CF hoods -- Who runs without hood pins?

[Pstl_pete]

I have a TCSportline vented CF hood that has a molded in hood latch. I am still weary about running the hood without hood pins especially at high speeds.

How many of you are running CF hoods without hood pins and for how long? Did you notice any wear/seperation on the latches?

[ESone3]

I would like to know as well. I hate hood pins. I had a 99 Si with a VIS CF hood without any peoblems

[gotta240]

a lot of people run them without problems.....but when there is a problem.....

CRAP.....Well, thats what you'll say when you have a hood in your face at 130.

[g6civcx]

I recommend you run hood pins.

[Yuri]

I ran without pins for a week. Then I got a good look at my car in a tanker trailer, and saw the 3" of gap between the hood and fenders that were forming at speed. I hate hoodpins, but I won't run a c/f hood without them.

[!Zar!]

Hood pins don't look that great, but I'd rather have them than have a huge dent on my roof and a broken window.

Run um.

[g6civcx]

If the hood comes loose at speed, the least of your problems will be the broken windshield. You lose 100% of forward visibility, and may have an accident.

Prop your hood open. Then go sit in the driver's seat. That's what it looks like when the hood is pressed up against the windshield.

[sunnys14]

CF hood isnt very strong at high speeds and tends to flex upwards. USE HOOD PINS! they really arent for looks for for safety. i popped my hood right up going 40mph on a small hump on the freeway. popped right up and i had to ziptie that bishh shut till i got home.

[oridostyle]

no hood pins, but i need to install it for safety. Did any of you guys have problems drilling the hood pins on the CF hood?

[g6civcx]

Carbon fibre is easier to drill than metal. If you haven't drilled a hood before then make sure you take your time and mark your holes so you don't cut more than you need to.

[WILDACEX187]

paint ur pins black and they shouldnt show as much. thats wat i will do. i had a thread about this a while back. everybody scared the crap out of me enough that i WILL def run pins when i put my front on.

[fliprayzin240sx]

Im on my second hood and never run a hood pin. Some people know wut happend to my first hood. Yes it did fly off. But it didnt fly off cuz it unlatched itself. I popped my hood when i pulled over cuz I had a slight short on my headlight that causes it just suddenly turn off. I walked up to the front of the car and voila, my lights are on again. So i figured im already out, i might as well piss. Took a piss, came back and completely forgot that i popped my hood. Needless to say, coming back on the on ramp....WAM. 1st gen VIS hood, when it snapped back, the skin started seperating from the skeleton. I had to keep it from seperating, tried to drive back to the gas station doing like 10 mph and the skin just completely peeled itself and flew off the car. Went home with just the skeleton. Im not running a SEibon hood, which in my opinion is way better than my first hood. This one will be less likelier to seperate than the VIS one. The VIS was only glued together while the Seibon one is completely sealed under neat and re-overlayed.

[thejester03]

A friend of mine is running with out, it has held for about a year now, but watching that thing flex at a buck plus is realy un nerving for me, I say run em, why not?

[VitaminT]

If you want the safety but with a low profile look why not try the keyed lock pins and paint them black. That way they are only like 1/4" off the surface of the hood and when painted probably won't stick out too bad. Just a thought.

[OdessaS13]

hahhaha, yeah use hood pins, my friend had a m3 with cf hood, that bitch flipped up while he was going 80-90 and cracked his windshield, he pulled over though with no accident.
moral= use hood pins

[koukidough]

my brothers cf hood flew off and messed up his windshield and rooftop. Hood pins are mandatory. Safety first for yourself and others.

[RBS14]

If you don't run hood pins, it's just natural selection at work. Fine by me.

[g6civcx]

Just make sure it doesn't select out the people behind you :)

[Pstl_pete]

All I really wanted was 16 posts telling me to do it so I can get off my lazy ass and go install them.

DONE.

[m0rex]

I have a good idea. Magnets! Hmm im gonna try it out.

