I'm planning on getting a hood for my model a roadster and am trying to determine the best possible way of TRADITIONALLY mounting it. I know if I go a 4 piece hood then the original Ford method will be the most common, but how about 3 piece hoods as this is the style I'm leaning towards, I'm interested in the style and type of mounting/securing methods that would of been available circa 1950. I see a lot of external clip and luggage latch style in the old pics but I think they look kind of cheap. Something less visible perhaps? Ideas that are relevant will be greatly appreciated, and pictures always simplify the understanding process for me. This is the look I'm after btw. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Dzus fasteners have been around for ages. You might look into those as a possibility. All that would be visible would be 4 round fastener heads on each side about 5/8" Dia. They will polish up just like chrome, or can be painted to match your car. I'm running a 1 piece top hood on my 30, and as soon as I fabricate body brackets it will be fastened with Dzus ffasteners. If you blow up my pic, you can see the brackets on the ends of the hood which have a spring wire riveted to the back. The ****on half of a Dzus fastener hooks intto the spring with a quarter turn. 000_2079 by Jakesrocks posted Jul 21, 2014 at 10:33 AM
Actually, I just googled Dzus fasteners. They've been around since the 30's, so would be period correct for your car. I know they've been used on belly tank lakesters since the early 50's, and probably before then.
Make sure you space the 2 halves far enough apart, or they'll be loose fitting and may come unhooked. You may also want to plastic dip the handle part to keep from chipping your paint when you fasten them. I've seen similar latches which have springs in them. The springs keep tension on the latches to prevent them vibrating loose. I'll see if I can find a listing for them.
These are the type I was talking about. They're stainless steel, so could be polished or painted. Not quite as pretty as the latches you posted, but the springs will keep them latched. They also come in 2 sizes. http://www.atgstores.com/latches/sugatsune-scc-spring-loaded-draw-latch_g1082599.html
Sorry, that link doesn't seem to be working, but found several at Sears. http://www.sears.com/search=spring loaded latch
Call me crazy, but the chipped paint on the hood sides around the latches is part of the appeal. To me, it says "This car gets driven and worked on" instead of "This car sits in a climate controlled showroom and the hood hasn't been opened since it was installed." Though, those spring latches would be pretty good for making sure everything stays ****oned up and together.
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