To Cowl or not to Cowl

[chilipepper13]

Hi everybody

As mentioned in my other post I recently acquired a nice numbers matching 1969 SS/RS 350 convertible. The car is an original export unit that was shipped end of 1968/beginning of 1969 to Switzerland where it was registered on March 1st 1969. Apart from a few details the car is in original condition. However thanks to Kurt and some other CRG members I found out that such an early production Camaro could not have been ordered with the Cowl Induction option.

While I love the "muscle car" looks of the hood I wonder if it would be better for it's resale value to get a 1969 SS Hood (a few are still offered on ebay). After all I "sold" the car to my wife as an  investment opportunity 

Really appreciate your thoughts,

Ed

[Kelley W King]

I changed my 12A 69 back to the SS hood but I did not have the Z stripes to deal with. Nice car, you might want to get a hood just for keeps.

[restore-z28]

Ed I think the SS hood would be better for re-sale and if the car is already virtually stock with the exception of the hood and stripes then it might make sense to switch back. If you are going to sell the car as a slightly modified Camaro then of course this might only appeal to a handful of people. Whatever you decide the car does look stunning.

[69Z28-RS]

I agree with Kelley..  if you think you might one day want to put on the SS hood, then find one soon...  I'm insure if those original hoods are dated, but I'd guess that they are..  so I'd recommend checking that out as well first..

But..  if you like the car as is, and the paint is good, and the cowl setup is nice, then I'd just look for a hood (low priority basis - meaning when you find the right one at the right price, but it and store it away), but I would not change the car.  It's a gorgeous car, and looking across the cowl hood, and seeing that flap open when you press the 'go pedal.. is a good thing..

Gary

[chilipepper13]

Have to agree with that Gary, sure doesn't get old 

So I guess the general consensus is to get a SS Hood in order to improve resale value and while the paint is still in pretty good shape I like those hockey sticks more and more...

Thanks guys!

[MO]

Just to buy a hood and store it seems like a waste if you are not going to change it and the paint as well. Hoods do in fact have date codes; good luck finding a correct one in usable condition, and if you do, expect to pay a lot for it. Unless you want to go back to stock look for your own satisfaction, enjoy it the way it is and let the buyer decide what he wants to do with the car. My guess is that you will spend more converting the car back than you will realize at resale.

[BULLITT65]

While the ZL2 hood obviously looks good, as most 1st gen camaro owners can attest to. You see them on plenty of 67's and 68's as well as it seems 95% of 69 camaros now a days. For a SS I think the hockey stripes look awesome, if you combine that with the SS hood and some original export docs I think the car commands more dollars in the collector car market. How many SS and non SS cars have the Z/28 stereo stripes and cowl hood? The answer is- Plenty of them. What is really going to separate the men from the boys with yours is the options- convertible, SS/RS, in stock condition with some original documentation. Hey maybe a paint shop can remove the stripes easier than you think....
Just my 2 cents

[jacmac]

I personally like the way the car looks! If you decide to sell it , let the new buyer spend the money.After all the money you spend youll only get what you put in it.Why deal with the hassle? Have some fun with that machine!!

[chilipepper13]

Thanks guys - guess I just keep an eye on the parts market to see if a SS Hood pops up. Until then I'll follow jacmac's advice and have enjoy the view down the (cowl) hood 

[joesauer]

While you are searching for an SS hood, keep an eye out for good used SS hood stacks you may need too. Some of the repros are poor quality, with inferior chrome plating on the slanted back side of each stack. 

[BULLITT65]

If you are a stickler for originality you can look at date codes for hoods and try to find an early SS hood with a date close to your build date. I assume the SS was dated similar to the ZL2 hoods, on the drivers side corner flange by week. There is another thread that discusses dates.