Bee Jay's hood lightening mods!

B

Bee Jay

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
166
Location
Lompoc, Ca.
MYBAD79 gave me this hood about two years ago. He modified it to make it a high rise, but otherwise, it's a stock '79 hood. I weighed it, 45lbs, and started removing mass. I got it down to 35 lbs without trying too hard. Next, I will try hard and I think I will vent the hood and remove the paint. Hopefully I can get it down to 30lbs. I think the aftermarket hoods weigh about 35lbs. The brown paper is about where I will cut the vent. I think I'll just mount some black screen under the hole. Maybe the Greenwood fender vents will fit on the hood now that the bracing is gone. Stay tuned.
Bee Jay

Corvette530.jpg
Corvette595-1.jpg
Corvette600.jpg
Corvette603.jpg
 
JeffP1167 said:
Aren't you afraid with that much bonding area removed that the skin will separate at highway speeds?
Click to expand...

:suicide: My first thought also....IMO, i'ts almost guaranteed to do that....don't ask how I think so either.....

:sos:
 
turtlevette said:
JeffP1167 said:
Aren't you afraid with that much bonding area removed that the skin will separate at highway speeds?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the air does not hug the front of this car. I'd bet money that it won't be a problem. Its not going to try and take off.
Click to expand...

Rong, the tip of that triangle from hinge/curve area forward gets much force, enough to lift the hood clean off at 30 mph.....thereby letting go airborne over the car into the guy behind you, should he be close enough.....I can only imagine 4x that force at 60 mph, and vibration over time.....let alone 80 cruise...
I forgot the forward pins on my hood, and it happened to me, smashed the living shit outa the hood, not ever been the same since, really....


:hissyfit::crylol::censored:
 
yup, hood pins are probably a good idea.....


That hood is going to look pretty good in "yello"

There's about a pound of Bondo at the front - to extend the high rise all the way to the front of the hood..... weight vs. looks....... :D
 
MYBAD79 said:
yup, hood pins are probably a good idea.....


That hood is going to look pretty good in "yello"

There's about a pound of Bondo at the front - to extend the high rise all the way to the front of the hood..... weight vs. looks....... :D
Click to expand...

Good to know, thanks. When I remove the paint, I should see it. Any suggestions on where to get hood pins? What are the best kind?
 
mrvette said:
turtlevette said:
JeffP1167 said:
Aren't you afraid with that much bonding area removed that the skin will separate at highway speeds?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the air does not hug the front of this car. I'd bet money that it won't be a problem. Its not going to try and take off.
Click to expand...

Rong, the tip of that triangle from hinge/curve area forward gets much force, enough to lift the hood clean off at 30 mph.....thereby letting go airborne over the car into the guy behind you, should he be close enough.....I can only imagine 4x that force at 60 mph, and vibration over time.....let alone 80 cruise...
I forgot the forward pins on my hood, and it happened to me, smashed the living shit outa the hood, not ever been the same since, really....


:hissyfit::crylol::censored:
Click to expand...
Didn't you remove the hinges and hold down latches? I plan to keep them. I also plan to vent the hood to limit the underhood pressure.
 
JeffP1167 said:
Aren't you afraid with that much bonding area removed that the skin will separate at highway speeds?
Click to expand...

I'm going to take out as much weight as possible till it's flimsy like a race car hood. I might have made a mistake in taking the rear cross support out, but I can easily replace it with a balsa wood stifener like they do on the Porsche 914 fiberglass hoods. This is a spare experimentation hood that could possbily be my permanant hood. What I learn can easily be applied to my yellow stock hood.
Hey, like I said, I was bored. Where is the best place to buy hood pins?
Bee Jay
 
Go to a Marine hardware supply house, buy a couple 1/2x6" bolts, chuck them in the drill press, but the hex heads off, round off the ends nicely, and cross drill for a clevis pin/ring I use 3/16" diameter....use large 1/2" fender washers under the pins to distribute the load on the hood....

I used the stock hinges to hold my pins in place....double nut them....

:crutches:
 
DeeVeeEight said:
Corvette530.jpg

:crap: that hood was beautiful! I am not cutting up your mods, I just wouldn't of had the heart, or the balls, to cut it up.
Click to expand...

I only cut up the bottom side. It will look the same from the top, except probably yellow with a couple of vents.
Bee Jay
 
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