned with what looks the best rather than keeping everything completely stock, although for the most part keeping things stock I think usually look the best. For whatever reason it appears more cars with a chrome hood insert are red cars. Or maybe it's just the same car I keep seeing on the internet.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Personally, I don't like the chrome insert. I like it painted to match the car -which is factory. I could live with an open scoop like the ram air option, matte painted on the inside of the insert to contrast with the body color, or perhaps a nicely/neatly/tastefully small chromed mesh fitted into the insert. I might even think about coming up with a way to add a tasteful row of those small halogen bulbs inside the insert like I see on the halo-headlights.

BUT, ultimately its your car, and you could even have a couple different inserts just to change things up once in a while.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

The scoop on my burgundy '67 is functional and painted semi gloss black. The scoop on my '65 is the same color of the car: blue charcoal. IMO a chrome scoop would look tacky...but heck, I think 17" and up wheels look tacky, too.


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## teamwoody72 (May 23, 2008)

mine was painted same color as the car and I painted it black. I am very happy with it. I feel it stands out more in black.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Woody, it looks like yours is body color. Originally, the scoops were all body color with flat black inserts. Only repainted cars have body colored inserts. So your car actually is 'correct'. Love the color combo, hate the wheels. You did a heck of a job rebuilding this one, that's for sure!


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## rickm (Feb 8, 2012)

a chromed hood scoop insert will not fit as well as a painted one, and you cant mix aftermarket with stock. an aftermarket insert does not fit well on a stock hood n visa versa. as far as being tacky, '64 non- functional scoops were chrome. don't see nothing tacky about that.


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## crustysack (Oct 5, 2008)

I just punched up the pic of the car with chrome insert. I think it works very well, with the amount of chrome and stainless on the car it looks like it belongs. That is the FIRST car I have seen with that but it looks good, not tacky at all. I think with your color the chrome insert will add some pop to the hood, much more so than if it insert was painted black.


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## rickm (Feb 8, 2012)

crustysack said:


> I just punched up the pic of the car with chrome insert. I think it works very well, with the amount of chrome and stainless on the car it looks like it belongs. That is the FIRST car I have seen with that but it looks good, not tacky at all. I think with your color the chrome insert will add some pop to the hood, much more so than if it insert was painted black.


I have a chrome insert on my '65, n I like the way it looks. I also have a painted one in case I ever want to go back to stock. check out a couple of my photos. what do you think ?


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