Finish Line Stainless Steel Hood Pro Rod

[Akimbeau]

I'm a new owner of a B & B cobra and am doing some much needed accessories installs. I purchase a few parts from Finish Line and am having difficulty with more than one of them. In particular, the two prop rods, one for the hood and one for the trunk. Sadly, Finish Line did not include any directions for install for either, which I find very unprofessional and frustrating. I had the weekend to do these repairs and now I've found myself spending hours scouring the Internet trying to find anyone who has successfully installed these for some sort of guidance and photos. I was shocked to find posts on several different forums from people like myself who have found themselves in the same predicament...dating all the way back to 2003! No one came to the rescue of these poor souls and many of the replies were from others looking for the same advice and from still others that said they were never able to figure out the correct placement and simply cast them aside. Can it be true that Finish Line has been withholding the directions for install for more than 11 years? Do these f$&king things even work on a cobra? I have to drill holes in the fiberglass for christ sake, to install this prop rod. A comprehensive and detailed install guide is absolutely mandatory!

Ok... My rant is over. Now lets see if someone has successfully used one of these mystery rods. To be clear, this is the stainless steel rod with separate catch that I have only seen for sale from Finish Line. It looks like it could be a nice operating unit if it is successfully installed. Has anyone used this prop? Can you, for the love of god, PLEASE POST PHOTOS of your successful install? I'm VERY curious to see if its actually possible to install and operate properly. I'm a pretty sharp cookie and can make any additional brackets that might be necessary to make it work but after an hour plus of clamping and positioning, I simply gave up and decided to seek my solution on the web. Thank you for hearing me out and for posting anything that might help.

Kim

UPDATE: I felt it necessary to edit this update to the front of this thread so those that didn’t read through to the end will know there’s a happy ending. Jackie at Finish Line contacted me right after the weekend, we traded emails and there are smiles all around. She addressed my concerns by saying she is currently doing a complete overhaul of the Finish Line website to include more precise descriptions, images and instructions for all the items they carry. This will give the potential buyers more than enough information to be secure with their purchase choices as well as what will be involved with installation. The new website is less than 6 months away and I give two enthusiastic thumbs up for their efforts! Thank you Jackie!

Kim

[Wbulk]

Yes, I have it on my B&B and love it. Will post pictures and instructions tomorrow. The original versions of these came on 60s Triumphs.

[Akimbeau]

Wayne! My savior! Fitting that you would come to the rescue on Easter! I'll be checking for your post with pictures and instructions with giddy anticipation! Thanks for taking the time to share!

Kim

[BAsque1]

Hood Prop Rod

[sea2jet]

Did you try and call Finishline to ask for directions before posting in a public forum? I just had the pleasure of visiting the store and meeting Jackie and her mom. Two wonderful people that went out of their way to make sure I had everything I needed. They even called around to find a part that they didn't stock. Their customer service is second to none. I'm sure they can give you direction on doing the install.

[redmt]

Great way to start out on a forum by trashing one of the respected suppliers for the industry.

[strictlypersonl]

ERA used that system up until a couple of years ago. I don't remember where we got (copied?) the idea from, some 25+ years ago.

Mount the box on the right front wheel housing. You'll have to experiment with the correct angle so that the rod can't rattle when the hood is closed.

[LMH]

My guess is that with the differences in different cars, it would be impossible to have directions on how to install the rod. It shouldn't be too difficult to come up with a way to adapt it to your car though.
Larry

[Akimbeau]

Strictlypersonal , thank you for posting the illustration on the hood prop rod! It confirmed that I was headed in the right direction but was afraid that mounting the rod so close to the hood hinge would put too much strain on the mounting points. With Wayne's photos and instructions, soon to come I hope, I'll feel confident in drilling holes in my hood for mounting points. Any idea how far from the front of the hood the prop rod bracket mounts?

Seajet2 and Redmt, I have heard some very nice comments about the customer service at F L and will continue to do business with them. I'm sorry if my frustration sounded harsh...not sure I would call it a "trashing" though. Jackie kindly returned my cry for help email this morning with as much help as she could but her main suggestion was to search the Internet for answers or call Bryan at B & B, which isn't going to help much because its the weekend (the only time I get to work on the car) as well as Bryan sold B & B and is no longer there. AND it's not his part, it's Finished Line's part and I believe, their responsibility to supply as much info as possible BEFORE the install. The illustration that Strictlypersonal posted is a clear example of what could have been included with the rod. Larry's comment about the differences between cars is a good one...it would be difficult to be exact on operation and placement for all vehicles...but not impossible to include some kind of generic guidance. It appears that they have been selling this rod for several years and I'm sure they've gotten feedback of customer's experiences. To include an illustration and learned guidance with the product will most assuredly cut down on customer frustration, frequent customer service calls and the situation I faced which was no ability to install at a time that F L was closed without hours of online research. This should of been a 30 min install with proper guidance.
Customer support is not just about helping with problems customers encounter after-the-fact but mostly about supplying what the customer needs before hand so there is little need for help later.

