For those familiar with the non-stock aspects of '70s Stingrays, thename John Greenwood will be unquestionably familiar. Race-proven resultsare one metric by which to gauge John's immeasurable achievements forthe Corvette. Other descriptive words were usually uttered bycompetitors who lost to John and his uniquely rebranded Corvettes--wordswe're pretty sure we can't print. Like him or lost to him, no one candeny the Greenwood name is as synonymous with Corvette racing ofyesteryear as the C6.R moniker is with today's on-track efforts.
But the story doesn't stop there. Greenwood Corvettes, now a familyowned-and-operated business (John has since retired), is still at it.With kits available for the C4, C5, and C6, Greenwood has continued itsdedication to the hobby by bringing its products from the past into thepresent.
This should be a familiar...
This should be a familiar piece. If not, please step away from yourCorvette--we'll be by shortly to pick it up. With the hood disconnectedfrom our subject '87, we could begin our dissection.
After the C3 era, Greenwood seamlessly made the switch to building C4pieces, culminating into the often-imitated-but-never-equaled Greenwoodstyling kit seen throughout the '80s and '90s. The development of thiskit has never ceased, and the results of this continued refinement canbe seen on the company's Web site, www.greenwoodcorvettes.com. It wasthe C4 kit that caught Team VETTE's eye on a recent hunt for a uniquelook for our project car, "Son of Zombie." Why Greenwood? Given thechoice between proven pieces and cheap knock-offs, there isn't really achoice at all.
Not quite ready to run the full gamut, we chose some of the simplermodifications that would yield the real-world results we were lookingfor with a minimal investment. After a quick discussion with MikeGuyette, Greenwood Corvettes' director of sales and marketing, wedecided to go with the company's high-rise hood and hood louvers. For anextra advantage, we also chose a windshield fairing, which we'll coverin an upcoming article.
Tim Gutierrez of Strictly...
Tim Gutierrez of Strictly Vettes begins the process by layingGreenwood's high-rise hood in place. Using a Sharpie and a ruler, Timfinds and marks the correct position for the part.
The reasoning? Not long from now our C4's engine bay will be upgradedwith the help of a ZZ4 crate engine, an ACCEL Super Ram intake, as wellas numerous other high-performance bits. While not required, theGreenwood pieces will complement these mods in several areas. Thehigh-rise hood will deliver additional air where it's needed most, whilea set of baffle-equipped hood louvers will help dissipate heat anddirect any wayward water out of the bay. The windshield fairing? Bysmoothing out an aerodynamically "sticky" point on the front of our C4,turbulence and wind noise will be reduced. In addition, side driprailsare included and will catch any rain that falls into our lap as we exit.
With the "whats" and "whys" out of the way, we concentrated on the"hows." For our installation, which isn't for the faint of heart,Strictly Vettes of Denver was chosen. When it came time to start, TimGutierrez expertly blended the pieces into the hood. Thanks to thecraftsmanship and descriptive instructions included in the kit, theGreenwood Corvette pieces went on in no time. How did it look in theend? Well, if you were at Mid America's Funfest, chances are you saw usnext to the Primedia subscription booth. If not, look no further thanthe accompanying photos to see how you, too, can achieve this unique andfunctional look.
Greenwood's high-rise hood...
Greenwood's high-rise hood is actually a "blister" that bolts or epoxiesin place and adds approximately 21/2 inches of height to your existinghood--great for extra clearance and engine cooling. We'll need both afterthe installation of a Purifoy Chevrolet-provided ZZ4 crate engine and anACCEL Super Ram.
Outside, with disposable clothing...
Outside, with disposable clothing donned, Tim roughs up the underside ofthe high-rise hood, followed by the same procedure on the OEM piece.
Tim takes a moment to re-scribe...
Tim takes a moment to re-scribe the measurement points where the hoodshould fit...
...applies a bead of Automix...
...applies a bead of Automix Panel Bond...
...then resecures the add-on...
...then resecures the add-on in the correct position using those referencepoints he just marked. With a few clamps in place (paint sticks wereused as shims to keep everything undamaged), Tim applies some AutomixSeam Sealer before leaving the whole assembly to dry.
A few hours later, after the...
A few hours later, after the seam sealer and panel bond have cured, Timmoves to the next step. Using a heavy-duty cutting disk, a piece of theOEM panel is sawed out, leaving the hood free to flow air through theGreenwood piece and into the engine compartment.
These hood louvers are next....
These hood louvers are next. Following the included instructions, Timtakes a few measurements and marks the area where we'll need to performanother "extraction." We have to agree with Greenwood's Mike Guyettewhen he says, "Corvettes have always been hot under the hood and shouldhave used louvers long ago." These will allow the trapped heat to escapefreely.
After placement is configured,...
After placement is configured, a template is taped in position to use asa cutting guide.
With another hole made, the...
With another hole made, the edges are roughed up and the panel bond andseam sealer are readied.
A couple of clamps, a few...
A couple of clamps, a few hours of drying; rinse, repeat.
Our last addition for this...
Our last addition for this month is the twin-nostril opening. Greenwoodmakes its hoods in two configurations: twin-nostril (open) and closed.Since we wanted maximum results, we went with the much-tougher-lookingopen setup.
As you can see from the louvers'...
As you can see from the louvers' inner baffle duct, the quality of thefiberglass is superb. This adds to the rigidity and life of the piecesused...
...which helps when you have...
...which helps when you have to do things like this. Since we wanted thetwin nostrils to be functional, we had to open up the holes. Thefiberglass seems stronger than the rest of the Vette ever was. There areno fears of structural breeching.
With the outline made, it's...
With the outline made, it's time to cut into the hood once more.
And there you have it. A twin...
And there you have it. A twin scoop ready to take great big gasps ofair.
After the application of the...
After the application of the previously mentioned adhesives, it's timeto start blending.
With Funfest close, a quick...
With Funfest close, a quick coat of Auto-Air's paint is applied viaSATA's SataJet 2000 using a 1.2 tip.
With Funfest close, a quick...
With Funfest close, a quick coat of Auto-Air's paint is applied viaSATA's SataJet 2000 using a 1.2 tip.
That doesn't sound so bad,...
That doesn't sound so bad, but since we were dealing with transparentwater-based paint, which doesn't react the same as "normal" sprays, thecolor came out a little duller than it should have. Fortunately, thiswas just a rough coat to make the car presentable.
If you were at the '05 Funfest,...
If you were at the '05 Funfest, you may have seen this. A big thanks toall who stopped by to sign our project. The Greenwood Corvette hood, aswell as Tim's attention to detail, spoke for themselves. In fact, manywho saw the car couldn't believe its hood had once been an OEM piece. Inan upcoming issue, we'll discuss ACI's body-update kit as well as thevirtues of Greenwood's windshield fairing kit.