Im receiving my new 69 stage 2 VFN hood this week which I ordered to work with the factory hood hinges using lighter springs. I currently have a 69 fiberglass GS hood from poston on the car attached only by two hood pins as seen in the picture on the radiator core support, no hood latch used. The picture is of my former motor but it shows what I currently have for hood pins & location. Reading thru the posts on this subject it appears I need more than just those two hood pins for my combo to be safe. Do I just need to install the factory latch in addition to my two hood pins to be safer and if so how do you do that. Meaning do I need to add reinforcement to the VFN hood latch area so the latch is grapping on something other than fiberglass? Perhaps the hood comes reinforced but I have not seen it yet. I also thought about just adding a third hood pin centered in the hood forward of the radiator support towards the front bumber as another option instead of using the factory latch. Just trying to be safe and check what others have done with similar combos. Heres the street/strip combo which Im just finishing putting together 69 skylark 6 point rollbar Stage 2 462 TA 308 600 plus HP, T400, 4000 stall, Ford 9 4.11 Rear suspension full HR parts including anti roll bar Thanks Greg
Search user Graham. He has the stg 2 hood, but I can't remember if he uses the factory latch or not. Maybe he will see this and reply..... He had a really good build thread on the street forum a while ago. Brian
I don't have any experience with Buick hoods but I do have a couple observations: 1) VFN is usually good stuff. 2) If you ordered the "bolt on" version it may already have the latch attachments in the hood. My previous "bolt on" version for a Chevelle did. 3) You could add some Dzus fasteners in that location rather than hood pins. They are a bit more discreet (especially if painted or powder coated body color). 4) I think hood pins are probably a pretty robust attachment, since the fiberglass material is "sandwiched" between the rad support and the retaining pin. 5) How fast are you planning on going? You might just try it and see what happens. I knew I had a problem when I got up to 130 mph and could "see" through the hood scoop and out the front of the hood (it was billowing up). I added a closeout on the top of the rad support to force the air through the radiator rather than allowing it to spill vertically into the underside of the front of the hood. FWIW -
I run a VFN bolt on and use the factory latch and 2 hood pins on outer front edges. I am surprised how well the latch receiver on the hood works without adding any reinforcement.
I used my vfn hood with only the stock style latch for a short time i didn't like the way the ends pulled up so i have the 2 hood pins and the stock latch and works great.....have seen to many hoods fly off even steel ones.....hope to see your car at the track soon????
Thanks everyone for the replies and too Paul Massicotte who dropped off my new VFN hood. Hood looks awesome with the scoop grafted in. A few rubs spots in the primer due to the cardboard box hitting the hood during shipment. I checked out the factory hood latch area which doesn't appear to be reinforced at all but according to others commenting here it works. I will go with the factory latch and the two pins. What size air filters are you guys running? My 14" K&N air filter would requiring trimming the 3" plus lip that goes under the scoop running parallel to the front bumper. Dubuick - Yes, that's the plan once all the last details are finished. It's been a long long road towards completion. Later Greg
You had to deal with Massicotte? Even the few minutes it would take for him to drop off your hood is too much time to spend with him. Ya know, he drinks. LOL! :laugh: Oh wait, I forgot. So do I! I guess I don't mind hangin' with him after all. :beers2:
Hecker- Only at about 9:30 yesterday moring did I remember calling you the other night. Do you think I have a problem?
That Massicotte guy is a bad apple ...no wait, thats the other masshole with the Robins Egg colored car ou: o No:
