Just wanted to add something here if you're still on the fence about flat black or the Herculiner/Durabak options. We had a massive hail storm locally last month and unfortunately my 4runner got pounded in the 30 seconds it took me to pull off the street and into the garage. Well, I work for a PDR company so it's no big deal, but I was out comparing the hood paint job with the OEM paint on the fenders and I've got to say that I'm not impressed. I've been doing minor bodywork for about 5 years now and just graduated from an automotive collision program so I'm pretty picky but realistic about what can be done. I will say the color match is great, the clear coat is yellowing though, but there is almost no orange peel to match the factory peel and it almost looks powdery like the solvents moved to the top a little as it cured out and it's really not a very good clear coating job. So, long story short, I may take my own advice and go flat black or bedliner product. I have the lighter desert dune (tan/silver) color so the effect of a dark hood against a light body color would be similar to yours.

I don't know if you saw my hood scoop thread (sticky) but there is a picture of my 4runner with the hood on but unpainted in the factory black coating and I honestly thought about leaving it flat black, but had a hook up discount on the paint and opted for that, which I feel was a mistake looking back. Here is the pic I was talking about:



Another option I thought about with the non perfect paint match was to have the center section of the hood the factory color and black out the sides just so there was something breaking up the transition between the new and old paint so they wouldn't be sitting next to each other and show a noticeable difference between the two. I did some simple photoshopping to see how it would look and I wasn't keen on the idea, but I thought I'd mention it for another option for you to consider.

 

Thanks a lot for all the great advice! It really helps to hear the truth from someone in the collision repair industry that deals with this kind of stuff on a daily basis. I have heard similar stories from others who have spent hundreds of dollars getting their paint matched only to have the paint and clearcoat yellow, fade, and peel after a couple years. I just don't see the point in spending the money to have it color matched at this point...I really like the look of a black hood on a white truck so at this point I am pretty sure that I am going to go with Durabak because it has a UV protectant already mixed in and it is tough as nails so it will stand up to the test of time. Again thanks for the advice! It really helped make my decision much easier! I will be sure to keep the thread updated on my progress so everyone can see how it came out.

 

Here is what I did temporarily after I did my hood scoop until I got paintwork done. For me, the hood scoop was grafted onto my stock 1990 hood (required for the 3.4 swap), so he did the paint at the same time. The paint he used was a very thick flat black coating, forgot the exact name.





After paintwork/current pic

 

i think it would look sweet if everything in front of the hood was black, as well. so black grille, blacked-out headlights, black bumper, black taco...wait what? lol
but just having the front end black would look pretty cool (imho)

 

That is a really good temporary solution. The problem is that it is only temporary...If I want just the center of the hood to be black, I would still have to get the rest of the hood color matched and we are back to what pattycakes and I were talking about above...I think it would work if I was planning on getting my entire truck repainted like you did, but unfortunately paint is closer to the bottom of the list of mods right now. I really like the look of the black accent strip, but I just don't want to have to deal with colormatching at all. Thanks for sharing!

By the way your truck looks awesome! and whoever transplaned that scoop onto your hood did a great job!

 

You guys are really bringing me down, I haven't done the hood at all just b/c its an aesthetic mod and so it is at the bottom of the list. I planned on having mine color matched...but now I just may wait and have the whole rig resprayed?!?

 

I know most scooped hoods are simply for aesthetics but my hood will also be semi-functional. I ended up cutting out the back of the scoop to help release heat from the engine compartment. I am also going to fab up some sort of filter so I don't get a bunch of dirt and other crap in my engine compartment. I am even thinking about trying to make a little "lip" on the backside of the scoop. I would like to attach some small hoses to the lip and run them around the engine, so I can divert any water that might try to get in. Just an idea for now...

Haha sorry Mauzer, I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade...If and when you do eventually get the sport hood and if you still want to get it color matched, I would just recommend saving up some extra money and get it painted at one of the better quality shops. The only reason that I am choosing not to color match mine is because it simply isn't in my budget right now. I was able to buy the hood for $100 but I don't have the $$$ to get it color matched at a quality painter. I could probably afford something like Maaco, but their work is crap and only lasts a couple years so I am going with a cheaper and more durable alternative. I hope we don't scare you away from getting a sport hood because they look really sweet when done right!!

 

Yeah I already have the hood, I just don't want to put it on till I paint it (its primered now)

 

I still think you should save up some money and do it right with color matched paint.

 

Oh okay. I would start saving up some money if you still want to color match it...I just ordered some Durabak today so hopefully I will have the hood coated within the next couple weeks. I will be sure to post pics of the progress so everyone can see how it comes out.

 

cool. i wanna see how it looks

 

I did the same thing on mine, I cut the back out to open it up, then used the in home air filter I got from Lowes to keep junk out of the opening. I just for the filter and cut to fit the opening, it's the filter material with a metal mesh on either side.

 

So does you home made filter do a good job of keeping a bunch of dust and other debris out of the engine compartment? Also, what kind of air filter did you use? just like an A/C filter that you cut a piece out of?

 

Yeah it does a great job of keeping dirt out of the engine bay, but air still flows through. After a drive, you can feel the heat venting out of the scoop. I dont honestly remember what type of air filter it was, but it was a small cloth-like filter with a metal mesh on either side. I just cut it down to size then wedged it in between the backing of the scoop (where i cut the opening, I cut the opening with a slight lip to hold the filter in) and the front mesh of the scoop.

 

Cool. I am thinking a filter like that is the way to go just to try to keep the engine bay as clean as possible. Do you have any pics of your scoop and how you attached the filter?

 

No, I will take some tomorrow.

 

No hurry, I probably wont be able to coat the hood with the Durabak until next weekend anyway. I'm just getting everything prepped and sanded right now.

 

Pics of the inside...?

 

Dude that hood looks pretty ghetto, since your existing hood is perfect looking, just buy a hood scoop and either tack it down or bondo it around the edges to blend to the hood, just got one from pep boys for my 2nd gen and it looks good and its paintable. It has the mesh so that u can make it functional. I will post a pic here in a sec

 

Here are some pics of the scoop and filter. Dont mind the dirt that is in the engine bay, it doesnt help that I dont have much for inner fender wells due to the shock towers for my 14" shocks with the SAS.