Torqued Off

On my 77, factory installed that nasty hood insulation on the inside. Mine was falling apart, so I removed it. Local Corvette expert told me that without it the hood can start showing signs of heat damage / warping. And my hood is NOT perfect, does have some waviness to it and it needs block sanded to make it wave free. But I am not sure it has anything to do with the missing insulation. Lots of earlier cars were built without this insulation. SO, what are your thoughts?

7t9l82

it was for sound insulation.

BKbroiler

Unless you had a fire under that hood, no way engine heat would damage it.

Mike Ward

Ask your 'experts' how come the biggest, nastiest L88 etc. Corvettes had no insulation and no heat damage.

qwank

GM also discontinued the hood insulation around 1980, my '81 doesn't have it and never has. no heat damage after 100K miles

oldC3guy

I've been wondering about this question too. Thanks to the Forum members, another question answered and problem solved!! Thanks guys.

Belgian1979vette

The insulation is there for heat, not for sound.

However your paint will start to peel before you'll get hood warpage. I put new isolation in. Hate the view, but i'm glad i did.

Torqued Off

Thanks for the input, seems like the majority of you say the insulation is for sound. I got one saying its for heat. In any case, I am not installing it.

Mike Ward

Along with the 'heat' myth, there's another one that claims that the blanket is there to extinguish engine fires. It supposedly melts and smothers the flames.

mds3013

My '77 hood has waves and I will never block sand it. That is what it is supposed to look like. mike...

alswagg

That is odd, My 81 has the OEM insulation and OEM retainers. Maybe yours fell off???? Anyway, I don't mind the insulation. Al

Belgian1979vette

Guess we will be seeing you posting here in a couple of months that your paint started to peel off.

Think about it. There is no rubber moulding preventing sound from migrating throug the side of the hood or from the underside. Why in hell would they put sound deadner on the hood ...

U17

Here's something else to consider... Not that the factory did though ... Several friends have chrome air cleaner covers... At a car show, with the sun just right, it has "burned" the underside of the hood, discolored the paint ect... But I don't have the blanket either....

Easy Mike

The insulation was added in order to meet drive by sound level requirements. It is not for underhood heat. AC compresssor oil sometimes splashes the underside of the hood and will eventually work through the fiberglass and raise paint.

7t9l82

Why would they want to keep heat in? Makes no sense.

74 LS4-454

that is one of the best I have ever heard.........

The 74 has one, the 82 doesn't.....as far as heat damage goes.......that is all BS....big time, your paint has to be in really bad shape to start with for heat damage to occur....I have always been in the habit of opening my hood whenever parked in the garage to let the heat escape...and I always wipe down the top surfaces of the Vette whenever I come in from a rain storm....that way you will never and I specify never have water spots, especially on the hood if you take the time and do these simple steps.......I hate WATERSPOTS, because they are a real PIA to remove......

Mike Ward

Please open the hood on any pre '73 Corvette to admire the lack of hood insulation.

None whatsoever on '68 and earlier.

How do you explain this?

Torqued Off

OK Belgian, if you are so convinced it is about heat, then explain why all Corvettes prior to 76 did NOT have hood insulation, and in fact had lower profile hoods. And there is no evidence of problems with these car. I you don't understand why noise was an issue, you don't know the American EPA.

Belgian1979vette

Ever checked thermostat rating differences between the years. With the advert of emission controls they went to higher engine temps.

I'm not going to debate this. Do whatever you feel you need to do on your car.

Schaggy

Just my experience, but here's my $.02...

My '72 came to me without an air cleaner and some mentally challenged previous owner had the timing retarded (no pun intended) to the point where the engine sounded lopey. This made for lots of backfires and therefore the bubbly paint right over the carb on my hood.

So there ya' have it. If you shoot flames out of the carb under the hood regularly on a car that didn't have insulation you CAN damage the paint.

On the other hand... You have to be pretty stupid for it to go that far.