Ok I got a set of hood pins from autozone for ten bucks. Ive never installed any before and no one told me how to either. So I came up with this method (if this is how everyone else does it, sorry for taking credit!)

All you need is a framing square, drill, big enough drill bit, pen or marker and some tape, preferably painters tape.

I took the pics a week or so after I did the job because I didnt have my camera. Sorry I couldnt do it during, but it gets the point across.

First, I decided where the best place to have the hood pins would be.



Then I placed a framing square directly along the front fender and lined it up with the spot I want the pin to be in. I put the tape on the fender exactly where the framing square ended for reference in the next step. Then I marked the spot with a pen and wrote down the distance in inches. Then drilled the hole there.



Next, I closed the hood, lined up the framing square to the fender and the tape and measured the same distance I wrote down and marked it.



Lastly, I drilled a very small pilot hole to make sure they lined up and sure enough, it did!!!! I put the pin through the frame, locked it in place and drilled out the hole in the hood to match. After all the little stuff like screwing in the plate, here is the finished job!



So thats that! What do you think?

 

Looks good. Lined up real nicely with each other.

When I did the ones on my wifes 90 RS, I used a dot a paint to mark the hood, where the pins were, after mounting the pins in place measuring with just a ruler from the side.

I drilled a TINY hole (just enough to locate the spot for a larger drill bit) upwards, at the spot. Then drilled downwards from the top, stepping up in drill bit sizes until I got to the final size, to prevent any chipping or cracking to the surface.

 

Im really liken this way, unfortunantly Im gunna have to wait till I get my car painted to do it, gotta make sure everything is lined up before I drill a hole

 

I hope those pins don't start rusting on you like they did on my El Camino.

 

Man I hope not.

 

good job man

 

I was wondering how I would do that........nice job.....thanks!

 

so its slipping my mind right now but does your camaro have the hydrolic lift for when you open the hood?? and if it does how good does it work with the hood pins cause i may wanna do that

 

it opens like any other hood, its not the 4 hood pin setup with the lift you see on muscle cars at shows

 

Lots of fiberglass hoods are too light to still use the hydraulic lifts, unless they are replaced by the lower pressure ones made for the 82-84 factory fiberglass hoods.

The aerocatches are basically just a sleeker version of the typical chrome rods sticking up & pins sticking through the sides. So yes...toxic's still opens just like factory, on hinges.

You could put 2 aerocatches at the back & have a lift-off hood, but your looking at $200 just for pins. That is what I want, but my wallet won't let me!

 

Ya Im using the factory hood hinges and aftermarket hood struts that are made for fiberglass hoods. Like they said earlier, the hood opens just the same with no problems. Well, because of the slight angle of the pin and its length, there is a very small bit of rubbing where the pin first touches the hole on the hood as it closes or opens, but it sits just perfectly in the middle which is the important part. The hood pins just hold the hood down better than the factory latch in the middle. I got rid of that assembly because I always had a hard time opening the hood with it on.

 

Looks great. I like how those grilles look on the front.

 

Cool thanks! They actually serve a good purpose. I have another thread up called "Homemade cold air/ram air fab" or something like that. Check it out!