Hood pin help
 

Alright, I'm finally getting around to putting on my hood pins. I ditched the Ford Racing ones and I now have a set of the Shelby (well, Scott Drake actually, the shelby pins without the logo for 15 bucks less). The instructions that came with them are for the install on a GT, and they are installed towards the center of the car on mounting plates. With my TruFiber Venom hood, this isn't an option because I have air inlets I don't want to cut through. So I'm going to use those holes on the outside over the headlights that were basically predrilled for hood pins instead of the mounting plates supplied. The problem is, I don't know how to get a nut on the back side of that hole to hold the hood pin on. The pin actually threads through that hole, so it's the perfect size, but I don't know if I feel comfortable with my hood being held on by just the threads. I would feel a lot better if I could get some meat back there for support. I tried taking out the bump stop nearby to try and fit a nut through there, but that's not big enough either.

Can I get away with just screwing in the pins and relying on the threads to hold it? Is there another way to get around to the back side of that hole if I maybe remove the headlight? I don't have access to a welder, nor do I know how to weld, but would that be an option? Does anyone else know any tricks for hood pins I should know about this issue?


Also, for the lanyard install they recommend riveting the lanyards into place, but I really don't want to buy a rivet gun. Do I need to suck it up and buy one, or has anyone had luck just drill a hole and bolting them in?

The only way of that I know is to remove the front bumper and headlights then drill a hole in the bottom of the radiator support to get the nut onto the pin. As far as the lanyards go you could use a sheet metal screw or a small machine screw and nut.

That's one pretty car

Bird, it very easy to do, I have the same hood pins and hood on my car. Open your hood and look at the outer most hood bump stops and you will see and hole in the the support. The hole is the same size as your hood pin and are in the right spot too.

1. Stick you pins in those holes
2. Mark the top of the pin with grease or white out or and thing else the will transfer a to the bottom side of your hood.
3. Close your hood till it touches the hood pins and leaves a mark for where the holes need to be drilled.
4. You will need to remove your bumper cover and headlights to get to the bottom side of the support where you will see the same size hole. This hole needs to be enlarged so you can get a wrench on the nut that will be on the bottom side. (use a hole saw)
5. Drill the holes threw your hood from the bottom side. They will need to be larger than the pins and "Don't forget to use lots of painters tape on the top of the hood to keep the paint from cracking or chipping. (again use a hole saw for this)
6. Close your hood and check to make sure the pins go threw the holes easy.
7. With the hood closed place the billet tops and black rubber gaskets in place and center them on the pins
8. Mark the 4 holes in the billet tops
9. Drill the 4 holes with a small drill bit
10. Mount the billet tops & gaskets and only snug the screws down or they will strip in the fiber glass.

lanyards: You do not have to rivet them to your car at all. Take off your radiator cover and you will see to brackets that hold the radiator in place. Just loosen the nut on the bracket closest to your grill and you can slip the end of the lanyard under the bracket. Then just crank the nut back down and your lanyard is not going anywhere.

Cutterwolf, that was the exact help I needed. Thanks a lot. Looking forward to tackling this one this weekend.

oh, man... your car looks good.. don't kill it with a honda ricer look. I like your car as is.. but yes, I know, its your car and your choice.

Best of luck!

heres some pics i often end up sending to people since, our hood style, i know u dont have the exact same hood, but the style is relativley the same, this might help for a little visual. and i have the scott drake pins as well.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...82809004-1.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...82809003-1.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...82809002-1.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/82809001.jpg

First off, hood pins don't really remind me of a ricer, they remind me of an old Cuda or 70 Charger. Not exactly Honda's. Second, this is a functional mod first and formost. I can't do over 80 without my hood fluttering and wanting to leave my car. My car is begging me for them. It has to be done.

^^^^
dont forget the old challenger either

and do it, i understand, they have to be done with aftermarket hoods. mine actually would lift up and i could see the wind causing it to bump up underneath as well around 70 mph, everybody on here hated on me for doing it saying they arnt necessary, it would never fly off, and they are a stupid mod, but it puts me in a clear state of mind, and its worth it for me. and also in the unfortunate event of it flying off, id rather pay the cost for hood pins then damage to cars on the freeway and the possibility of a fatality if it did fly off.

now mine wont budge the slightest, sits like a rock, like a sumo wrestler is sittin on it.

Your very welcome, Red Beast's pics show the mounting location I'm talking about.