Kim

[redmt]

Not to be a smart ass but what are you going to do when you run into a real problem that you don't have the knowledge to solve? Are you going to blame your inability to figure out a problem on the supplier of the part? There's a certain level of mechanical ability and the correct application of force required to build and repair these cars. Your going to find that the majority of the parts for these cars are not model specific but rather a one size fits all if you can figure out how to make it fit.

[ramjet1]

Just what I was thinking

[LMH]

Did you happen to search around some on the FFR site? There are so many of them and those guys have encountered just about every issue there is.
Just a thought.
Larry

[redmt]

A while back Jackie was looking for guys to help with writing product installation manuals from guys who had actually bought and used specific parts. The general opinion was that every one of these cars is different. A generic manual wouldn't really help in the case of a custom installation. One of the things that's enjoyable to me at least, is that each and every one requires some sort of custom 'engineering'. Frustrating at times.
Wait until you start buying custom made parts that are supposed to fit but come nowhere close and in some cases are even built wrong. You'll then get the joy of dealing with the guy that built it and even have to pay for not only the original shipping at an inflated rate, but the shipping back to them AND the shipping back to you again only to find that the parts are still NFG. Next when you finally get fed up, they won't even refund your $$ for parts they never even sent. NOW THAT'S FRUSTRATING!!

[Wbulk]

Sorry I took so long, Windows 8 is a real challenge. lnfletcher (Larry) on this forum was the first to do this on a B&B that I know of, so he gets the credit.

The B&B is ideally suited to install Finish Lines stainless steel prop on because the B&B has a strong wide glass section all around the inside hood opening to mount the rod catch. This system mounts low and is out of the way so you can work on the car. If the hood rod bracket is located in the right place you may get lucky and hit steel to tap the lower screw for a machine screw. So do not drill these holes too big until you know if you hit steel. Then drill for the proper tap.
I really like this system but reasonable accuracy counts as there are issues to consider that I will explain.



Note I decided to cut the lower section off of my prop rod catch as I didn't like it hanging down. I had a friend tig weld the inside of the bracket to give it strength. This is not necessary. There is also another hole added to the left.

There are three issues to consider on the B&B. The rod catch cannot be too high or the inside of the hood bulge that gives the hood strength will hit it. Note how mine is located about 1/8" down and the upper left outside corner is very slightly trimmed down. So you cannot angle it up much or you risk the hood hitting it. Another issue to consider is height of the hood angle mounting bracket which I reversed from the way it came. If you put it too high you will bind the rod at the top of the end rod latch slot and the rod lock ramp tab. Mine is very close. I think if I was to do it again I would drop the hood bracket 1/2" more.

This picture shows how when the rod is lifted it must have room to clear the hump on the bracket and room to slide down the ramp.




The other issue to consider is the max hood opening. If you mount this so the hood is maxed out in the open position you cannot open the hood further to raise the rod and clear the latch tab. I mounted mine with another 1/2" to 3/4" movement, just enough so the rod moves back and can be lifted to clear the tab and slide down the ramp. This works good as wind can only move the hood slightly and it cannot fall unless the rod is lifted over the tab. I also removed the spring washer and left it off as the rod needs more movement to swing in the angle of the hood opening. I also bent the hood bracket out slightly so the rod could more easily follow the angle of the hood as the rod slides through the latch hole.

I suggest you remove the inner wheel well panel if it is just bolted in, remove the tire and mock the brackets up with tape and then test it out before you drill any holes. The rod needs to slide easily through the whole range of motion. You can bend the end down on the ramp slightly if you have to. I used stainless steel screws and bolts.

Accuracy really counts so take your time. You can slightly angle the latch bracket as long as the hood cannot hit it when closed, and if you have room to drill the rear hole.

Added:
I also added a 1/8" piece of aluminum behind the latch bracket so when the hood is closed it moves the rod slightly away from the inside edge of the hood opening. I also drilled some clearance holes in the wheel well inner panel to clear the back side nuts that hold the latch bracket.

[Akimbeau]

Wayne, thank you so much for the photos and the very complete directions. The photo of the tape measurement made me weep! Drilling into the fiberglass is a "get it right the first time" endeavor and your help will definitely make that possible for me.

Redmt...I understand what you're saying. And believe me, my desire to take on this kind of vehicle was exactly for the reasons you stated.... I enjoy working on something where modifications are the norm. Given a couple more hours and perhaps scratching my paint trying to experiment with clamping parts into place and possibly drilling holes that are just shy of being correct, I could have successfully installed the support. If the instructions WERE available should I simply cast them aside and declare, "I'm working on a Cobra, I need no stinking instructions!" ? Or should I glean as much info as possible from them, make whatever adjustments are necessary due to the differences that are inherent in these cars, complete the job in as little time as possible and then go drive the frickin thing! You make a good point that there will be challenging times ahead for me with some of the mods I have planned, and I take your advice to heart. I will remember your warnings to more frustrations ahead and when I do encounter them I will merely chant "Redmit said this would be so!" Perhaps working on Cobras will make us all more patient and therefore make the world a better place in which to live.

