My new (to me) Hood
I ran across a great deal I could not
refuse. Local Nova racer decided to use his 4" hood and sold the
2" cowl Harwood bolt-on
hood for the 66. All prepped and painted black.
I bought it and brought it home. It is wonderfully
light. I first came across fiberglass hoods in the 60s. The
ones that were heavier than the steel ones and would kill you if they
fell on you. Or they were so flimsy they would rattle when
you sneezed. Since then techniques and quality have grown
enormously.
These new lighter hoods do not use the stock hood springs. The
springs are way too strong for the lighter weight. Lighter
springs are in
order. Maybe a rod to hold it up open. Better pictures
coming when mounted on car.
Hood Rod
I decided to use a hood rod to hold the hood open instead of springs.What you need,
- About 3 feet of 1/4" steel rod, or a used hood rod from the junk
yard. Needs to hold the hood open about 32"
- Drill for a hole in the radiator support to take a 1/4" ID grommet
- 1/4" ID grommet
- Drill for a hole in hood for axel cap. (11/32"?)
- Metal press on axel cap from a toy or hardware store, 5/16" ID
- 1-2 metal hangers from the hardware store Test fit them on the
rod before you buy them. Snug or almost snug.
- 2-4 bolts and nuts for the hinges.
The radiator support end. The hood end
Next drill out the bottom of the axel cap so the rod will go through it. Then drill the hood to take the cap. Be very careful. don't go thru the hood. There was an air space between the layers in my hood. Stop there. I did it dead center of the pad that rests on the rubber bumpers. Epoxy the cap in. I use the metal cap as a wear plate. A hole in the fiberglass will wear bigger over time.
Drill a hole in the Radiator support to take the rod. In line with the bumper pad for the hood. One to fit a 1/4" ID grommet. Put the grommet in and then the rod. The rod is ready to go.
Add 1 or 2 clamps to hold the rod when the hood is down. With some soft hammer work these clamps were adjusted so the rod snaps in and is held firmly. Top of the clamp is rounded over just a bit to clip the rod in.
Back to the 66' Nova pageLast update 3/2011