Riviting a fiberglass hood?

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kempkan

kempkan

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I bought I fiberglass full pin on hood for my 73 dart last weeknd and just bought a hood pin set from the local auto store and the big washer piece that goes on the hood(hood pin bushing?) Is recommended to be drilled and rivited? Is that ok with a thin fiberglass hood or should I drill and then use a bolt and nut? I really don't want to throw my money away and its going to be installed tomorrow. Im too new to body work. Thatnks guys and gals.
View attachment 2012-04-16_19-22-09_823.jpg
 
Yeah rivets will work but use a correct washer on the back side so the squish doesn't pull through the glass.
 
I would not make it a pinned lift off hood, they are a pain in the A@#. A friend of mine took a similar hood and hinged and lached it and was very happy he did so.
 
If the hood is a race weight hood (i.e.; light weight), I would use the hood pins riveted with 8/32 washers on the bottom side. If it's a standard fiberglass hood, I'd use the light weight hood springs and hinge it like a stock hood with pins in the front. The race weight hood will crack and break if you try to hinge it, but the standard weight hood will work just fine with hinges. As stated above, a lift off hood is a PITA especially if you are by yourself and there is a stiff breeze blowing. JMO
 
It is a race weight hood. I got a good deal on it and couldn't pass it up. I usually have a crew of people at the track while im racing for support and I think a reason to have some cold ones but more than likely wont need to take it off by myself. I didn't open the hood pin kits yet to see if there's any kind of washers for the bottom of the hood and will be heading to lowes if there isn't. Like I said I've never done body work and never dealt with fiberglass this is all new to me. I don't know really how brittle the stuff is but eventually im sure I will find out.
 
Since you have a race weight hood, I'd pin it for sure. You will probably have to get some longer 1/8" rivets in order to go through the plate, the hood, and the washers to keep from cracking the hood itself. When you buy the rivets, check you local hardware store for machine screw washers. IIRC, they will be for 8-32 machine screws, they work to distribute the force of the rivets under the hood. And, I would use aluminum rivets, not steel because the aluminums are much easier to drill out it you happen to make a mistake.
 
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