[WILDACEX187]

is carbon fibre magnetic?

[shiftnslide]

I have a good idea. Magnets! Hmm im gonna try it out.

are you serious? the type of magnets that would be in any way helpful in holding your hood down would be so strong that you wouldn't be able to pull it up.

is carbon fibre magnetic?

is fiberglass magnetic?

[WILDACEX187]

damn i keep forgeting that sarcasm gets lost on the internet

[theicecreamdan]

I have pins on my metal hood, latch was fucked up so I just pinned it down.

but my hood is all fuxxored now because I wasnt good at remembering my pins every time, didnt break my windshield either time my hood flew up.

do NOT get cheap key hood pins, the first time my hood went up was because they lock mechanism on those things just broke, it was soft cast metal and sucked a lot

[2JZGTE]

Like everyone else said. It's a really good idea.

I cut out the stock hoodlatch metal in the middle, so no choice for me. FYI you can use some really light low profile ones from Moroso. I've been using them w/out the middle hoodlatch for quite some time now.

http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/3926/cf49ex.jpg


Goodluck, take your time installing them. Sucks to drill a hole in the wrong spot.

[DJPimpFlex]

^as for drilling the hole in the wrong spot, put the pins in the place you want, then get some chewing gum, chew it, then stick it on the pin. Close the hood and make it transfer to the hood. Thats where you need to drill. I myself will run 2 sets of hood pins so I can take off my hood with ease. Get em, there cheep and they work good.

[WILDACEX187]

^as for drilling the hole in the wrong spot, put the pins in the place you want, then get some chewing gum, chew it, then stick it on the pin. Close the hood and make it transfer to the hood. Thats where you need to drill. I myself will run 2 sets of hood pins so I can take off my hood with ease. Get em, there cheep and they work good.

or u can use tape and not get saliva all over your hood :loco:

[Andrew Bohan]

racecars use hoodpins. you have a racecar. use hoodpins!

[240SeXy_man]

when you get the pins make sure you put em on...the fat guy from just drift who thinks hes good forgot to put his pins back on before going out and then WHAM...what a fool

[phreze]

Any suggestions on best hoodpins to use sparco, cusco, etc?

[240SeXy_man]

hood pins are hood pins to me, i dont see how someone can make a better stick of metal than anyone else

[koshile]

been running on bumpy roads high speeds every day for the last 2 years with my VIS non-vented hood. I cracked the latch hook the first day bc i slamed it cause it wouldnt catch. Even with the cracked latch no problems yet.

[chmercer]

sparco is best. all the rest are made of shitty aluminum

[khmerguy618]

just get some of those hood locks, they aren't as noticeable as the pins imo. I had them, no problem. One of my friends went through 2cf hoods cuz he didn't run pins (first time no pins, 2nd time forgot the pins)

[Andrew Bohan]

how the hell do you forget the pins??

that's like putting on a belt and forgetting to buckle it...

[VROOOM]

i had a 195whp 96 civic hatch that went over 140 with no pins just the stock latch. the car was taken to 9k in 5th gear numerous times and nothing happened. i even had a 250lb drunk friend jump on my hood one night and it never even cracked. it faded pretty bad though

[khmerguy618]

<shrugs> i have no idea how he forget his pins, i had the locks so i always had to lock mines

[603240sx]

i had a cf hood on my mazda. i drove it with out hood pins for like 4 months. it gets a little shaky on the highway,but it was fine at 130mph. sold that car to my brother and he was scared to drive it with out pins so we installed sparco pins. they were allright.

[240SeXy_man]

how the hell do you forget the pins??

that's like putting on a belt and forgetting to buckle it...

yea tell that to charlie from just drift what an IDIOT!!!!!!

[spanishricer]

Would vented hoods be less prone to flex at high speeds, since there's an exit for trapped underhood air to escape? Just wondering since I've never owned a vented cf/fg hood...