Drove the bird out of the back 40. But I first had to charge the battery. Oddly enough, I opened the hood only to feel it bind. So I slowly pushed it back down, bent the hinge. So I got to thinking about using a removable hood with hoodpins. Anyone else do this? The hood is already dented from my bud's kids using it for a slide this last winter, so finding a lightweight (fiberglass?) replacement would be cool. I have a spare hood, but no hinges.:disappoin
are talking about a lift-off hood? the stock hood is a PIG!
lift off, yes
you would be a candidate for strong man competitions using the factory hood then. even cutting the braces out, isnt enough. buy a glass hood.
3" cowl is great on these cars, do it!
http://www.motorsportspartsusa.com/partGeneral.cfm?part=H0023
here's one option I just found.
Or a 4" Cowl. Same site.
http://www.motorsportspartsusa.com/partGeneral.cfm?part=H0024
I think lift-off hoods are kind of a bitch on a street car though...I mean ya gotta take the thing completely off to do anything in the engine bay.
Lots of headroom though, that would be a nice bonus.
Take a look at how the Nascar hoods are hinged now.
any links to pics? Red Lx makes a good point.
(http://www.hohpe.com/Gregor/Travel/2001/Orlando/nascar_hood.jpg)
Well, the most common hinge points are just tabs on the back of the hood and the fender, and a small bolt goes through. Those things in the pic are actually the hood supports, and they go overcenter when you open the hood to keep it up. Just lift and pull them both forward slightly to lower the hood. Some of the cars are using those little air-shocks instead of the overcenter supports.
All new cars have the shocks. They seem to be more in the way that a prop rod. They bug me too. Some loose there strength, and its not fun being hit on the head by a 200 pound truck hood.
I'd hate to be at a gas station on a slightly windy day trying to remove a fiberglass pin-on hood because I had to add a quart of oil.Could be very awkward.
Wouldn't it just be easier to get a new hinge...? ;)
A lot of you probably won't believe this, but...the stock hood really isn't all that heavy. My f/g hood is noticeably heavier. Then again, it's a bolt-on, not pin-on. Even still, I made several adjustments to the hood in an attempt to make it more user-friendly. The secondary latch (catch) works, the hinges work, the hinge supports (thank you, Mr. Wrecked Mark VII) hold the hood up beautifully. But it still needs hood pins, as the stock hood release mechanism would have torn up the new hood immediately. Such are the trade-offs for a fiberglass hood.
I've got a page here with all kinds of info:
http://www.coolcats.net/stockmod/modified/hoods.html
The biggest question you have to ask yourself is, can you live without a stock-type working hood? If so, then by all means, go for it. But just a word of advice: just about everyone that's ever contacted me with pin-on f/g hoods said they'd never do it again. They are just way too light for daily use.
Looked at it this afternoon. I see 2 bolts, but I assume the fender hides the 3rd? If I could find another hinge I would do that. In my experience, once a hinge bends, they never straighten back out properly, and will tend to bend again. The hood will be vastly modified anyway, so....
I have either hinge from my '88.If you need one,$15.00 shipped for either one.There's a bolt up on the cowl under the rubber seal around the hinge.
thanx, I get paid next week.
I wonder what caused the hinge to bend/ hood to shift in the first place. All I did was park it for 4 months with the hood down, but unlatched.