Kim

[Wbulk]

Above I said I would move the hood bracket down another 1/2" if I was doing it again. In thinking about this a little more, just moving the rear of the latch bracket down a slight amount would give you more benefit. If you look at the front long slot, as the rod slides back it can also bind at the top when it hits the very back ramp. Remember you don't want to drop the front anymore as that is counter productive. The front just wants to be a little lower than the hood when closed. That being said the benefit of still moving the hood bracket down another 1/2" is to insure that you hit steel in at least the lower hole allowing for a machine screw. But with production variances the steel may still not be there. Note that bracket is closer to the inside to where the steel may, could, or should be.

[spf645]

Originally Posted by redmt

Not to be a smart ass but what are you going to do when you run into a real problem that you don't have the knowledge to solve? Are you going to blame your inability to figure out a problem on the supplier of the part? There's a certain level of mechanical ability and the correct application of force required to build and repair these cars. Your going to find that the majority of the parts for these cars are not model specific but rather a one size fits all if you can figure out how to make it fit.

After reading through to post #9, I just had to step out and have a break. And have only began to read these post tonight. Thanks again redmt for your reply in post #10. Scrolled down when I sat back down to read more, and there it was. What a blessing, Don't think I could have been as humble as you.

[redmt]

I get a real kick out of working on these things. It's as fun as it is frustrating. I can fully understand the frustration level I can't count the times I've shook my head with "are you kidding me?" I usually walk away and come back to it later. I did a Wilwood brake upgrade on a Coupe and it was as far from plug and play as you can get. EVERYTHING was custom fit. I had to make brackets to retro fit the E-brake, which is no longer called an emergency brake, it's now a parking brake which works great if your on dead flat ground and there is no breeze. All the rotor hats have to be re-drilled and so on yet it is touted as complete and ready to bolt on. The kit was neither. BTW, it didn't come with any instructions either. As an answer to the OP's question, no I wouldn't have just thrown the instructions away. I would have tried to use them as a guide line for installation but only as a guideline.

[BAsque1]

Originally Posted by Akimbeau

Strictlypersonal , thank you for posting the illustration on the hood prop rod! It confirmed that I was headed in the right direction but was afraid that mounting the rod so close to the hood hinge would put too much strain on the mounting points. With Wayne's photos and instructions, soon to come I hope, I'll feel confident in drilling holes in my hood for mounting points. Any idea how far from the front of the hood the prop rod bracket mounts?

Seajet2 and Redmt, I have heard some very nice comments about the customer service at F L and will continue to do business with them. I'm sorry if my frustration sounded harsh...not sure I would call it a "trashing" though. Jackie kindly returned my cry for help email this morning with as much help as she could but her main suggestion was to search the Internet for answers or call Bryan at B & B, which isn't going to help much because its the weekend (the only time I get to work on the car) as well as Bryan sold B & B and is no longer there. AND it's not his part, it's Finished Line's part and I believe, their responsibility to supply as much info as possible BEFORE the install. The illustration that Strictlypersonal posted is a clear example of what could have been included with the rod. Larry's comment about the differences between cars is a good one...it would be difficult to be exact on operation and placement for all vehicles...but not impossible to include some kind of generic guidance. It appears that they have been selling this rod for several years and I'm sure they've gotten feedback of customer's experiences. To include an illustration and learned guidance with the product will most assuredly cut down on customer frustration, frequent customer service calls and the situation I faced which was no ability to install at a time that F L was closed without hours of online research. This should of been a 30 min install with proper guidance.
Customer support is not just about helping with problems customers encounter after-the-fact but mostly about supplying what the customer needs before hand so there is little need for help later.

Kim

Kim:
I must agree with you, some parts suppliers assume that the installer has full knowledge of all these procedures to install, replace these items.

While there is a level of knowledge that is expected that does not mean we all have it all. God bless if you do.

I did to experience a bit of a problem, albeit corrected by FL, with the license plate bracket in stainless steel. The fabrication was all wrong on how it was tooled the cuts allowed for the frame to bend and split broken risking loosing your license plate. I had it replaced but eventually had to get mig weld a plate at the seam to avoid future problems.

When it comes to customer service I must agree wholeheartedly, prevention of problems with customers and service are "non-plus-ultra" you must provide that in order to retain customers.

I have never had any other issues with FL and they are an excellent supplier.
Basque 1

[Z-linkCobra]

Having spent the last 6 yrs building an EM cobra it would have been nice to at least be able to make a phone call and ask the intention of this or that. As with most of you guys I have modified or scrapped at started from scratch many parts. Its one of the things I have most enjoyed about building my cobra.

Kim, take your time and don't let your frustration ruin a good paint job or your day. Its not like you have to drive this thing to work on Monday morning.

Just some thoughts