Fiberglass Hood w/ Stock Springs

[Staffords]

I'd like to put a bolt-on style fiberglass hood w/ hemi scoop on my 68 Barracuda. My car is already painted and I'd rather not pull the quarter panels or doors off to swap out the original coil springs for the hood. Has anyone run a heavy-duty bolt-on fiberglass hood with the stock weight springs? Did it bow or crack the hood? It doesn't feel like there is much tension when the hood is closed, just when fully open. Please share your experience if you've tried it.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Do 'not' use stock springs with ANY fiberglass hood. I don’t care what the manufacturer of the hood says, the hood will buckle if you use stock springs. PERIOD.

Edit: I inserted 'not' based on way your comment was worded....and I agree.


Thanks to the mod that added “not”

 

[33IMP]

Do use stock springs with ANY fiberglass hood. I don’t care what the manufacturer of the hood says, the hood will buckle if you use stock springs. PERIOD.

I think he meant "do NOT" use......@TT5.9mag

 

[Cranky]

This AAR style from VFN in Addison Illinois is bolted to the original hinges. I think it weighs about 25 lbs. I know the owner and it is good. They make the same style for a 68 Barracuda but I'm not sure if they make the Hemi hood.
1965 Plymouth Barracuda “Redtail” | Hot Rod Chassis & Cycle - CarBuff Network

I have lightweight glass hood on my 66 Belvedere bolted to the original hinges but with light weight springs. I know it's a pita to change them on an A body but maybe that hood is made for the stock springs? Never did like the way the 'later' A cars had the springs. I own a 64 Dart and the springs on it are similar to trunk springs.....

 

[jeff alder]

It doesn't appear as though they have the Hemi style...at least on this site. You would have to call.
64-69 Barracuda Parts.

 

[Locomotion]

A further comparison - A 1976 Dart Lite hood with the aluminum underside bracing weighs about 15 lbs less than a all-steel version. The "Lite" hood won't handle the pressure from regular hood springs either and wants to bend when closing. The springs that AtomicDog makes and OEM springs from FWD Dodge Daytona, Shadow and a few others are too light for the Dart Lite hood with a scoop. However, those may work well on many of the lighter end fiberglass hoods.

Weighing the OEM hood and what you plan to get may give you a better idea of spring compatibility.
I've heard of some people adapting gas struts from OEM hood and rear hatch applications but it would take some fabricating & trial & error.

 

[1969cuda]

Get the light weight springs from
Atomic Dog. I did for my hood and they are a perfect match.

 

[CRUZE 418]

Yeah me too. #9. Those springs are not all that big of a deal to change out. Or, eliminate them and use a prop stick or tube made from a pcv pipe. That's what I use on my Road Runner.

 

[Staffords]

A further comparison - A 1976 Dart Lite hood with the aluminum underside bracing weighs about 15 lbs less than a all-steel version. The "Lite" hood won't handle the pressure from regular hood springs either and wants to bend when closing. The springs that AtomicDog makes and OEM springs from FWD Dodge Daytona, Shadow and a few others are too light for the Dart Lite hood with a scoop. However, those may work well on many of the lighter end fiberglass hoods.

Weighing the OEM hood and what you plan to get may give you a better idea of spring compatibility.
I've heard of some people adapting gas struts from OEM hood and rear hatch applications but it would take some fabricating & trial & error.

Gas strut is not what I want to do here. Looking for a bolt on solution as the car is already assembled and painted.

Yeah me too. #9. Those springs are not all that big of a deal to change out. Or, eliminate them and use a prop stick or tube made from a pcv pipe. That's what I use on my Road Runner.

How do you replace those springs without removing the front quarters?

 

[1969cuda]

You can’t, unless you remove the splash shields which is a pain.

 

[Staffords]

You can’t, unless you remove the splash shields which is a pain.

Got it. That's what I thought.

I don't want to disassemble my fully painted car to replace or remove the stock springs, which would also be necessary if switching to a prop rod or a home fabricated gas strut.

