Aerocatch 120-2000 Above Panel Flush Locking Hood Latch and Pin Kit - Black

I had an aftermarket hood on my 2001 Ford F250 that broke at the hood latch ring. Not good! Hood flew up and smashed my windshield. Hood wasn't really damaged much, but there was no way to easily repair the original center latch ring. The hood is plastic. It simply broke where the ring attached to the backing metal. I didn't want or need to replace the entire hood just for a broken latch. I saw some Aerocatch videos and pictures and decided I'd give it a try. It looked tricky and I wasn't thrilled about drilling and cutting into my hood. But what the heck! At this point the hood was "damaged" anyway. I couldn't really make it any worse. Watching installation videos helped a lot. First up was finding a suitable location under the hood for the pins, as well as a corresponding area in the hood - in two places - to mount all the hardware. The frame rail across the radiator area was hollow, but not really accessible for getting to the underside nut of the aerocatch pin. I finally settled on the edge "lip" of that frame for the two pins. Getting symmetrical locations is critical for the installation to look right. And this is a "get it right the first time" project! There is no room for error! I was lucky to have a generally easy to work with plastic hood. Locate your pins, then use them to locate the underside of your hood for penetration. My hood is two layers, so I used a small drill followed by a hole saw to make the first under layer penetration. Use the pins again to mark and locate the underside of the upper layer. I used a small drill to locate that position topside. I then made a paper template using the aerocatch retainer ring. I masked off the hood areas and VERY carefully located and marked where the cut outs for the catches would be. I used that same hole saw to make two holes at each end of my cut out area, then used a rotary tool to cut out between those holes. I smoothed and finalized the teardrop ovals with a rotary tool drum sander. It was a slow trial and error fit process. The catch had to fit the hole, and the pin had to line up with the slot just right. Get all that adjusted and set before drilling holes for the screws. The aerocatch comes with a bunch of little lock nuts. These will snap into the retaining ring and stay there, so you don't necessarily need full access to the underside of the catch. I didn't want to cut out the underside of the hood any further, so I used two 4mm treaded rods (made from long screws) to insert into the retainer and hold it up while I set the catch body into place. Then I installed the screws. Once all that is assembled you can test the latch. It is tedious, but I got it done. They work and they look good! My hood is back down and probably more secure than ever. Having now done this, I'd probably do it again with a little less anxiety.

This is the set you want. Everything else is a waste of time and money. So there you are, looking for an inexpensive set of hood pins that don’t need a piece of wire to hold a cotter pin and don’t look like they’re going to turn into rusty circles in a month and a half. You’re not restoring a classic hot rod, and you’re not into old school. Perfect. Your car, your canvas. Maybe you’re looking at some of the push-release type pins to get that “mustang” look. Maybe you have your eye on the small toy looking ones that are the size of a quarter and actually belong on a go cart and not a car. You may have even been tempted by the significantly cheaper version of this exact model. Don’t do it. I’m telling you, this is the set to get. If you don’t want to replace your pins every three months and you actually want the release mechanism to function, you shouldn’t be looking at anything else. Yes, they’re more expensive than the knock off versions. They’re even a bit pricier than the well built push-release style pins. But come on now. Are you really thinking about putting cheap plastic pin catches on your car? Remember how much you paid for that car? And since these are meant to be a functional portion of a performance upgrade, are you really going to trust the cheap plastic ones to hold down your hood as you’re hitting the go pedal? Are you actually going to drill a big fat hole in your hood just to put a set of unreliable catches in it? You’re not saving any money if you’re buying crap. These are the ones you want. Can’t say it loud enough or enough times. Want functional catches that are actually backed by their manufacturer AND look good? These are them. Picture is mid installation on a fiberglass hood right after initial fitment, without the mounting screws installed. Took me about an hour, and I’m by no means a body expert. However, if you’re a little unsure on how to measure and cut, please get these installed by a pro.

Great hood and latch pin kit. Stay away from the cheap kits and buy these. They function the way they’re designed. Fast installation in under 15 min.

Just what I needed, this was harder to install since I’m not a body technician or anything like that. But now I’m not afraid my hood is going to fly open because they feel sturdy.

They work well. Look good. Worth it over the knockoffs.

These hood pins are just as difficult to install as you might think they are. That's my first impression of them. Do not just go into this purchase all willy nilly. You will be cutting holes in your hood and you cannot turn back once you start cutting. Do not try to install these if you do not know what you are doing. That said, if you take your time, have the tools, and the gall to cut hooks in a perfectly good hood, these are a very effective way to latch a hood. I replaced the sticking OEM hood release on my race car with these and I am very happy. I am also happy to report that, despite their rigid looking structure, they can conform to slight curves in your hood, so fear not, they won't be sticking up stubbornly flat on top of a rounded surface (within reason).

I've had these on my 2005 Ford Crown Victoria LX for a few years now (I'm running a fiberglass hood). They're good enough. They are primarily plastic; they do get crunchy after a few summers. A little sylicone spray down in their guts helps, but you "know" they aren't a premium piece of kit once you've used them for a while. No issues after a few years of use, they're just a little hard to re-lock, they're loosing their color due to the sun, and I worry that they may be getting brittle. They have never unlatched, the posts are aluminum, and the spring inside is also metal, so they do have good pits here and there. Would recommend for the price, but if you're thicker with funds, go with a reputable brand that makes them out of Aluminum.

Good quality looks, makes the car look more aggressive

These hood pins are made as durable as they can be, working as perfectly as new after years in service. Just be sure that your body shop installs them into holes drilled slighter larger for the aluminum pins, so to minimize galvanic corrosion from steel-aluminum contact.

Antes de estos probé 2 marcas de hood pins y se rompían muy fácilmente. Aerocatch siempre será la mejor marca para hood pins ya llevo 2 sets para dos cofres y no he tenido ningún problema de decoloración por el sol o que el mecanismo se atore.

After switching to a aftermarket fibreglass hood, it would flex and constantly want to lift up on the highway. I was afraid the thread inserts would rip out of the hood while driving. These hood pins were quick and easy to install and work great. The hood no longer moves and its a quick and easy step to pop the hood.

Awesome product with holding down your hood!

Lots of cutting but work great