Steeda Q-Series Hood
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Joined: September 9, 2009
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From: OKC, OK
Steeda Q-Series Hood
Here is my kinda review and ongoing nightmare with the Steeda Q-Series Hood, Steeda, and a terrible paint shop!
About two weeks ago I decided to get the Steeda Q-series for my 2011 Roush. Having spent thousands of dollars on Steeda parts in the past, I figured their hood would be the best option for quality and functionality. Their products have always been top of the line.
The hood shipped very quickly and came into the shop undamaged. This is where the nightmare began. The paint shop had issues from the begining, I posted that in another thread so won't go into much detail about that here. After nine full days in the paint shop they call me and tell me the hood is finally ready! I was pumped up and ready to make our Mustang club get together to show off my new hood! But, when they put the hood on it looked like total crap.......there was huge gaps, and it just didn't fit well at all. It was like the hood had shrunk around an 1/8th inch all around, front, back, and sides!
The shop tried to align it so the gaps were somewhat tolerable, but failed miserably. I decided the best thing to do at this point was to call up Steeda and ask their opinion and if there was some special trick. Heres how that call went:
Me: Blah, blah, hood I ordered, having issues
Me: I am having fitment issues with the hood.
Steeda: We have never had issues with our hoods not fiting.
Me: I am having fitment issues with the hood.
Steeda: What kind of issues?
Me: I can stick my entire finger between the hood and fender.
Steeda: Why did you buy the hood?
Me: To have a functional vented hood.
Steeda: No, why did you buy the hood?
At this point I too am wondering why the hell I bought the hood lol.
Me: To have a functional vented hood.
Steeda: Did you wreck the car? Is that why you are buying the hood?
Me: No, I rarely even drive the car.
The conversation went on and they asked for pictures, we e-mailed the pics and called back. They said it would be a couple days before they could look at them and get back with me. So now I'm out over $1200 and all I have to show for it is a poor fitting hood that still has paint issues! That's right, 3rd time redoing the paint was NOT the charm. Thankfully I still have the OEM hood sitting in my house, as of now it's going to be going back on.
Also, I tried going to my usual shop, not a painter but performance shop, to see what they thought. They tried to get the hood on right, but said the only way would be to take the hood off and redrill and re-align the nuts. This is coming from the best shop for Mustangs around; they currently have a Supersnake, 2 GT500s, A Saleen, And a few Gts in the shop!
The good news is the hood vent works extremely well, I noticed a considerable difference in engine temps (from feel). I'm not running any temp monitoring guages on the Roush since it's rarely driven and baby'd, so I can't say how the ITs were truly affected.
Anyways heres a picture of the gap AFTER being worked on by two different shops, it's the best they could get it. This is just one part, figured nobody would care to see them all.
About two weeks ago I decided to get the Steeda Q-series for my 2011 Roush. Having spent thousands of dollars on Steeda parts in the past, I figured their hood would be the best option for quality and functionality. Their products have always been top of the line.
The hood shipped very quickly and came into the shop undamaged. This is where the nightmare began. The paint shop had issues from the begining, I posted that in another thread so won't go into much detail about that here. After nine full days in the paint shop they call me and tell me the hood is finally ready! I was pumped up and ready to make our Mustang club get together to show off my new hood! But, when they put the hood on it looked like total crap.......there was huge gaps, and it just didn't fit well at all. It was like the hood had shrunk around an 1/8th inch all around, front, back, and sides!
The shop tried to align it so the gaps were somewhat tolerable, but failed miserably. I decided the best thing to do at this point was to call up Steeda and ask their opinion and if there was some special trick. Heres how that call went:
Me: Blah, blah, hood I ordered, having issues
Me: I am having fitment issues with the hood.
Steeda: We have never had issues with our hoods not fiting.
Me: I am having fitment issues with the hood.
Steeda: What kind of issues?
Me: I can stick my entire finger between the hood and fender.
Steeda: Why did you buy the hood?
