Aluminum Hoods get boost

Light-weight aluminum hoods get a boost thanks to two big new contracts from General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., American Metal Market reports. New hood applications on GM's redesigned H-body models, including the Pontiac Bonne-ville, are predicted to gobble up more aluminum than any application at GM during the past 30 years. GM and Alcan Aluminum Ltd. reportedly have finalized a multi-year agreement under which Alcan will furnish flat-rolled sheet for up to 320,000 hoods annually. Alcan also will supply the aluminum for the hoods, deck lids and fenders of Ford's new LS6 and LS8 sedans due out next year, the trade paper reports.