mikesfst69

has anyone use hood pins instead of the latch and springs, and are there any out there that lock so just anyone caint get under my hood. I would like to see your pis if you have them on your vette

mrvette

Well, some years ago, on another car, I did have solid stainless hood pins and so forth, so did a buddy......

thing is, most of the aftermarket crap, especially these daze is just chrome China crap....

so to go to a bolt or marine supply place and fine 1/2 inch STAINLESS with fender washers and pull pins to match, maybe even a padlock, which looks cool too, I just used....what they call those things?? Clevis pins??? no....

look like large sophisticated hairpins the gals use....

GENE

Guru_4_hire

I think you are looking for cotter pins

I have been considering hood pins too.

gerry72

I use them on my Fairlane's glass hood. They usually use a torsion clip or a spring clevis. You can buy locking pins. Check Jeg's, Summit, or whatever. You'll see them there.

Sleper

A friend has them on his 69 but he also has a tilt front end. Got them for summit. Pain to close, Have to watch you do not scratch the paint around the pins. Good Luck

mrvette

Guru, no it was not a cotter pin...those go in ball joints/the like, split tail on the tips.....

these have a loop in the bent end, and a hump over in the legs, and were available in stainless.....go to a boat place....

I forgot to mention, cutting the heads off the bolts, and rounding the ends to a bullet shape with a belt sander and drill press....then cross drilling for the pins....YMMV....

GENE

Pantera_73

I would suggest that you forget them. You will have one hell of a hard time getting the hood open unless you have a 73 or later that you can get your hand under the back of the hood to lift it.

Both of my Baldwin Motion cars came with regular hood pins and I replaced them with the locking kind. Mine use a pop box key. that is a round key that is hollow in the center. They work pretty well but you have to wiggle the hood sideways usually to get it to open and not hang up on the pins. If you have a 68-72 you will go crazy trying to get your hood open unless you have a L-88 hood scoop that you can get your hand under the edge of the hood to actuall lift it.

In my opnion they are a PIA to use. I would much rather have the stock setup.

Stingrayvette4u

I've had great success using hood pins.. on both my stock big block hood and my after market L-88 hood.. I like it much better than the original cable latch set -up.. also saved a few lbs.. I think i used the Mr gasket set-up.. and the Spectra brand.. they are available thru Summit, Jegs or even your local O' Reilley's.. Take your time to install them so you don't screw up.. Good luck..

LT1driver

IMHO

BeaterShark

I currently have a '76+ hood on my '69 that I've cut the back off to fit like a '68-'72 hood. I thought I had bought a '75 hood which I could have just moved all of my hardware. I decided to go the hood pins route over buying the '76 hood locking hardware.

I like it.

GrandSportC3

planning on installing hood pins on my '68's tilt front...

killervette666

GrandsportC3-tell me how that turns out, im going to be getting my tilt front end next week and im thinking of doing the same thing

mikesfst69

Thanks for all the help guys, I still havent made up my mindI just dont like the thought of my car sitting in a motel parking lot at a cruise and having anyone being able to get under the hood but Im also tired of the hood getting stuck,Plus I have a l88 hood and I think they will look good on it, plus I have all the body work almost done and at this time is where I should build it the way i want, I just put in my 406 pro 1 heads 294 comp cam cola 4340 crank srp forged pistons 10:1 mine starter good for 18:1 compression, center force dual clutch, Lakewood bellhousing to keep my legs in tack if the clucth explodes, holly 750 double pump, msd billit dist. and my m21 just got rebuilt, so I have some hooker side headers and I am looking for the old lamans fuel cap, and I may even go with flares on the back, and may paint it like the baldwin motion cars, :mad

Corey_68

18:1 compression?

mikesfst69

sorry I was talking about the mini starter is good for turning motors over up to 18:1 copression, got tired of my old starter getting hot and not starting my motor ...plus I saved alot of weight.

Corey_68

Sorry my mistake, I mis read!

427V8

I have 4 hood pins on my hood, no hinges no latches.

If you want to lock them you replace the hairpin with a small lock. Pretty easy.

I used the two latch bases up by the windshield for two of the pins, they screw right in!.
But I had to make an adapter for the two in front.

I like my pin on hood

terryrudy

Anyone have any pics of these? I have some I have been considering using but would like to see how they would look first.
thanks
-terry

71coupe

If you do decide to use them , don't put padlocks on them. That way, you won't need to search for the right key in a panic when you have an engine fire.

427V8

sounds like you have engine fires on a regular ocassion?