Me: To have a functional vented hood.
Steeda: No, why did you buy the hood?
At this point I too am wondering why the hell I bought the hood lol.
Me: To have a functional vented hood.
Steeda: Did you wreck the car? Is that why you are buying the hood?
Me: No, I rarely even drive the car.
The conversation went on and they asked for pictures, we e-mailed the pics and called back. They said it would be a couple days before they could look at them and get back with me. So now I'm out over $1200 and all I have to show for it is a poor fitting hood that still has paint issues! That's right, 3rd time redoing the paint was NOT the charm. Thankfully I still have the OEM hood sitting in my house, as of now it's going to be going back on.
Also, I tried going to my usual shop, not a painter but performance shop, to see what they thought. They tried to get the hood on right, but said the only way would be to take the hood off and redrill and re-align the nuts. This is coming from the best shop for Mustangs around; they currently have a Supersnake, 2 GT500s, A Saleen, And a few Gts in the shop!
The good news is the hood vent works extremely well, I noticed a considerable difference in engine temps (from feel). I'm not running any temp monitoring guages on the Roush since it's rarely driven and baby'd, so I can't say how the ITs were truly affected.
Anyways heres a picture of the gap AFTER being worked on by two different shops, it's the best they could get it. This is just one part, figured nobody would care to see them all.
Shelby GT350 Member
Joined: January 24, 2012
Posts: 2,352
Likes: 2
That is ridiculous, but not sure youre going to get paint money back if Steeda says it should have been test fit it before painting. Pretty sure painting doesnt cause shrinkage, even baked. lol Good luck though. You never know.
Thread Starter
Cobra Member
Joined: September 9, 2009
Posts: 1,344
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From: OKC, OK
That's what I was thinking too, but at this point I just want to recover what I can. But since the paint shop STILL hasn't gotten the paint good yet, I have the BBB, and small claims court. Not to mention it's a fairly small town and word of mouth from somebody well known in car circles will hurt....if they want to play hardball!
Thread Starter
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Joined: September 9, 2009
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From: OKC, OK
And that's after the second shop worked to balance things out, the crap first shop left the gap so big you could pretty much see the whole rubber stopper the hood is supposed to sit on! Wish now I would have taken pictures of that, might have gotten a good laugh now that Ive had a few beers......OK maybe not.
Thread Starter
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Joined: September 9, 2009
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From: OKC, OK
Went back to the paint shop and they assured me they could 100% fix the paint. They gave me the hood because I was going to the car club meet that night, just have to take it back Friday to get it color sanded.
They also said if we have to they will drill out the holes in the hood so the hood can be shifted to make the gap less noticeable. Just may be clearance issues when hood is lifted.
Happy with the paint job now (or will be), they matched it in perfectly!
They also said if we have to they will drill out the holes in the hood so the hood can be shifted to make the gap less noticeable. Just may be clearance issues when hood is lifted.
Happy with the paint job now (or will be), they matched it in perfectly!
Last edited by Planeswalker; Oct 3, 2012 at 09:36 AM.
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Hi there. First I would like to apologize for the issues you are having, but I would like to move on to the questions you were asked. It seems like you feel they were irrelevant questions, but they are more than relevant.
Why did you buy the hood is a very relevant question and one of the first ones my sales staff will ask. Why? Because if you bought it to replace a hood because the car as in an accident, that opens up a whole realm of possibilities as to why it doesnt fit, and yes, our hoods generally tend to fit great, do a search and you will see good feedback on them.
If the car was in an accident, then you will almost certainly need to adjust not just the hood, but the fenders to make the gaps correct. The hood is not going to just bolt up and look perfect without these adjustments. If it was not in an accident, it may still be possible that the fenders need some adjustment to align all the gaps. This is common with all aftermarket hoods.
Your post gives no indication your body shop even tried this, and judging by what you have going on in the picture shown, it just looks like an adjustment issue. But we need to explore all angles.
