Hood Pins

You guys think a place like autozone would sell Sparco Hood Pins?

[david-b]

Probably quicker to go there than to post here. lol

I know they sell some kinda hood pins, but I dont think sparco

[gthompson97]

just get some off the internet, it'll take longer but they'll be better quality if you get sparco's. i got some APC ones and i'm not very happy with them. they look good but the round part that flips over the stud doesn't work very well.

[Shpyder]

Ive had Sparcos for a month, $30 off e-bay, new. Took a while to ship, but well worth the wait. You could even go to you local Kragen and ask them to order some... Kragen/Schuks have started selling some performance/aftermarket stuff more so than before. Theyeven have defi gauges in their catalogues, so I'm sure Sparco hood pins would also be available.

[Gsx_hooptie]

It's also worth mentioning that the highest quality pins are probably the ones the domestic guys use. Not Sparcos. Buy online to buy quality, as gthompson and shpyder said.

I had an epipheny at Autozone the other day. There are only four isles of inventory, and one of the four is completely full of shit to wax your car. The next isle is magic products you pour in the gas tank. The third isle is fuzzy steering wheel covers and NOS floormats. The fourth isle actually sells car parts. When I was shopping, there were two guys with mullets inside, and one 70s firebird outside. My point is that this probably isn't the best place to expect quality parts for your car. And it isn't just Autozone. Kragen isn't so hot, either. I've found more useful parts at Home Depot and Lowes than I have at Kragen. /rant

What shypder said about their new performance parts stuff is true. At the local Autozone they have decent gauges. Still, I'd rather buy from someone else, and pay less.

Do I absolutely need hood pins, the hood fits on the stock latch perfectly, and the latch has bolts in it, (I think they work, I dont know why they would put them in for show). How fast would I have to be going for a horror show to happen?

[Gsx_hooptie]

I would get hood pins. The latch fitting isn't the only problem, it's the latch coming off of the hood. The bolts are nice, but it's dumb to not buy hood pins. CF is strong, but the force generated against it is tremendous. There's no safe speed for CF, it depends. Obviously the slower you're going, the less likely it is to happen. It's happened for some at speeds less than 50mph.

Think of hood pins as cheap insurance. Your CF hood runs 300ish dollars. Your windshield runs 300ish dollars. When it flys up, the bump on the hood will strike right where you head is. Reconstructive surgery from glass shards embedded in your face could cost a grand or more. Hood pins are 20 dollars. I don't understand why people don't buy them.

Well the only reason I wouldnt want them is because I think they may take away from the look, but I guess I will get em

[Gsx_hooptie]

Yeah, they take away from the clean look, I agree. Some people like them. They have a rep as a useless ricer part. Some love them for it, others hate them for it. Either way, they are useful, and sometimes function has to come before form.

[Shpyder]

Originally Posted by SmicAA72

Well the only reason I wouldnt want them is because I think they may take away from the look,

Not really! Get those lock and key types...there are no protruding pins or loops, and you can spray them black to blend in with the carbon fiber. They are the least noticable as far as hood pins go.

[---]

I really need some hood pins.

[gthompson97]

Originally Posted by Gsx_hooptie

Think of hood pins as cheap insurance. Your CF hood runs 300ish dollars. Your windshield runs 300ish dollars. When it flys up, the bump on the hood will strike right where you head is. Reconstructive surgery from glass shards embedded in your face could cost a grand or more. Hood pins are 20 dollars. I don't understand why people don't buy them.

it glass doesn't hit you in the face, just gets all over your clothes. and the hood sometimes dents the roof too if you're going fast enough. all in all when you're done you need a new hood and windshield. you can probably salvage the fenders because when the hood comes up and bends backwards, it also bends the edge of the fender down. all of this known from experience.

[clipsekid99]

Yes. Definately go with pins. My friend who has a boosted rsx, and he had just put in a brand new carbon fiber hood and went to take it out for a spin.......you get the idea. Cracked windshield, and destroyed the hood. Plus, he was only goin like 40 mph!!

[Gsx_hooptie]

Originally Posted by gthompson97

it glass doesn't hit you in the face, just gets all over your clothes. and the hood sometimes dents the roof too if you're going fast enough.

Agree. Sometimes others aren't so lucky, though.

Reasons for hood pins from Tuners:
"Yup my hood flew up doing 80 down I-75 in my old 1st gen. yeah ... 80mph. From the speed i was going, and the long 1st gen hood, the hood flew back, caved in the roof, and actually smacked me and my friend on the top of the head. On top of that we both had glass sprayed in both our eyes. My firend had blood spots covring his face. If i can find a picture of the car ill post it." --Style Elements (95 TSi)

"Just be glad youre FIBERGLASS hood didn't fly up and TOTAL your car. My shit flew up at 40mph and smashed my windshield, sunroof, and smashed my a-pillards down like 3 inches....looked like I rolled my shit. at least you only have to get a new windshield." --turbolaserAWDrs (92 laser AWD)

"Ah, so that's why theres a bump on the hood, to attempt to kill the driver." --Tallen (97 Gsx)

"my hood was in my windshield.. i couldn't get it down... so i had to climb the roof and kick it down.... then i called the tow company and they quoted me 300 to tow a lowered awd car from gilroy to san jose.... im all screw that... my friends also pulled over by me and we tightened the screws on the hood and bended the bracket back.... then we left the car there and drove to the nearest gas station and picked up some stoooopid looking j lo glasses... and i took of my shirt and tied it around my face and drove all the way back to san jo..... with pieces of glasses hitting my face and my glasses.....some points i drove for a long time with my head out of the window...(ace ventura style) lol" --Krazeeejatt (95 Gsx)


Stuff gets ugly. Hood pins are a good buy.