[RocktimusPryme]

A while ago Crites, who mostly worked for the Ford community making fiberglass parts went out of business. I bought some stuff at auction.

One of those things was a one off 5” teardrop hood for my 66 Fairlane gasser project.

Idk if it was unfinished or meant to be a mold, but while it’s a bolt on style hood, the bolt holes are not drilled or tapped. I don’t know how that normally gets accomplished on fiberglass. You can see where the holes are meant to go. Can anyone recommend me by best options?

I did start to drill a little pilot hole in one of the marked locations. And quickly hit what looks like an aluminum plate behind it. It’s not magnetic but clearly looks like metal.

Assuming I am correct should I just drill though the plate and put a few rivnuts in there?

[jwcfbd]

I've never dealt with a glass hood but I would say continue with your small hole and see how thick the metal is. If it is only aluminum and not that thick, rivnuts would probably be your best bet. If it is thick enough you could always just tap it and bolt it on that way.

[RocktimusPryme]

When you knock on it, it doesnt sound solid. So Im guessing its something like 1/8 or maybe 3/16 aluminum plate there. I dont think its enough to tap, but yeah Ill finish the hole and see what it looks like.

My thought was to put a 5/16 riv nut in it, that way if down the line it is messed up for any reason I can drill it out and still have room to upsize to a 3/8

[jwcfbd]

If you don't have a kit I bought this one from Home Depot a few months ago. https://www.homedepot.com/p/SKYSHALO.../a-_-n/a-_-n/a

[Nobuddy]

I would drill the small hole to discover depth. Even if the aluminum is only 1/8" thick I would drill, tap and epoxy in a stud.

[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by jwcfbd

If you don't have a kit I bought this one from Home Depot a few months ago. https://www.homedepot.com/p/SKYSHALO.../a-_-n/a-_-n/a

I have one similar to that from Vevor I think.

its super handy. I have developed the habit of seeing if I like the location of something with a self tapper. If I like it, I put a riv nut in there. If I dont, I just weld the hole closed.........or deal with a small hole more often than not because Im lazy

[72projectbird]

Any bolt on glass hood I've used, the hinge bolt holes were already drilled and tapped.

That said, I'd probably drill and tap the aluminum plate. Every glass hood I've used was built the same way, with an aluminum plate sandwiched between the glass, so I dont see why you couldn't use what's there?

[RocktimusPryme]

Im going to drill it this weekend and see how thick it is.

I have one for my Firebird, it looks like it is tapped but it also looks like its pretty thick metal with plenty of threads. So if its a thick plate I'll tap it. If its thin, Ill probably use a Riv Nut.

[NeighborsComplaint]

The fiberglass hood on my ‘71 GTO was a bolt-on. The hinge bolt bosses were molded in. I had to furnish my striker (cut from my original hood) for them to mold in up front. Their lift-off hoods had metal reinforcing plates laid up in the fiberglass at the corners to drill out for hood pins.

[RocktimusPryme]

This one has a metal reinforced area to bolt in the latch unit.

The aluminum plate seems like its about 3/8 thick. So I am going to try and just tap it. I should have tried to fabricate some kinda drill stop. When I drilled one of the hole I lost control after it cleared the plate and put a drill bit sized hole in the top of the hood.....dumb.

But it needed to be painted anyway, so a little fiberglass filler. Not a huge deal. Im going to finish the drilling and try to tap it this weekend. Ill post pictures of the results.

[400 4spd.]

Rubber hose slipped over the bit acts as a good depth stop.

[NeighborsComplaint]

My hood came from Glasstek. Despite having the OEM strike plate laid up in the hood when made, they would not warrant the hood against uplift damage unless hood pins were installed.

Don’t underestimate the pressure that builds up under the hood. I opened up the closed scoops that were molded in and the hood did not have the louvers at the trailing edge that release the high pressure air like OEM. Additionally, being a hidden wiper model, the hood is sealed to the vowel with a gasket. Keeps rainwater out but holds trapped air in.

I wasn’t taking any chances after my original steel hood blew off at highway speed. I put Olds 442 twist locks installed flush in the hood.

[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by NeighborsComplaint

My hood came from Glasstek. Despite having the OEM strike plate laid up in the hood when made, they would not warrant the hood against uplift damage unless hood pins were installed.

Don’t underestimate the pressure that builds up under the hood. I opened up the closed scoops that were molded in and the hood did not have the louvers at the trailing edge that release the high pressure air like OEM. Additionally, being a hidden wiper model, the hood is sealed to the vowel with a gasket. Keeps rainwater out but holds trapped air in.

I wasn’t taking any chances after my original steel hood blew off at highway speed. I put Olds 442 twist locks installed flush in the hood.

This is a big Ford teardrop hood with probably 2 square feet of open screen at the back of it. So I dont think pressure is going to be an issue, but thats good to know.

Hood pins look cooler anyway, but Ill probably install it with the factory latch to start because I have one. I was also going to buy some "low tension" springs for factory cobra mustangs with fiberglass hoods that I think will fit.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Steel hood pins for good night sleep. Them Aluminum hood pins are fracture-happy.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Mine came with low tension springs but they didn’t even hold the hood up. lol I ordered a different set of springs from another vendor that worked. I also replaced the “pop-up springs on the core support with lighter ones. The factory “beehive” springs were so stiff I was afraid they would stress the fiberglass when slammed shut.

[72projectbird]

Hood springs are hit and miss when it comes to glass/carbon hoods.

I usually drill a small hole in the driver side hinge and put a pin thru it to keep the hood up. You could also get a hood prop from a newer car and mount it to the rad support or inner fender, or make a prop whatever length you want.

[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by 72projectbird

Hood springs are hit and miss when it comes to glass/carbon hoods.

I usually drill a small hole in the driver side hinge and put a pin thru it to keep the hood up. You could also get a hood prop from a newer car and mount it to the rad support or inner fender, or make a prop whatever length you want.

Oh I like the pin thing. I had considered the prop part and also trying to adapt some struts like on a third gen or something.

I got it on today. It fits okaish. Will look cool when I flake and gold leaf it. The combination of the jacked up gasser front end and the big ol' teardrop makes it tough to see over.

I gotta get some more vintage correct wheels.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Nice car. I owned two ‘66 390 GT’s as a kid. One dark blue, the other ember glow. Love that body style.

[RocktimusPryme]

Side note. If any of you guys who actually build or dyno engines for a living feel strongly about their knowledge of BBFs shoot me a PM. I have a progression ignition distributor but don’t have a good idea of where the timing would want to live so I have a super conservative curve in it.

I’m sure there are plenty of people on BBF groups who know their stuff, but I don’t know which names are legit and which are keyboard warriors.