Need info on Quality of LMC "Premium" Hood

[75gmck25]

I'm planning to replace the hood on my '75 GMC K25 and I'm looking at the choices. Here are a few examples.
- $159, LMC Truck standard hood
- $193, Summit and Jegs, Autometal Direct X300-4073
- $372, Jegs, Key parts 576-0850-030 OE Style Hood
- $439, LMC Truck Premium hood (supposed to be 18 gauge like the original hood)

Does anyone know if the LMC truck "Premium Body Parts" hood is really any better quality than other products? Or is there another brand that is closer to OEM?

I don't mind spending money to get better quality, but LMC is often not that price competitive, so I don't want to find out I'm paying more and not getting a better product.

Thanks,

Bruce

 

[Bextreme04]

I couldn't even think about spending that for a hood.... that's almost as much as I paid for the whole truck

 

[nabeshin]

How banged up is your current hood? Maybe some light body work will save your original hood, and be many times better than any re-pop.

 

[75gmck25]

My original hood is long gone, and the one on the truck is an aftermarket hood from 2003 when I had the truck repainted. Its not in bad shape except for the kink on one side from having the hinges bind one winter. I could pull it off and straighten it, but I'm not sure how well it would come out.

FYI - I added the hood brace kit from LMC several years ago, and when I bent the hood I managed to also bend the brace kit. It isn't really that strong.

Bruce

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

I don’t know if you saw, but the AMD hood has some crappy reviews that would make me think twice. They seem to collectively complain about it being dented pretty good out of the box, not so much with fit or finish issues. Check Summit for most of the reviews, and I think Jegs also has one.

 

[80BrownK10]

Someone here had the premium fenders and or hood. But they said they fit well. But I don't remember if they got the hood too?

 

[legopnuematic]

From what I can gather, Key parts is the ones making the premium hoods and fenders, On my friends 75 K5 he got the premium fenders from LMC and they are nearly as heavy as my NOS GM fenders, no dents and lines look pretty good, bolted up no problem.

 

[shiftpro]

Check the shipping costs /weight between the two..

 

[80BrownK10]

From what I can gather, Key parts is the ones making the premium hoods and fenders, On my friends 75 K5 he got the premium fenders from LMC and they are nearly as heavy as my NOS GM fenders, no dents and lines look pretty good, bolted up no problem.

Someone bought the GM tooling to make these , I thought I read. Is it here in America or did it go to China? I really don't know. I was thinking I read that those GM restoration parts that I see LMC talk about are coming from old GM tooling and molds so it makes me think their premium fenders may have came from the same molds and dies as the original.

 

[77silv]

I have premium fenders from LMC and the premium hood from Raybuck Auto. The hood is a new one that is actually correct for the 73-78 trucks where it doesn't have the extra detail in the front like other aftermarket hoods. I am pleased with the fit and finish. It is a heavy part.

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[75gmck25]

I tried to verify the price on the LMC truck premium hood and found out they are not available right now. Not sure of the reason, but its not an option for now.

The Raybuck hood might be a good choice ($373 + shipping), but its hard to make a direct comparison to the Auto Metal Direct and Key Parts products. However, the detail on the Raybuck is more correct for my '75. They don't all list the shipping weight, so I can't easily determine if one is stronger than the other. Issues with dings and bends during shipping seems to be a problem with all brands.

Bruce

 

[FireTruck1984]

AMD auto metal direct sells one for $169, it’s the same part # that Summit sells for $190. I’ve read mostly good reviews and it’s listed as 115 lbs which is heavier than other vendors weight. I’m guessing it’s heavier gauge? Why spend $400 + for LMC. IMO

 

[77silv]

I tried to verify the price on the LMC truck premium hood and found out they are not available right now. Not sure of the reason, but its not an option for now.

The Raybuck hood might be a good choice ($373 + shipping), but its hard to make a direct comparison to the Auto Metal Direct and Key Parts products. However, the detail on the Raybuck is more correct for my '75. They don't all list the shipping weight, so I can't easily determine if one is stronger than the other. Issues with dings and bends during shipping seems to be a problem with all brands.

Bruce

The one I got from Raybuck was a Key Parts. It was packed great! It is a nice heavy unit. I have an original and this is just as heavy or heavier.

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[bucket]

I have premium fenders from LMC and the premium hood from Raybuck Auto. The hood is a new one that is actually correct for the 73-78 trucks where it doesn't have the extra detail in the front like other aftermarket hoods. I am pleased with the fit and finish. It is a heavy part.

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That's very nice! Those kind of gaps were not generally achievable with the old cheap aftermarket crash parts.

 

[75gmck25]

Thanks for all the replies. The Raybuck and Key parts hoods are close to the same price, and it sounds like they might be identical. USA1 also has metal body parts, even the correct tailgate for my ‘75 (GMC logo is embossed and centered). The Auto Metal direct hoods are quite a bit cheaper, but seem to be okay in quality. I just have to decide how much I want to spend.

My next task is to find a source for paint. I need 1975 GMC Buckskin code 62, and I want to just order some. However, I since GM seemed to change the shading over the years, I need to verify I am getting right the shade of “Buckskin.” Duplicolor has some paint available, and Eastwood seems like a good supplier, but I’m not sure what would work best. Any suggestions?

bruce