I was taking a look at pics of a members car that has the stock hood latch removed and just running hood pins. I really like the look without that great big hood latch unit. How safe is it to run with a CF hood on a daily driver? Im really considering this.
Opinions?
gtpsunfire wrote:I really like the look without that great big hood latch unit.
, can you honestly see the latch that it bothers you that much? unless your at the right angle looking up through the hood, you'd never see the latch. id leave it on. theres no need to get rid of it.
^^^^^well if you decide to do it i recomend you get some aerocatch hood pins , cause the regular hood pins dont cut for me anyways , hood flipped twice on me
^^^you did something wrong.
I would run both stock latch AND pins.
Nothing wrong with a lil extra safety.
Jeff. did you get the Aerocatch ones molded in?
AWD GS wrote:gtpsunfire wrote:I really like the look without that great big hood latch unit.
, can you honestly see the latch that it bothers you that much? unless your at the right angle looking up through the hood, you'd never see the latch. id leave it on. theres no need to get rid of it.
for those who forget what jbodies look like..
I believe the OP is talking about the assembly I circled in red. All it really does is provide a mounting point for the hood latch and an airbag sensor. it weighs a good 20lbs or so too.
Pins without the stock latch is fine, race cars do it, muscle cars do it.. a quick search on google will indicate such. I've been looking into the same thing because I want to remount my intercooler, and the latch assembly (that big ass thing) are in the way.
If you do go with pins with no latch, be sure the hood is secure and doesn't have any play. You want to have to push on the hood a little to get the pins to go through.
I'm also going with aerocatch.
john : i posted a forum in the photos and media , i plan fiberglassing the big a$$ hole i cut underneath the hood to stregthen the hood
^^^didnt see it in there, link?
PJ, you are right, it is not necessary to keep the latch if installing pins, and yes, you want NO play in the hood especially if using only pins.
If the latch assembly is getting in the way of something else....it would be a good idea to remove it. Otherwise I would just keep it personally.
^^^ check the carbon fiber my anti drug ....
i see....at he very end.
looking at your pics, I would use both the hood pins and the hood latch.
I would think about some steel reinforcement in there to help things out too......for when you are doing your fiberglass finishing (which I really hope you are planning on...
It looks so much cleaner without it, but safetys safety.
if you use a quality set of pins, and they are installed correctly, i dont forsee an issue. i mean, after all, htey are installed because a stock latch cant handle the flex out of the aftermarket hood... so.... common sense says pins are better than your stock latch.
on a negitive note, there is nothing "locked" about your engine bay anymore. which would be my main concern.
Well the pins i picked up are locking. I would keep the key with my car keys.
DaFlyinSkwir(LS61) /PJ/ OEM+ wrote:AWD GS wrote:gtpsunfire wrote:I really like the look without that great big hood latch unit.
, can you honestly see the latch that it bothers you that much? unless your at the right angle looking up through the hood, you'd never see the latch. id leave it on. theres no need to get rid of it.
for those who forget what jbodies look like..
I believe the OP is talking about the assembly I circled in red. All it really does is provide a mounting point for the hood latch and an airbag sensor. it weighs a good 20lbs or so too.
Pins without the stock latch is fine, race cars do it, muscle cars do it.. a quick search on google will indicate such. I've been looking into the same thing because I want to remount my intercooler, and the latch assembly (that big ass thing) are in the way.
If you do go with pins with no latch, be sure the hood is secure and doesn't have any play. You want to have to push on the hood a little to get the pins to go through.
I'm also going with aerocatch.
well i could understand that but when he said hood latch, i assumed he meant the actual latch that attaches to the underside of the hood.
i see no problem with running both though, if you want to get rid of it you can. i never had a problem with my hood pins at all and i use to highway drive to work 5 days a week. i would recommend staying away from locking hood pins. once they start to rust or in cold weather if water gets into the lock, its a bitch to open.
You can find those on EBAY. Search for Cavalier Halo Projector... any mixture of those few words.
FOR SALE
ok so I began my install of the hood pins on the skwirl, and just so everyone knows
the aerocatch DOES sit flush on the hood!!!
yea there was a lot of debate that since the jbody hood was so curvacious it wouldn't sit flat, but that is not true when you place them in the right place.
I removed the outer bump stops for the hood on both sides of the car and drilled through the bottom of those sections to give the hood pin a big, supportive structure to hold on to and hold the hood down. So between the upper nut and lower nut is about 2" of space.
I f'd up tho and cut the pins too short (they interfere slightly with the headlights) so I ordered another set of aerocatchs to replace my botched hardware.
once I get the final alignment and tightening done I'll make a new post with them installed and show everyone what I'm talking about.
and I am sad to announce that cutting up a giant portion of the hood to get to the hardware to install the pins is a must.. however if you cut in a neat pattern it doesn't look so bad since the bottom of the aerocatch takes up a majority of the empty space.
i have both, pins and latch but am thinkin about removing latch assembly as well, but little haters may pull the pins, then were fkd.
"Keep it Cavy"
ive been running just pins for probably 6 months now and not had a problem... i like the look without the latch assembly much better...
i think if you have the right pins then you shouldnt have a problem...
Been running no latch for years with no problems.
I run a fibberglass hood and feel much safer with 2 2" round stainless plates and 2 1/2" pins than i would with the nutserts that are pressed into fiberglass (and i would assume carbon fiber as well) Not to mention that the forces are now distributed to both side of the hood instead of just the middle. Just my opinions.
And i think it looks way cleaner
_
Now with northstar V8, IRS, 20's n 22's
So has PJ posted any pics?
The proper way of using the word seen. It is not I seen it that would be I saw it. He has seen the car is the right way to use the word. English class is Cool. By the way thats my sig
