Fiberglass Hood Question

Hi All,

I am planning on being under the hood of my car a lot the next couple of years, and am looking at putting a pin-on fiberglass hood on it.

I would like to get away with just four hood pins, one at each corner. For a high-12 second car at best, can I get by with the full pin-on lightweight hood and four pins, or would I be better off with the heavier bolt-on hood and the extra bracing it has and just pinning it on without hinges? I just don't want it ripping off on me...

Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

Greg

Is there a scoop? What model car?

It's a '71 Charger, I would be getting the bulge hood, no scoop.

I bought a lift off race weight hood for my old Duster and then bonded two pieces of aluminum angle on the bottom of the hood in the stock location so I could use the stock hood hinge brackets with the springs remove and installed 4 Dzuz fasteners on the front of the hood to keep it down at racing speeds(120+ MPH in the 1/4), it had a six pack scoop on it.
On your deal two hood pins in front on each corner like stock will probably be fine with the hinges in the back
That way you don't need to remove the hood and find a spot o set it down on or someone to help you lift it off and put it somewhere no one will step on it or trip over it
I've had many race and street cars with lift off hoods that got damaged when off the car by wind and spectators

My drag car (Duster) has a lightweight pin-on and it's a bother. Needed to add a pin @ front center over 120 MPH, so I have 5 pins total, but the 6-pack scoop at least provides a handle of sorts. I added some 1/2 x 1/2 angle along the fender inner edges to support it and a length of rubber at the cowl to support it; otherwise it sags.
Street Duster has an AAR 'glass hood for hinges & latch, and has the factory-style reinforcements, and it's easier to live with.
Mine are a lot smaller than a '71 Charger's is; something that large in a pin-on would really be a bother, I would think.

Im getting the same kind for my 71, Im worried about the same. I had a 73 duster with a fiberglass hood with a formed scoop. I went 130 in it, and iirc it flapped around some. Hopefully with just a power bulge and no scoop all that will be needed is a few extra pins

Thanks for all of the replies, doesn't seem to be definitive way to go.

The hood probably wont see more than 105 mph, and most of the time no more than highway speed.

I hate to save $100 buying the lightweight hood, then spending $100 on bracing, dzus fasteners, etc., so I am kind of leaning toward getting the bolt on hood and just pinning it down.

Most of the time I will be taking it on and off will be in my garage, I am not too worried about how difficult that will be.

If there are any more opinions, send them my way!

Thanks.

Greg

If you were getting younger, I would agree with your solution. Anything lightweight has numerous advantages you are well aware of. The issue most others have mentioned, really is not tough to resolve. Adding anything metal to reinforce a light lift off hood seems awfully counter productive. The first solution I would do would be figure out where added stiffness is needed, figure out how much depth you have under the hood for a foam (urethane) gusset, shape it to fit (depth is much more useful then width, within reason) resin/epoxy it in place, laminate at same time a layer or two of suitable fabric, FG/CF over the foam gusset, sand off loose/sharp edges when hard, and you still have a lightweight hood, that is now really stiff, and still has only 4 pins. Its a lot less then $100. A downside is whatever shape the hood is flexed to when adding the gusset(s), will be the shape when its sets. I prefer epoxy, it contracts/distorts much less when it cures, and is stronger, but more expensive.

OK, since like I said, I have both types of hoods...
Race hood has styrofoam glassed into underside but is still kind of a noodle, which is why it sagged around its perimeter; support was added to the car (not the hood) and in total weighs ounces.
Street (also 'glass) hood is lighter than OEM steel but being thicker and with the OEM-appearing underside bracing, it's more than double the weight of the race hood. Both have 6-pack scoops.
My racecar's hood is pin-on, street car uses hinges & latch but also has 2 pins at front. Street car doesn't use hinge springs, requires prop rod but still easier to deal with than the pin-on.
For a '71 Charger, if you're good at picking up a 4x8 sheet of thin plywood from the narrow end and lifting it, then you'll be fine...but I suggest you try it before spending $500-$700...

Previous owner installed a lift-off A12 hood on the '68 Coronet I now own. Looks great but.....
-I have a one car garage and the only way to get it off in the garage is for two people on each side of the car to lift it off and put it on the roof of car.
-Outside the garage, I can take it off by myself but putting it back on my own has resulted in two cowl/fender dings. Previous owner put his arms inside the snorkel to take it on and off resulting in some minor stress cracks.
-displaying the engine with the hood up on posts, requires two or more people to lift and set the hood, no wind and the same number of helpers to take it down.

Where to put the hood at a car show if not up on posts, on the side of the road, etc. has already been covered in other posts. It's a big hood on your car so hear me now and believe me later.

The light weight hoods are really flimsy and often don't fit as good as the bolt-on one's. Is the difference between the two that significant on anything but an all-out race car? And if you're going from steel to 'glass, the weight savings is huge regardless of which glass one you choose.

Thanks for all of the input.

The biggest surprise in the responses is how hard it will be to remove. I just assumed a 25 lb hood would be a piece of cake to take on and off, but it doesn't sound that way.

Anyway, I think I will spring the extra $$$ for the sturdier bolt on hood.

Greg