What are the measurements on the front width, rear width, and middle width of the hood so we can compare them to the dimensions of all the others we've installed that fit properly?
Why did you buy the hood is a very relevant question and one of the first ones my sales staff will ask. Why? Because if you bought it to replace a hood because the car as in an accident, that opens up a whole realm of possibilities as to why it doesnt fit, and yes, our hoods generally tend to fit great, do a search and you will see good feedback on them.
If the car was in an accident, then you will almost certainly need to adjust not just the hood, but the fenders to make the gaps correct. The hood is not going to just bolt up and look perfect without these adjustments. If it was not in an accident, it may still be possible that the fenders need some adjustment to align all the gaps. This is common with all aftermarket hoods.
Your post gives no indication your body shop even tried this, and judging by what you have going on in the picture shown, it just looks like an adjustment issue. But we need to explore all angles.
What are the measurements on the front width, rear width, and middle width of the hood so we can compare them to the dimensions of all the others we've installed that fit properly?
V6 Member
Joined: July 10, 2012
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: North MS
Hi there. First I would like to apologize for the issues you are having, but I would like to move on to the questions you were asked. It seems like you feel they were irrelevant questions, but they are more than relevant.
Why did you buy the hood is a very relevant question and one of the first ones my sales staff will ask. Why? Because if you bought it to replace a hood because the car as in an accident, that opens up a whole realm of possibilities as to why it doesnt fit, and yes, our hoods generally tend to fit great, do a search and you will see good feedback on them.
If the car was in an accident, then you will almost certainly need to adjust not just the hood, but the fenders to make the gaps correct. The hood is not going to just bolt up and look perfect without these adjustments. If it was not in an accident, it may still be possible that the fenders need some adjustment to align all the gaps. This is common with all aftermarket hoods.
Your post gives no indication your body shop even tried this, and judging by what you have going on in the picture shown, it just looks like an adjustment issue. But we need to explore all angles.
What are the measurements on the front width, rear width, and middle width of the hood so we can compare them to the dimensions of all the others we've installed that fit properly?
Why did you buy the hood is a very relevant question and one of the first ones my sales staff will ask. Why? Because if you bought it to replace a hood because the car as in an accident, that opens up a whole realm of possibilities as to why it doesnt fit, and yes, our hoods generally tend to fit great, do a search and you will see good feedback on them.
If the car was in an accident, then you will almost certainly need to adjust not just the hood, but the fenders to make the gaps correct. The hood is not going to just bolt up and look perfect without these adjustments. If it was not in an accident, it may still be possible that the fenders need some adjustment to align all the gaps. This is common with all aftermarket hoods.
Your post gives no indication your body shop even tried this, and judging by what you have going on in the picture shown, it just looks like an adjustment issue. But we need to explore all angles.
What are the measurements on the front width, rear width, and middle width of the hood so we can compare them to the dimensions of all the others we've installed that fit properly?
I would also like to see the gap on the other side of the car as well as a picture of the whole front clip.
Thread Starter
Cobra Member
Joined: September 9, 2009
Posts: 1,344
Likes: 4
From: OKC, OK
Hi there. First I would like to apologize for the issues you are having, but I would like to move on to the questions you were asked. It seems like you feel they were irrelevant questions, but they are more than relevant.
Why did you buy the hood is a very relevant question and one of the first ones my sales staff will ask. Why? Because if you bought it to replace a hood because the car as in an accident, that opens up a whole realm of possibilities as to why it doesnt fit, and yes, our hoods generally tend to fit great, do a search and you will see good feedback on them.
If the car was in an accident, then you will almost certainly need to adjust not just the hood, but the fenders to make the gaps correct. The hood is not going to just bolt up and look perfect without these adjustments. If it was not in an accident, it may still be possible that the fenders need some adjustment to align all the gaps. This is common with all aftermarket hoods.
Your post gives no indication your body shop even tried this, and judging by what you have going on in the picture shown, it just looks like an adjustment issue. But we need to explore all angles.
