Fiberglass hoods....Pins yes or no?

[WICKED50LTR]

how much do you guys trust your fiberglass hoods from not flying up and smacking the windshield? I like the clean look without hood pins. im gettin ready to install my 2.5 cowl hood but im 50/50 about installing pins. ive seen my fair share of hoods being ripped off from the latch area.

 

[88mustng]

i had mine on without pins for over a year but i busted my hood by slamming it to close it all the time so i had to put the pins in it. i love the look with pins now that they are in there. id put them on there just cause there cool.

later
steve

 

[Smokedawg]

I dont like pins...But I put them in mine for extra insurance...

-Smoke

 

[04sleeper]

I used to have a Harwood 2 1/2" Cowl with hood locks that looked pretty sweet. I did not want to drill any holes in either because I had a Candy Apple Red paint job with 25 coats on it. I got them from PAW.......I think that they were made by Mr. Gasket. I liked them because they were stainless steel and they were flush with the hood. Plus no pulling pins in and out and scratching up things or chrome peeling off the pins.

 

[Smokedawg]

25 coats!! That paint must be 1/4" thick!!!

I have never heard of that many coats..


BTW-Got any pics of your car?

 

[04sleeper]

I have one that I just scanned but it won't post because it says file too big??? Maybe I can e-mail it to you and you can get it to work?

 

[Smokedawg]

.

 

[04sleeper]

Just e-mailed it to you.

Kevin

 

[Smokedawg]

.

 

[04sleeper]

Let me see if this works.

Don't mind the hair....LoL

 

[cardudeusa]

Good lookin car. I'm not a fan of how hood pins look, nor am I a fan of a hood smashing through my windsheld. I have pins on both my cars.

 

[87ttopstang]

I used to have a Harwood 2 1/2" Cowl with hood locks that looked pretty sweet. I did not want to drill any holes in either because I had a Candy Apple Red paint job with 25 coats on it. I got them from PAW.......I think that they were made by Mr. Gasket. I liked them because they were stainless steel and they were flush with the hood. Plus no pulling pins in and out and scratching up things or chrome peeling off the pins.

Where did you get the hood locks. I like that idea for security as well as re-assurance that the hood doesn't slam against the windshield. I have seen them before. The locks are almost flush against the hood.

 

[Stang951]

Actually you named them right, they are security looks. I believe Mr. Gasket even has a warning no the package that they should not be used as a preventative for hoods flying open. All they are for is to keep people from diggin under your hood. I wouldn't trust those if I were you. I have seen them rust shut as well (that was several years ago, but).

I spent 400.00 for my hood plus what it would cost to get it painted. The 20.00 I spent on hood pins to keep from spending another 500-800 to replace my hood alone (not including the cowl, windshield and to have the roof fixed) was well worth it. I would recommend that anyone with a fiberglass hood get them.

 

[1991vert]

there was a video in a thread that someone sent me right before i ordered hood pins. there was this car at the strip that had those lock things on the hood and he thought they'd do the job. hood still flew up on him and crack in like 3 pieces. i think it says right on them not for safety. i got pins on my car and i think they look great. i say go with pins and be safe.

 

[Juiced88Coupe]

Actually you named them right, they are security looks. I believe Mr. Gasket even has a warning no the package that they should not be used as a preventative for hoods flying open. All they are for is to keep people from diggin under your hood. I wouldn't trust those if I were you. I have seen them rust shut as well (that was several years ago, but).

I spent 400.00 for my hood plus what it would cost to get it painted. The 20.00 I spent on hood pins to keep from spending another 500-800 to replace my hood alone (not including the cowl, windshield and to have the roof fixed) was well worth it. I would recommend that anyone with a fiberglass hood get them.

I agree you dont think you will need them till its too late...for the $$$ i'm getting some when i get my stormin normin hood painted no questions about it..

 

[myroc]

Great post and info guys. I'm getting a fiberglass hood and was dead against hood pins, but now i will more then likely get them.Don't want to wreck a new hood.

 

[TT91]

Stock hood at 35 Mph-latch broke off--bent cowl, detroyed hood, bent roof...

Stock hood at 100 Mph-BOOOOOOOOM!!!Dont know how-comlete cowl destroyed, windeshield shattered, sunroof shattered, (peices stuck in my head), roof unrepairable..

2in pin on cowl at 30pmh (forgot the pins)..took off, straight up, stopped the car and watched it sail into the middle of the road, barely missing oncoming traffic, only paint damage..

CURRENT MUSTANG-

5in bolt on- Latch didnt hook- at 25mph..hood flew open, BOOM! No hood damage amazing..only minimal cowl damage. Insurance covered the repairs..

Do i use hood pins..YES...but im only human, and everyone forgets them from time to time, as anyone would who is under their hood 30 times a day..I now have a note taped to my dash..it says "PINS?"...and i look at it everytime i go to start my car...

 

[04sleeper]

Just a note. I used the hood locks along with the factory latch. I dont think I would use them by themselves. They did hold the edges of the hood down pretty good though. Also the picture was taken 4 years after I installed them. No rust...No problems........Daily Driver. Stainless Steel

 

[grippper]

would i be better off installing my hood pins before they paint my hood.

 

[black92gt]

89sleeper, just one question.. I have that same hood, and it hits the winshield wipers, do you just deal with that or did you fix it in some way?

Thanks.