delete hood latches?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 229
Likes: 2
delete hood latches?
Has anyone removed the hood latches and just let the hood pins sit in the latch bay? Any issues with the hood flying up or anything? Not wanting to deal with the latches anymore lol.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,895
Likes: 592
From: New Port Richey FL
Has it been done probably, Would I Probably Not, in fear of hood coming through windshield in an accident. But if I did I would at least cut a 1/8" plus plate and replace the latch with good Hood Pins thru hood and Anchored in the plates to at least to attempt holding hood in wedge plates that come into play in accidents.
. Short cutting safety items is never good.
. Short cutting safety items is never good.
Last edited by s carter; Sep 10, 2021 at 10:25 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,583
Likes: 504
From: Indianapolis IN
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Unmodified
C4 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
When the latches are adjusted and lubed, you should never have any issues with them.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,500
Likes: 879
From: Saratoga Springs NY
2024 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I was going to do this. Main reason I didn't is because if I ever had to open the hood in an emergency I'd have to release the drivers side than run around the car to release the passenger side..not too ideal in an emergency situation......
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 4,648
Likes: 1,059
From: N.E. Ohio OH
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
The other day I watched an episode of Roadkill that had a similar setup. At speed (over 60, I don't remember the exact MPH) the hood wanted to open. They eventually took the hood off to complete the runs on the drag strip and held it under the MPH where it lifted while driving on the road. There is a pressure wave that comes off the windshield. That is why the rearward
opening hood scoops work.
opening hood scoops work.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
On my '72 the hood latch handle broke, no fixing it....so I just took a length of coat hanger wrapped it around the latch on driver side, down through the hole to the interior, cut to length, put a length of fuel hose over it, and hooked the end to hold hose on the wire....simple as pie....hangs down next to kick panel
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 229
Likes: 2
I think ive come up with a solution one i havent seen anywhere else. Granted, its a backwoods solution but a solution none the less. Im going to take off the latches, take off the pin, remove the springs,put the pin back in, wrap an tape some foam padding around the pin to fill in the space in the latch cavity so it sits in the cavity and the foam braces the pin. It also has those little metal pins on the sides to help hold the hood in place. I figure the hood is over half the length of the car it shouldnt be moving anyway. I'll report back when its done.
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 1,312
Likes: 384
From: Northern California
So, ever since I've owned my '89 I've noticed that the hood wants to bounce / vibrate up and down a little bit over bumps in the road but the latches provide a positive stop, and while I admire your idea to try and remove the risks of the latch cables breaking I think that what's going to happen is that A) without any latch mechanism holding the hood down in place securely, that the hood will B) start bouncing over rough pavement and expansion joints in the freeway to the degree that it will always be C) popped up open / bouncing a little bit while moving. It may settle back down when the car stops.
I don't think airflow over the hood is going to provide enough force to keep the hood down without vibration. I think the negative air pressure area at the base of the windshield is possibly strong enough that at high speed the hood will bounce on a bump, the pressure area wave will catch it, and you may see that hood raise up 4-6" or more before aero pressure on top pushes it back down. We'll see. It's an interesting experiment.
I don't think airflow over the hood is going to provide enough force to keep the hood down without vibration. I think the negative air pressure area at the base of the windshield is possibly strong enough that at high speed the hood will bounce on a bump, the pressure area wave will catch it, and you may see that hood raise up 4-6" or more before aero pressure on top pushes it back down. We'll see. It's an interesting experiment.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,895
Likes: 592
From: New Port Richey FL
With the foam and some of your thoughts it will probably bounce a bit but you could go old school like a 60s Jag belt the corners or build a bracket on the car side and use aircraft cowl fasteners, good enough for NASCAR
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,216
Likes: 113
From: Michigan
Yah the C4 hood is no lightweight pin-on hood cowl like I had for my 68 Camaro. Driving home from the store with a buddy long ago when I was young, we smelled something electrical and pulled over to find the starter smoking. Being only a few miles from home, we latched a few of my front dzus pins(10 total) and jumped back in to hotrod it back. The hood started to lift and I pulled back over not wanting to buy a new hood vs walking a few miles. We made it home and replaced the starter but learned to do a few back pins as well as the front in a quick latch situation. Those 10 dzus pins were sometimes kinda annoying but I hated the four chrome pin look, gonna do the same for my Fox if I ever get back to working on it, already got the pins and hood. They make nice rails these days vs mounting all those tabs, so mounting it should be less of a pita.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,216
Likes: 113
From: Michigan
There are many hood safety release kits or you could diy make your own, also I'm sure there is an install guide on here, I did my C4 early after I got it when the cables needed a few zipties to get the latches working good. Still need to do some for my C3
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2013
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