What are the measurements on the front width, rear width, and middle width of the hood so we can compare them to the dimensions of all the others we've installed that fit properly?
Why did you buy the hood is a very relevant question and one of the first ones my sales staff will ask. Why? Because if you bought it to replace a hood because the car as in an accident, that opens up a whole realm of possibilities as to why it doesnt fit, and yes, our hoods generally tend to fit great, do a search and you will see good feedback on them.
If the car was in an accident, then you will almost certainly need to adjust not just the hood, but the fenders to make the gaps correct. The hood is not going to just bolt up and look perfect without these adjustments. If it was not in an accident, it may still be possible that the fenders need some adjustment to align all the gaps. This is common with all aftermarket hoods.
Your post gives no indication your body shop even tried this, and judging by what you have going on in the picture shown, it just looks like an adjustment issue. But we need to explore all angles.
What are the measurements on the front width, rear width, and middle width of the hood so we can compare them to the dimensions of all the others we've installed that fit properly?
Just ask and I will PM you the VIN# so you can carfax it!Second I took it to different shops and they both said the same thing. The shops are in different towns, and I'm very good friends with the owner of the Mustang shop, he wouldn't BS me. I can also PM you the paint shops owners name and phone number, so you can talk to him, he's already OK'd it this morning.
Rather than take measurements I have take pictures with a reference points, can't fake those. I aligned the card by eye so as to get the card in the same spot each time, forgot to do the same with the camera angle.
As you can see the drivers side is 100% perfectly aligned with the fender, the other side is way off! Let me know if you need other angles or under hood pics.
Thread Starter
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From: OKC, OK
Pics added.
Mach 1 Member
Joined: May 24, 2010
Posts: 873
Likes: 1
From: MA
The new pictures are useless because it only shows what we all already know, you have some alignment issues. Steeda requested measurements to try help you out, I'll suggest you comply and the sooner you will be out of this mess.
Mach 1 Member
Joined: July 16, 2010
Posts: 864
Likes: 2
Your all xxxxx it take five minutes to adjust the fenders. The fenders have slotted holes loosen the bolts slide the fender in and your done. The body shop should have adjusted the fenders.
Last edited by 908ssp; Oct 3, 2012 at 10:58 AM.
Thread Starter
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From: OKC, OK
I took 3 measurements in metric for accuracy, starting with the drivers side. Took measurments at closest to windshield gap, mid hood gap, and closest to front of car. Measured looking directly down, and measured the actual gap from edge of hood to edge of fender.
DS top- 4.5mm
DS mid- 4.5mm
DS bottom- 4.5mm
PS top- 3.25mm
PS mid- 5.5mm
PS bottom- 6.5mm
Hopefully those numbers help you see what pictures couldn't show.
Thread Starter
Cobra Member
Joined: September 9, 2009
Posts: 1,344
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From: OKC, OK
My stock hood fit perfectly, wouldn't fixing one alignment issue just cause another one? I'll check this out though.
Thread Starter
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Joined: September 9, 2009
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From: OKC, OK
Just went out there and checked this out, you are completely correct! In 15 seconds with a 10mm socket I made it look alot better, going to go mess with it some more. Geez can't believe how easy of a fix this may be. It's great people like you that keeps me on the forums! I can install cams but didn't think to losen a screw LOL.
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Joined: February 14, 2005
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Just went out there and checked this out, you are completely correct! In 15 seconds with a 10mm socket I made it look alot better, going to go mess with it some more. Geez can't believe how easy of a fix this may be. It's great people like you that keeps me on the forums! I can install cams but didn't think to losen a screw LOL.
Thread Starter
Cobra Member
Joined: September 9, 2009
Posts: 1,344
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From: OKC, OK
EDIT: Will also be installing another $1200 in Steeda parts once they come in from AM tomorrow, it's a Stroush!
Last edited by Planeswalker; Oct 3, 2012 at 11:47 AM.
