How-To: Hidden Hood Pins

SoddyRebel · Mar 13, 2011

If you are like me and like the clean look of no hood pins but need them because of latch or hood problems, then this is a good solution.

Feel free to ask any questions and i will be glad to help.

With the hood down in its latched position, make a mark on the underside of the hood using the existing holes. (a nail or small punch works well)

Pop your hood and lay a towel or old bed sheet over the engine bay to keep the engine clean from drilling.

Use a drill bit that is close to the size of the pins you are using, in my case it was a 1/2.

Find the mark you made on the underside of the hood.

Drill the hole very carefully and slow, be sure not to hit the top side of the hood when you drill through.

On the back side drill another hole big enough to get your finger, wrench, or magnet through.

Have your pin setup with one bolt already on it and the stainless plate.

I used a magnet to hold the nut while i put it in the back hole and threaded the pin into the nut. (kinda tricky, just take your time)

Tighten the nuts until you have them in the desired length.

Then let the hood down and mark where the pins hit the headlight panel and drill oval shaped holes for the pins to fall through. (you will also have to cut the radiator cover. Excuse my chipping one, a new one is in the works.)

Then make sure the pin falls through the hole without touching the headlight panel and slide your pin in.

Repeat for the other side and your done :thumbsup:

Final Pics: This is so much cleaner then having exposed pins imo.

badass96gt · Mar 13, 2011

That is absolutely sick!!!! It might be even alittle cleaner looking if you used the flip style pins. Reguardless thats an awesome idea and I hope you dont mind if I borrow it.

SoddyRebel · Mar 13, 2011

badass96gt said:
That is absolutely sick!!!! It might be even alittle cleaner looking if you used the flip style pins. Reguardless thats an awesome idea and I hope you dont mind if I borrow it.

dont mind at all man, thats what these how-to's are for haha

lilredstang97 · Mar 13, 2011

i like that idea allways wanted hood pins for the exxtra safty but never wanted them to show through i think im gona use ur idea too man thanx :headbang:

Matt94GT · Mar 13, 2011

thanks for posting this! great work.

vermilion · Mar 13, 2011

you could even use mini locks and not scratch anything for the city folks.

speedyhank · Mar 13, 2011

thanks for shareing and ive got some of them flip pins ill bring them down to that car show coming up

SoddyRebel · Mar 13, 2011

sounds good speedy.

SRT Handz · Mar 23, 2011

Are you ever scared that if the hood fly's open, that the plastic headlight panel wont be able to support the force of the hood flying open?

jfor441 · Mar 26, 2011

SRT Handz said:
Are you ever scared that if the hood fly's open, that the plastic headlight panel wont be able to support the force of the hood flying open?

How will the hood fly open when it's pinned down?

Matt94GT · Mar 27, 2011

he thinks if it pops loose from the latch, the plastic wont hold it, usually pins are in metal or fibreglass. im sure it would be fine, thing is the pins are tight same with the latch so i dobut it will fly open.

SRT Handz · Mar 28, 2011

Yeah, i have just never seen Hood pins being held down by plastic. Usually i see hood pins anchored to the metal rad support.... I am just VERY concerned that in a "Hood Popping Open at high speeds" situation, that the plastic headlight panel wont be able to support the force of the hood and will just rip the hood pins clean out of the plastic.

jfor441 · Mar 29, 2011

I understand that. What I am saying is, that it won't pop open because it is already pulled down tight with the pins.

det_riot · Mar 29, 2011

^i get what you're saying. Maybe let me explain it. Since the hood is already tight down because of the pins, Even if the latch fails, the hood isn't going to pop off. So pretty much because it has both, it is taking stress off of the latch?

jfor441 · Mar 29, 2011

^^ What he said

jfor441 · Mar 29, 2011

Sorry my hillbilly wasn't coming through real well

Anchor-Room · Mar 29, 2011

Two thumbs up!! Looks great!

cantbuytime · Apr 15, 2011

Nice work. I contemplated doing this but only for security reasons.

Not knocking your work but,

I dont think That the plastic is going to hold at 70mph, let alone the thin section of fiberglass they are mounted to. Might be enough to get it home before any real damage. (I stress Might) Maybe a thin sheet of steel or something to spread the load out over the plastic piece.

And all you guys saying that "Its held down tight by hood pins, its not going to move" Look at the pics better . They are not tight, that inch it has to travel up before the pin catches. This Is enough to rip it right through the plastic. Or the section of hood its mounted to.

We dont want people coming here and seeing this thinking its a legit way to keep your hood down. And someone destroys there hood, windshield or has an accident.

You are supposed to mount them to metal structure for a reason.

Win · Apr 15, 2011

cantbuytime said:
Nice work. I contemplated doing this but only for security reasons.

Not knocking your work but,

I dont think That the plastic is going to hold at 70mph, let alone the thin section of fiberglass they are mounted to. Might be enough to get it home before any real damage. (I stress Might) Maybe a thin sheet of steel or something to spread the load out over the plastic piece.

And all you guys saying that "Its held down tight by hood pins, its not going to move" Look at the pics better . They are not tight, that inch it has to travel up before the pin catches. This Is enough to rip it right through the plastic. Or the section of hood its mounted to.

We dont want people coming here and seeing this thinking its a legit way to keep your hood down. And someone destroys there hood, windshield or has an accident.

You are supposed to mount them to metal structure for a reason.

yeah normally people will put them in the locations of the stock rubber bushings that cusion the hood so it sits flush with everything since there on a metal structure. I myself have seen a very neat install with hood pins there and they were able to take a rubber bushing off some other car i forgot what it was and use it to help cushion also, along with the steel frame it was bolted to.