Thread: Does this qualify as a Hot Rod?

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My son Nick helped me make some interior and trunk panels for the VR today. He also took her for a quick spin so I could take this video.

Lookin' good out on the street, Wes!!!! Now are you going to be able to get it away from your son??????

Yep, he'll be claiming driving rights on the "Maiden Voyage Clause" That's going to look like a million bucks with paint, Wes. You've done a fantastic job on it.

I agree! That's a sweet ride! So cool that you shared it with your son too..

I've been pondering hood pins for a while now. I was at the AHA "Fun Under the Sun" kit car show in Pomona last weekend. Saw a Velo Rossa that was going for the classic look by using leather straps to secure the hood. The enormous belt buckles really detracted from the sleek lines of the car. An to add to the distraction, the builder used the VR style tilt front end AND had the original style center hood opening. Why? That means it had four of those big buckles mucking up the front end. I had already made a tentative decision on my latch arrangement, and after seeing that VR, I felt much better about my choice.

I chose the modern Aerodynamic panel fasteners from Aerocatch.

I toyed with mounting them on the side of the tilt hood but the curvature seemed too extreme and problematic for my feeble mind to tackle. So I went for what I perceived to be the simplest mounting spot... the old Z's fresh air intakes in the cowling area under the windshield.
After a little eyeballing, I marked the spots on the hood and made my cutouts.

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A couple of brackets tacked into the vent openings and the pins are mounted.

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I'll be making a new fiberglass cowling to fit under the hood. I'm working with this cardboard template for now.

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I'll mold in a "cup" to conceal all but the pin and nut.

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I think the final look is pretty slick.

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Bought some cheap carpet at Home Depot to make a temporary interior. Covered the trunk and did a little two tone up front. It'll do for now.

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You make even the "temporary" look great!!! Nice choice on the "hood pins" too!!!!

X2! Your "temporary" looks great! As well as the hood pins..

Nice job on the carpeting, and the hood "pins" rock! They look sleek and are very secure. Good choice, great install!

Nice work Wes! Taking advantage of this warm weather I see! Love your choices for the hood latches. Very cool clean look. Can't imagine the car with a beltbuckle hood holddown...just detracts from those beautiful italian lines!

Well here it is.... Classic??...or ??????

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Nah, you took the right approach 110%! The buckles are nice on period correct vehicles from back in the day, but they simply don't fit on that sleek red beauty. He's ruining the lines, like you said.

Your latches IMO "fit" the car a whole lot better then a bunch of belt buckles bouncin' around on the paint!!!!

As mentioned, you nailed it with your choice of latch. On the red car, did the roof fold away like a correct convertible or have to be pulled apart and stored in the trunk ? I do like your thinking on the panel under the hood to finish the cowl area, it is those little things that makes your car out shine others of the same, eg, the red one with buckles and straps.

What Dave said