I'm interested in getting an aftermarket, fiberglass hood for my daily driver. I plan on sticking to one of the reputable shops, but I've heard even then sometimes the hoods aren't perfect and require quite a bit of work to prep, paint, and install.

But it isn't the initial painting and installation that I am wondering about, it is the longevity. My commute is 40 miles round trip on the highway. I drive it in rain, snow, ice, frigid temperatures, pretty much anything except hail. I occasionally get small rock chips on my current hood from all the highway driving. The car is mainly parked in a garage, but it will see plenty of hot sun and 90+ degree days. So, it will be exposed to all the elements.

I also don't plan on installing hood pins, since I hate the look and am going to stick to one of the vendors that indicate hood pins aren't required (I believe in these cases, the hoods are reinforced around the latch area). I am hoping that with proper installation/adjustment and the fact that I rarely take the car above 85 mph or so, that I won't have a problem with the hood fluttering.

I've heard some horror stories about fiberglass hoods warping, cracking, spiderwebbing, etc, but are these the exception and do must people have a good experience with these hoods, specifically on a daily driven vehicle? I don't need the hood to last forever, I plan on having this car for only another 3 or 4 years.

 

go for it. you will be just fine. I have a glass hood and have had 0 problems with it. it took a little prep, but anything you buy aftermarket is going to need prep. if they tell you it dosent they are lying.

 

I had my last mustang for 15 years and for most of that time I had the Steeda fiberglass hood on it. I sold it about 6 months after I got my 05 and there were no problems with the hood itself. The paint had chips and such , but that would have been with any hood ...

 

I needed hood pins after I was told that it wasn't necessary. I didn't like hood pins initially but I love the ones I have now(No cable on them)

 

I love mine and it may lift a tad, but the stock hood would do the same thing on the freeway.

 

I have fiberglass 5 months now. Florida humidity, heat, rain in the same afternoon. No signs of anything. But you will deff need hood pins no matter what the vendor says. Its going to flutter at highway speeds. I didn't like hood pins and had some installed. They grew on me. But its better having pins then having the hood fly up.

 

[QUOTE=JonCo;5545952]I have fiberglass 5 months now. Florida humidity, heat, rain in the same afternoon. No signs of anything. But you will deff need hood pins no matter what the vendor says. Its going to flutter at highway speeds. I didn't like hood pins and had some installed. They grew on me. /QUOTE]

 

http://www.leonardracingproducts.com/drive02.php

The URL isn't working for me right now, but these are the flush mount pins I bought. Should have pics of them installed next week.

-danny

 

i have the Shelby Super Snake hood and it does flutter some what at speed, I will be installing pins some time soon.

Back in the 80's I also had an Olds 442 W30 and that was a stock from the factory fiberglass hood, solid as a rock but also had factory hood pins/locks.

 

have had no problems with my hood as a daily driver, only time the hood flutters is passing an 18 wheeler on the highway. Will get hood pins soon, as my factory hood had them. I just like the looks of them.
as for longevity look at Vets, they have always been fiberglass.

 

maybe I'm just over analyzing this, maybe it's my worries seeing that hood flutter...

 

I have 3 months with my fiberglass hood, I drive my car every 15 days to visit my family, it's a 248 miles round trip at a average speed of 105 mph, I have 0 problems with the hood, I have no pins installed.

 

Just tighten up the hood susports.

 

NOT ENOUGH! I did just that with my Cali Dream hood in my previous mustang ('cause I didn't want the hood pins) and it still fluttered.

Get pins, search the ones that you really like, and just be safe than sorry

 

I think more than anything I'm worried about pressure build up through the nostrils at high speed and causing breakage of moulded in parts which hold the divers attainer, screws and brackets...the shelby hood itself is a good solid piece.

 

I've got a Cervinis w/no pins installed and I never see the hood flutter.


Then again, I've logged maybe 130 miles since the hood was installed in January.

 

Anyone know where to get the twist-lock hood pins?