GEN 2 Carbon Fiber Hood Strut Relocation...Interest?

[whiteguy3]

I have made a hood strut relocation setup for the GEN 2 Carbon Fiber hoods that only require a drill and a wrench. I am trying to gauge the interest some people might have for this setup. I have it on my car and feel it can be duplicated. There are no problems with closing the hood with them connected. It is a true hood strut relocation.

Here are some pics of the kit on my car:





This kit would come with the two good used hood struts (not SHO hood struts) which are welded to brackets and two lower mounting brackets that would just need to be drilled and bolted in for the fender mounting.

I haven't quite worked up a price yet so any suggestions would help.

Any Interest???

 

[sperold]

There will be interest in this setup.
For the people with fiberglass hoods, would this setup work for them?
A lot of people will prefer new struts.

 

[whiteman_01]

I have a stock hood and would like this done.

 

[whiteguy3]

For the people with fiberglass hoods, would this setup work for them?

I do not see why not. It actually bolts onto the upper hood mounting bracket which is on every Taurus whether SHO or not. I can check to be positive though.

A lot of people will prefer new struts.

I understand that completely. The only thing is that I am not a company, just one guy with drive to do it and provide a product for some other people.

I have a stock hood and would like this done.

Those with a stock hood would be best getting their relocation kits from ShoSource. They have them available, but it does not work with some Carbon Fiber Hoods. I would be more than willing though to make it happen for you. I would just make the hardware and then you can attach your stock hood struts to it.

 

[SHO Continental]

Are these lower strength struts? The regular relocation kits mount fine to the CF hood, it's just that the struts are so strong you get terrible cracking sounds if you try to close your hood. . .

 

[SHOCH]

I use only one strut with the relocation kit on my cf hood, enough to hold it and no fight to get it down. I gave Andy(It's an adventure) my other one to make some more up but he's been buried by work.

 

[whiteguy3]

Are these lower strength struts?

Yes, they are trunk struts not hood struts from another vehicle.

it's just that the struts are so strong you get terrible cracking sounds if you try to close your hood. . .

Those cracking sounds are actually from the fiberglass cross section that is glued/rtv'd to the inside of the carbon fiber hood. Those section tend to break over time and cause a cracking sound under flex. I noticed that I didn't like how the hood sort of bent when only one hood strut was installed, hence the idea of two weaker hood struts.

I use only one strut with the relocation kit on my cf hood

That will work. I wanted it to be fully functional in every way though on my car that's why I came up with this setup. All the relocation kits I have seen either require the hood strut to be removed when closing the hood or only one was used.

 

[sperold]

Everything sounds good with what you are proposing. After the purchase, you would have to disclose the trunk strut make and model to your customers. Here in Canada, during the cold winter months, the struts don't have the same abilities and they don't last as long.
When I bought the hood, I pictured changing the hood to the steel one in the winter. But that never happened, so yes, the fiberglass hoods do get used in the winter.

 

[whiteguy3]

Well I found them for about $15 a piece on rockauto. It might be worth it to get new one's and use them. I will probably make 2-3 kits and then sell those through the classified's and then see where were at as far as people wanting more made.

The price would probably be around $125 considering new struts would have to be purchased. That includes everything with minor work involved to install.

 

[sperold]

I looked for the shosource relocation kit and couldn't find it on their website. Is it out of production?

 

[vortex2450]

I would be 1000% interested, it's look like a really clean kit and I'm supporting a SHOforum member so right on!


-Josh

 

[SHOGUN88]

I looked for the shosource relocation kit and couldn't find it on their website. Is it out of production?

http://shosource.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=226