I cut the entire bracing out of mine on my 64 Dart (with the exception of about 2 inches around the edges ).I am not using hood springs though ,nor a hood latch .Mine is on my drag car and i am using the stock hinges plus i have it pinned in the front.I am also using a sealed scoop that is pressed firmly against the carb and i think it helps support it.It made a huge difference in the weight of the hood ,but its a little flimsy now.I'd say the whole structure that i cut out weighed proly 15-20 lbs easy ...