Hood pin question - F-Body Road Racing and Autocross Forums

Not sure where this should go, so I'll dump it here. Mods, please feel free to relocate it if you wish. Delete it if it's too off-topic, but I figured since it's dealing with hood pins, someone else may benefit, if there's a solution for my problem. I need to know if I have any alternative solutions for a hood pin issue I have. It's not for any of our GM F-bodies, but it's an issue with an AeroCatch.

I'm restomoding our 86 Rustang SVO. I'm 'adding lightness', so I've installed a bolt-on fiberglass hood. I decided to install Aerocatches to keep the front secured, even though it's supposed to be able to use the factory hood latch. I'd like to install the pins where the factory hood bumpers go. There's a 'divot' in the underside of the hood that would make drilling a breeze and I wouldn't have to drill any holes in the core support. The trouble is, the pins are like 3/8" USS and the hood bumper studs are 8mmX1.25. I asked a friend to have a go a cutting the pins down and re-threading them to fit the captured nuts in the core support. He experimented with a regular bolt, but it failed, so he didn't want to hack up my existing pins.

To get the captured nuts out of the core support, I'd probably have to re-disassemble the front end, which includes drilling out some rivets. I'd like not to do that. Does anyone have any possible solutions? Anyone know someone who can fab up some new pins? Are there different-sized pins available? Other ideas? Thanks.

CrashTestDummy View Member Profile	May 9 2011, 03:00 PM Post #1
Veteran Member Group: Advanced Members Posts: 3,887 Joined: 3-July 04 From: Pearland, Texas Member No.: 385	Not sure where this should go, so I'll dump it here. Mods, please feel free to relocate it if you wish. Delete it if it's too off-topic, but I figured since it's dealing with hood pins, someone else may benefit, if there's a solution for my problem. I need to know if I have any alternative solutions for a hood pin issue I have. It's not for any of our GM F-bodies, but it's an issue with an AeroCatch. I'm restomoding our 86 Rustang SVO. I'm 'adding lightness', so I've installed a bolt-on fiberglass hood. I decided to install Aerocatches to keep the front secured, even though it's supposed to be able to use the factory hood latch. I'd like to install the pins where the factory hood bumpers go. There's a 'divot' in the underside of the hood that would make drilling a breeze and I wouldn't have to drill any holes in the core support. The trouble is, the pins are like 3/8" USS and the hood bumper studs are 8mmX1.25. I asked a friend to have a go a cutting the pins down and re-threading them to fit the captured nuts in the core support. He experimented with a regular bolt, but it failed, so he didn't want to hack up my existing pins. To get the captured nuts out of the core support, I'd probably have to re-disassemble the front end, which includes drilling out some rivets. I'd like not to do that. Does anyone have any possible solutions? Anyone know someone who can fab up some new pins? Are there different-sized pins available? Other ideas? Thanks.

CrashTestDummy View Member Profile	May 10 2011, 12:25 PM Post #2
Veteran Member Group: Advanced Members Posts: 3,887 Joined: 3-July 04 From: Pearland, Texas Member No.: 385	Alan, I'd really like to do without all the welding and body work associated with that. The mods I've done to the car are all keeping in mind that I can return the car to completely stock, if the value ever got somewhere. I'd like to not cut and drill on the car more than necessary. Phil, I thought about that, but my access to anything better than hand power tools is very limited. Not even a drill press at this point in time. The hole in the pin for the catch is actually a rectangular slot, not a round hole, but it might be possible to cut something workable with a drill and dremel. The more I sit back and think about the steps, it _might_ be possible to do such a thing. It would be nice to find such a shouldered bolt in aluminum, but I know I'm dreaming now.