My complete and restored 68's hood has a few small imperfections in the paint, and rather than paying to have it refinished I'd rather swap to the Superstock Hemi style hood since I've always liked that look.

So has anyone actually tried running one of the "heavy duty" bolt-on style fiberglass hoods from a manufacturer such as Glasstek with the stock hood springs?

 

[CRUZE 418]

I have one on my Dart right now. I have the light spring from Atomic dog. So why is removing a splash shield and loosening the bottom of the fender up a big deal? It's been awhile since I did this, maybe it was a little more. I cut the retainers on the studs that the hinges attach to. They don't hold very well, so after re attaching the hinge, I put a small hose clamp on the studs to keep the hinge tight. Not that big of a deal.

 

[Staffords]

I have one on my Dart right now. I have the light spring from Atomic dog. So why is removing a splash shield and loosening the bottom of the fender up a big deal? It's been awhile since I did this, maybe it was a little more. I cut the retainers on the studs that the hinges attach to. They don't hold very well, so after re attaching the hinge, I put a small hose clamp on the studs to keep the hinge tight. Not that big of a deal.

I'm not a paint/body guy. I don't want to remove body panels and risk damaging my paint. I understand some of you have done it before. I don't want to take mine apart at this time.

I am simply asking if anyone has used a bolt-on heavy duty fiberglass hood with the stock springs and, if so, how it worked out? So far @jeff alder is the only one who has provided an example of a glass hood on stock springs reportedly without issues (thanks Jeff). I was hoping some members here would have experiences saying either: "I've been running a glass hood on stock springs in my car for X amount of time and it's fine" or "I put a glass hood on with stock springs and my hood cracked/bowed/exploded etc."

 

[forphorty]

My guess :It's a bad idea , so very few have tried it. You could take it to a body shop and have them remove the springs. They could paint your new hood too , since you are not a paint guy. There is a chance that the hood will not fit well and may have to be modded to fit. My one car with a 'glass hood (68 Satellite) has a lift off 6 pack hood.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Here is the VFN AAR style hood live and in person on a car with stock springs.

Then why does he need a prop rod? He may be using the stock hinges but he ain’t using the stock springs. Guarandamnteed

 

[TT5.9mag]

I'm not a paint/body guy. I don't want to remove body panels and risk damaging my paint. I understand some of you have done it before. I don't want to take mine apart at this time.

I am simply asking if anyone has used a bolt-on heavy duty fiberglass hood with the stock springs and, if so, how it worked out? So far @jeff alder is the only one who has provided an example of a glass hood on stock springs reportedly without issues (thanks Jeff). I was hoping some members here would have experiences saying either: "I've been running a glass hood on stock springs in my car for X amount of time and it's fine" or "I put a glass hood on with stock springs and my hood cracked/bowed/exploded etc."

If you put a fiberglass hood on hinges with stock springs it will break. PERIOD
You do you though boo and come back and let us know how it goes.

 

[Staffords]

If you put a fiberglass hood on hinges with stock springs it will break. PERIOD
You do you though boo and come back and let us know how it goes.

That seems to be the concesus, although no one seems to be able to confirm/deny from personal experience.

Don't get me wrong, @TT5.9mag, I appreciate your input. You are answering the question I was asking. Its the multiple suggestions to just go ahead and remove the quarter panels, or pull the splash shields, or fabricate a gas strut, or install Atomic Dog's springs, or springs from a different model car, etc that de-rail the thread.

 

[TT5.9mag]

That seems to be the concesus, although no one seems to be able to confirm/deny from personal experience.

Don't get me wrong, @TT5.9mag, I appreciate your input. You are answering the question I was asking. Its the multiple suggestions to just go ahead and remove the quarter panels, or pull the splash shields, or fabricate a gas strut, or install Atomic Dog's springs, or springs from a different model car, etc that de-rail the thread.

And the one reference to using stock springs/hinges on a vfn hood proves to be bad information if you watch the video.