Question - Does leaving the hood up on AAR T/A cause it to sag?

[Cuda Cody]

Someone needs to make those commercially and sell them!   

There are a couple of holes in the hood hinge , you can take a piece of steel rod bend a hook on each end & slide it into the holes in the hinge & the hood will stay up , far cleaner than a prop rod & no chance it can be accidenily knocked out causing the hood to drop

[Chryco Psycho]

easy to make , Approx 12 " long with a 1" bend in each end 3/8" rod

[Pentastarnut]

cool idea

[Chryco Psycho]

Exactly 

[anlauto]

A local TA owner made something similar except it just hooks on where the spring hooks on 

[Cuda_mark]

I always thought that having the bow in the hood was part of what made the cars so cool. I don't own a TA or AAR but if I did, I'd let it bow!!

[Cuda Cody]

The only drawback to the hook idea is it looks like it's a 2 person job to open the hood now?      I might make a set of body colored hooks for shows, but I think I'll still have to use a prop at home because there's many times I need to open the hood when I'm alone.

[anlauto]

The only drawback to the hook idea is it looks like it's a 2 person job to open the hood now?      I might make a set of body colored hooks for shows, but I think I'll still have to use a prop at home because there's many times I need to open the hood when I'm alone.

I haven't watched the local guy install them, but you could easily use a piece of hockey stick to prop the hood, install the hooks then remove the stick  Idid some work on his car a few years back and don't recall having problems by myself.

[Brads70]

The only drawback to the hook idea is it looks like it's a 2 person job to open the hood now?      I might make a set of body colored hooks for shows, but I think I'll still have to use a prop at home because there's many times I need to open the hood when I'm alone.

I open mine by myself all the time. 

[challengermaniac]

My understanding was that the fiberglass hoods were outsourced although they did not provide the specific T/A fenders so they were close, but not exact fitment when installed at the factory. 

[Chryco Psycho]

You can lift the hood by yourself hold it up while placing the hook in place , go around to the other side & install the second hook

[Aar1064]

I thought of using hooks instead of the springs but found that it's easier to just pop the springs on when needed. Using either of these will still allow the hood to bow. A combination of the weight and sun will make it bow and for me it varies each time depending on how long its been up and how hot it is outside. I made a gauge out of a paint stick and have marks on it that show the true results. I've learned that it can bow as much as a quarter of an inch from being raised while at an outdoor show during a day in the hot sun. Indoor show, not so much at around 3/16. Once car is back in garage I remove springs and it will settle back down to where it was.

I don't think leaving springs on and in closed position hurts it near as bad as leaving it up. It's the weight of the front of hood that causes the bow in my experience. I think the slight bow is rather cool and don't mind it being that it's an original hood. I'm sure I could straighten it a little but really don't want to play around with it because it's the only one I have.