Personaly i would rather you Strip all the paint off the hood down to the bare metal polish it to a mirror shine and clearcoat it . I don't get the rust look ???
Rust only looks good on a hand built RAT ROD !

 

Kinda like wearin cheap boxers with hundered dollar jeans that won't go past your butt cheek

 

i say if you have the money to buy a hood just go ahead and do it. if it turns out bad it would still be a cool thing to hang in the garage.

MAY BE USLESS INFO>>
You will have trouble getting it to rust though. While i was working on my rear end i sanded the paint off in some places and even after 3 or so months it was still shiny.
look at this pic. see where i notched the "frame" the notch and where i welded it to where cleaned up at the same time. after a month or so the notch rusted and the stock part of the car didnt. some of the VW guys use salt water to accelerate the rust.

 

salt water and heat will accelerate it even more(haveing been a welder). A propane torch or oxy/accetelyn torch with some heat will help. Dont want to get to hot though as you may buckle/warp the metal. Definatly i would do off the vehicle and with out the insulation attached, and anything else like plastic or something that would melt in the process.

 

SO this is actually rust, not painted to look like rust?

Just move to the northeast......

I just don't get it.

 

I would do anything so my cars don't rust!!!

 

To each his own I guess? But it makes those cars look like crap in my estimation!

 

My wife is a little old lady who really only drives to the grocery store in her 2000 Mazda Protoge 37000 miles. Well a few years back I was driving and rear ended another car, I took the insurance check and bought a new hood and grille, I have never gotten around to painting the flat black primer-ed hood. Now all of the tuner guys pull up and challenge her at lights LOL stock 1.4L automatic 69 year old lady

 

I say rust it, then clearcoat it. That'll throw people off.

 

Nobody can photoshop the look for me I dont have photoshop or I would do it myself