I am getting some pins, but unfortunately most of them look horrible on the car. I would prefer something locking, it seems like this is my best bet..



Although the shop I am going to use (the only one in the area that said no problem when I asked about drilling carbon fiber) said they don't work well at all, they pop open, they dont latch, etc etc I should use this style..



The Sparco pins are a little too boy racer for me, I'd have to drill 8 holes in the hood instead of 2, and I have heard them rattle on other cars. Not to mention the only way to lock them is to use little padlocks which, imho, looks ghey as hell. (Unless its on a camaro with the big brahma bull on the hood and 13" gold daytons in the wrong offset - Its Cinco de Mayo go with teh flavah)

Anyone got pics of various hoodpins installed on RX-7s? Or any experience with the locking ones I posted on top?

 

Crispy installed low-profile Moroso pins in his hood. Check it out here (killer site BTW):

http://www.negative-camber.org/crispyrx7/final.htm

 

I personally like the Sparco hood pins. I think they have 2 different versions. They don't look like the ones i've seen before.

 

what are hood pins used for?

 

keep the hood closed...lots of aftermarket hoods are so light that high speed makes them want to fly open...pins keep it down

 

It's not the light weight, because most aftermarket hoods are barely lighter than stock. It's because the fiberglass hoods are much less RIGID than the stock hood and therefore want to fly open.

 

That is a nice set up, but is it lockable?

Also do you think you could get away with using a small master lock of some kind on the spearco ones?

 

Also, lots of the CF hoods, they may have a very good latch, but if you're going fast enough (highly unlikely, but possible), the area of the hood w/ the latch can break, and the rest of the hood can pop up...

It's freakin TERRIFYING to see how high my CF hood raises while I'm goin fast...it raises significantly, to the point that when I first had the hood on, many time I had to pull over and double check the hood was actually locked, because it was sitting so high @ high speeds...

As for pics, here's my car w/ the Sparco hood pins, which I think not only work very well, but I personally like how they look...

Here are 2 pics of them installed...

 

You have the same hood as me, looks very nice with the pins

I wish I could find a hood pin set, of decent quality, with locks on it.

Don't want anyone under the hood, unless they have a warrant.

 

That's not my car, that's "RTS3GEN"s car. But he has hood pins so I thought I would help the thread.

 

That car is gorgeous!

 

NICE! I freakin LOVE that hood hehe. I love even more that very few ppl have it...

 

I'm using the Sparco pins on my car, they work just fine.

 

I'm using the Sparcos too, I don't have any big pics but you can look at my sig.

 

I had / have this set on my Scoot Hood

Worked really well, is not cluttered or jagged looking, locking mechanisim is so good that when I flipped my '94 the locks held the hood shut while the stock latch snapped the hood open... and the hood sruvived the rollover with minor scratches...

 

Yeah, i've got those flush locking ones too...works nice, looks great.

 

To all of the doubters. It will buff right out!


before:




after:

 

You're a funny guy montego ! but we did have to bondo a couple of things, and the wheels were bent !

 

Hey Crosby.... where did you get those pins?

 

Auto Zone / Pep Boys...

 

Hey Dcrosby,

Do you remember which brand you got. I bought a set off of ebay, just a cheap taiwanese set up. Was the one you bought the mr gasket ones?

I would hate for the locks to fail, and or give out over time.

 

Mine were Mr. Gasket. Haven't let me down yet!

 

i just dont have the heart to drill holes into carbon fiber!

 

That's why I had the body shop do it! lol. I just couldn't bring myself to do it...

 

Im about to get some hood pins due to IC piping. . I really like the mr gasket lock ones. But on there site it said

''KIT INCLUDES TWO CHROME PLATED LOCK SETS, TWO FULLY THREADED LOCK PINS WITH FOUR NUTS AND TWO KEYS. THIS KIT MUST BE USED WITH THE FACTORY HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY. IT IS NOT FOR USE AS THE ONLY HOOD RETENTION MECHANISM."

Unfortunatly it iwll be my only lock mechanism ( as stock had to go. )

The guys running the MR.gasket. any of you track alot or put it to use .

It sounds to sketch might need to go sparco .

feedback is great