NEED HOOD SPRINGS

I just called AAR Fiberglass who said that they can't help. They used to have a source for springs who no longer answers their phone. Among the alternate suggestions were to try to the original springs to see if they're tired enough to be ok...seems like cracks in the fiberglass would be the clue that they were too strong and I don't want to try that. They also suggested "hardware store hinges" but I'm not even sure what type they had in mind or how to select a tension... Or, heating/stretching my stock ones, which I don't want to to on the off chance that I might put my stock hood back on some day.

I'm starting to think again about the prop rod route. Where/how did you guys mount the rod? Any regrets?