Experiences with Aftermarket Hoods, Etc.

My hood is a bit dinged up and I’ve been thinking about using it as an excuse to get a skewp; I check occasionally for used ones around but Michigan isn’t exactly overflowing with Tacomas to begin with; and then there’s the whole rust situation.

Looks like I can get a new aftermarket hood/scoop setup for around $600 and was curious if that’s a reasonable path, or if it’s not worth it and I should just keep an eye out for OEM. The odds of getting a nice condition Spruce hood is pretty slim to none, so I consider needing paint to be basically a requirement either way.

Thanks!

 

Aftermarket hoods, depending on brand, the quality seems to be well, honestly, crap. Are you looking for a carbon fiber hood or metal? the carbon fiber tend to be better fitment

 

Not sure why it matters that it’s dinged up. Or why one would spend $600 for a fake scoop that reduces visibility.

a scoop on a Subaru feeds a water cooled top mount intercooler.

the scoop on a Tacoma does not do anything. Besides ruin curvature for a solar panel and reduce visibility. As well as glare.

 

I've owned all 3x types on the Tacoma.

1. Genuine Toyota steel hood
2. Aftermarket CAPA cert. steel scooped hood.
3. Aftermarket composite scooped hood

@moon22 you are right in saying you'll want to get it sprayed with any of the three options above. I was where're you were at before and I would recommend getting a quality aftermarket scooped hood and get it professionally fitted and painted. The one I purchased had OEM like fit and finish.

 

Nothing exotic, just a stock steel replacement is what I was after. Maybe things have changed but back when I was in go-fast mode, carbon hoods were always a bit iffy on both fit and structural integrity (unless they were built to the point they were heavier than steel).

Don’t be shy now, let me know how you really feel…

3rd reply’s the charm - thank you! I’ve had absolute shit luck with ANY service out here in SW Michigan, so trusting a shop to fit and paint an aftermarket is kind of iffy for me; but thought I’d see if anyone has had good experiences to begin with before writing it off.

This is pretty low on the priority list but not one but two used OEM’s that don’t require significant collision repair popped up within a day’s drive at a good price. I do have family visiting extended family out by one of them right now and I’m a little tempted to ask them for “the most stereotypical moon22 favor ever” if they happened to take the minivan..but, that’s a big ask, especially this time of year..

 

$50. $100. $200. All would be realistic prices if I went to the junkyard to get a stock hood. Regardless of variant.

or a part out.

 

It's gotten better since the Erebuni days.... I went with an off brand 'glass hood and the fitment, gaps, edges were pretty darn good. Everything that I've heard about the Seibon CF stuff is just as good if not better.

A used hood just need to be structurally near perfect. No bent or rolled edges or any creases. It doesn't have to be cosmetically perfect at all since that's what the painter is for.

I sold my near perfect (hood/paint) capa-cert'ed scooped hood for $250. Buyer had same color as my truck so it was pretty good come up.

*if you know what Erebuni is... bonus points for you

 

The one I found 12 hours away is about $325. Another is 10 hours at $400. Best deals I personally have found when I sporadically check, and maybe my value perspective is skewed from my baller 3G days. But time, gas, road food, paint..very real costs.

Let me know when you find a clean Spruce Mica hood and you can have the easiest payday ever - just imagine what I'd pay for the stupidest, ugliest hood on the face of the planet that's ready to bolt on..

 

Yeah, about anything can be fixed but bodywork is expensive and I don't "know a guy" unfortunately! Spruce wasn't too common so odds are not good for finding one ready to go, also unfortunately..

No bonus points for me though; looks like I was still doing the domestic thing during Erebuni's day..

 

I'm in the market for an aftermarket hood myself but I'm a little hesitant on what company to go with. It doesn't look like there's much out there to choose from... for the most part it seems like there are multiple companies selling the same Chinese knock-off under different names.

Do any of you know of a hood for a 3rd gen that offers working heat extractors? I'm in the process of building another desert truck and I'd be down for something that could save a little weight up front while offering the benefits of expelling some of the heat from under the hood. Don't really want to spend the $$$ on carbon fiber since there's a great chance it's gonna get scratched up. I've found this option online but I'm curious how the quality truly is.

Is there anyone in here running this same hood? https://alphaspeedcomponents.com/products/toyota-tacoma-2016-2023-cvx-hood-duraflex


Thanks in advance

 

RK Sport.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ricks-and-mods.518932/page-1861#post-25823822

 

Any reviews on this hood? https://www.mcneilracinginc.com/products/05-11-toyota-tacoma-off-road-fiberglass-hood

 

Fitment on the Duraflex hood is horseshit in my opinion, with visibly wavy and uneven gap to the grille surround.

The louvers in the hood's outer layer don't open through to the engine compartment. They are effectively cosmetic only.

 

I have had 7 Subarus before, three of which had functional hood scoops. Seeing the Tacos with the cosmetic scoops, I'm really glad I didn't get a TRD Pro.

However, on the topic at hand, I've always wanted a CF hood for the Taco without a scoop, fake or otherwise. Never been able to find one, sadly. 3:

 

subbed

I've been thinking about an RK Sport hood, but am afraid the fitment will not be good on aftermarket hoods.

 

Despite it's lack of functional purpose the cosmetic improvement was worth it for me. This is my aftermarket hood from ebay, fit great and have zero complaints on the gaps. Some of the worst panel gaps I've seen come from fiberglass hoods & fenders.