Hood Pins! Do I need them?

[2quick]

So I'll be hitting the track for the first time this weekend and after going through my checklist I thought about hood pins and was wondering if I needed them or not. I am using a bolt on AAR Fiberglass Hood w/Hemi scoop. I know it's probably a good idea but I like the look without them and was wondering if anyone has had an issue with their hood flying open on this style hood. Car should run over 130mph. Honestly if i need them it's going to postpone the trip...

 

[91r/t]

NEED them no......but I wasn't ever sure on trusting the bolt areas where the latch bolts on on a fiberglass hood. It'll probably be fine for a weekend, but over time the stress can crack/fatigue areas like that and I wouldn't trust it long term by any means without the pins. They are supposedly reinforced with steel in the latch and hinge area, but I am not so sure I'd be keen on it for long term.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Pull the hood and your definitely good to go. It just doesn't look as good. Great looking 66!

 

[91r/t]

Pull the hood and your definitely good to go. It just doesn't look as good. Great looking 66!

My local track makes you run a hood, or atleast a scoop over the carbs I think for fire reasons.

 

[Jerry Hall]

My local track makes you run a hood, or atleast a scoop over the carbs I think for fire reasons.

Thanks it's been some years since I've been to the track here. My carbs have velocity stacks and I ran the car without the hood. I wasn't going to take a chance with a real LO23 hood. I didn't get to make but one pass before they threw me out anyway. I was to fast with no roll bar.

 

[69 GTX]

I have a bolt on 6bbl hood also. It has hood pins and I plan on using the center hood latch also. Better safe than sorry.

 

[dvw]

I wouldn't run a glass hood without them. Mine AAR hood is held on with 4 pins. At 150 mph the sides bow up close to a inch"
Doug

 

[383man]

How is the hood secured right now ? Is it bolted to the factory hinges and use the factory hood catch and safety catch ? Myself I use hood pins on mine but its installed as a lift off hood. Ron

 

[2quick]

How is the hood secured right now ? Is it bolted to the factory hinges and use the factory hood catch and safety catch ? Myself I use hood pins on mine but its installed as a lift off hood. Ron

View attachment 828867

Uses stock latch setup.

 

[2quick]

I ordered a set of reproduction 70 B Body hood pins from Dante's Mopar hope they get here by Friday.

 

[Mike Gaines]

USE AT LEAST 2 PINS OF THE FRONT

 

[2quick]

Done. Used reproduction Hood pins for a 70 B with the rubber gaskets underneath.

 

[AndersonTommy]

You're going to need 2 right in front between the 2 you have there. That front end will want to lift right off the car and tear that stock latch off the fiberglass.

 

[biomedtechguy]

I have them, factory installed. My hood latch has never ever popped open accidentally, but I have great peace of mind with the hood pins.

 

[funnykarman]

It's something to think about . 40 Years ago I had a 1967 cuda fastback that I had a 426 hemi in . This was before everything was so expensive to buy . I changed the car over and tried to make a Hemi Cuda out of it , I found and bought a set of fenders and a hood off of a 68 cuda superstock car $150.00 for all of it . . The hood had been installed with 4 hood pins when I got it so that is what I used . The first run with the car I noticed that the hood in the rear and front came up enough to let me see the intake and carbs . It looked like it wanted to fly at 127 mph . So I added 4 more pins and the problem went away . Think about it if you do not add hood pins , you would loose the hood , scoop , windshield and put nasty dents in the top of your car plus you can not see where you are going when it happens . OOPS

 

[malex]

I used to run my stock steel hood with a hemi scoop and no hood pins. I didn't want to drill into the hood. It ended up that that the inner brace cracked and started to pull down. I used some plumbers strapping after I noticed but that tore the next pass and I nearly lost the hood. I could put my entire hand in between the hood and the inner structure, which the latch bolts to. I was lucky.
I fixed the inner structure and drilled pin holes. I learnt my lesson on hood pins.


It had opened up 4 inches after the pass.

 

[cdr]

4 pins on whats left of my hood LOL

View attachment 837882

 

[cdr]

2

 

[2quick]

I used to run my stock steel hood with a hemi scoop and no hood pins. I didn't want to drill into the hood. It ended up that that the inner brace cracked and started to pull down. I used some plumbers strapping after I noticed but that tore the next pass and I nearly lost the hood. I could put my entire hand in between the hood and the inner structure, which the latch bolts to. I was lucky.
I fixed the inner structure and drilled pin holes. I learnt my lesson on hood pins.


It had opened up 4 inches after the pass.
View attachment 837847

Wow that's some serious stuff right there! If I had any doubt before about adding pins, it's gone now... Opening up a steel hood like that is something I've never seen. Thanks Malex

 

[Darter6]

Seems that cars with scoops have the tendency to want to lift the hood. My car needed a hood,found one at Carlisle with opening and the pin holes drilled so I used them with the factory 70 pin kit.I run circle clips and no lanyards.