I have a 68 400 hood and my body shop guy tells me I need new springs. I remember seeing a post here about 1970's trans am springs working very well, if not better, than original springs. Does anyone know about this?
dont know about those....but know tat 80s Volvo 240 inner hood springs work well, fished into existing GM springs.....dont buy the OER ones, i did, lasted 6 months
Kurt, I'm not sure which springs people have tried, but I can tell you that I was the one that posted about using the 70-81 Firebird hood springs.
I originally bought the repro 1967-1969 springs from Ames, and after changing them out, the hood still drooped about 6 inches when fully open.
A friend of mine, who has a compiled a little warehouse in his basement of factory GM NOS parts he bought over the last 25 years (everything is in GM packages), had a few sets of GM hood springs. He has two 1979 Trans Am's, both 400 4-speed cars, one is in the process of am ground up resto.
Anyway, I took my original springs (probably been on the car since 1969), the Ames 1967-1969 spring (which were identical to the originals), and asked my friend to see one of his NOS 1970-1981 hood springs. The 1970-1981 springs were shorter by about an 2 inches. That's exactly what I was looking for. They worked perfectly. Going on 12 years now, and my hood still stays up perfectly.
I recommended these springs to another friend of mine who has two show winning 1969 Firebird 400's. While he doesn't drive his cars, he does show them all the time, which means his hood is always open. He too suffered from hood droop, which was irritating because he had factory NOS GM hood springs and hinges. I told him about the 1970-1981 Firebird springs, he bought 2 sets for his 2 Birds, and his problem was solved.
Here are a couple photos of the 1967-1969 spring (top) and the 1970-1981 spring (bottom). You can see the 1970-1981 spring is shorter, which means it's tighter (the wire diameter is the same), and they worked perfectly on the 1969 hood. These pics were from The Parts Place website.
I added the extra Volvo springs inside my regular springs, like Bjorn suggested. It took me a while to find the Volvo springs though. Even here in Sweden, Volvos from the eighties are scarce in the junk yards. Here are a couple of pictures of the springs when they are mounted inside the regular springs.
2012 Mustang Boss 302 #1918, Competition Orange. FGF replacement 2006 Mustang V6 Pony, Vista Blue. Factory ordered. 2019 BMW X3 (Titled to the wife, but I'm always driving it for her. So I'm claiming it) Old projects, gone but not forgotten: 1967 FB 400, original CA car. After 22 years of work, trashed by the guy who was supposed to paint it. I had to sell it. 1980 Turbo Trans Am 1970 Mustang fastback, 351C 4Bbl, auto 1988 Mustang GT, 5 speed 1983 F-150 4x4, built 302 1994 Chevy K2500 HD 4x4, 454 TBI
I added the extra Volvo springs inside my regular springs, like Bjorn suggested. It took me a while to find the Volvo springs though. Even here in Sweden, Volvos from the eighties are scarce in the junk yards. Here are a couple of pictures of the springs when they are mounted inside the regular springs.
While the 70-81 springs are shorter, they're not any harder to install than regular springs.
Hood springs are very easy to install.
1) Hook the back end of the new spring around the rear of the hinge. 2) Take an old fan belt, hook it to the front of the spring eye. Pull towards you. 3) Hook the spring eye to front of the hinge.
All done!
Removing the hood springs is just as easy, using the fan belt method.
2012 Mustang Boss 302 #1918, Competition Orange. FGF replacement 2006 Mustang V6 Pony, Vista Blue. Factory ordered. 2019 BMW X3 (Titled to the wife, but I'm always driving it for her. So I'm claiming it) Old projects, gone but not forgotten: 1967 FB 400, original CA car. After 22 years of work, trashed by the guy who was supposed to paint it. I had to sell it. 1980 Turbo Trans Am 1970 Mustang fastback, 351C 4Bbl, auto 1988 Mustang GT, 5 speed 1983 F-150 4x4, built 302 1994 Chevy K2500 HD 4x4, 454 TBI
The second gen springs worked! Full height opening, no droop!!!
Which was a problem this weekend. F*#@!.
Last year, I placed in the Caliente Annual Car Show. I replaced springs Saturday, did the Caliente Car Show Sunday. I've put $20k+ into my car since their last show (new interior, red line tires, detailed engine compartment, etc).
I missed placing by 1 point.
Judges reviewed. Twice.
They opined that the single point lost was due to the underside of my hood looking dirty - not being freshly painted and not having insulation.
If only I still had my droop, they wouldn't have seen it.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!
1968 Firebird 400 Convertible Original: Engine, Intake manifold, Heads, Body, Stereo, 3.08. THM400. Engine rebuilt by Ken Keefer early 2012. New: Holley 4bbl 670 HP, hidden iPod setup, RobbMC mini starter, A/C, front disc brakes
Would it have been on all cars except Ram Air cars?
1968 400 Coupe, verdoro green, black vinyl top 1968 400 Convertible, verdoro green, black top 1971 Trans Am, cameo white, auto 1970 Buick Skylark Custom Convertible 350-4(driver)
yes, why? I dont think hood insulation was stock....just satin black underside...those judges probably wamted you to have it painted body color too! lol
Dudes... the judges said the underside of my hood looked dusty. Ugh.
well, if you had been parked next to mine, it wouldnt have!! LOL
either case, i dont give much for some "judgers" anyway...at one show I was at , APAs show in Galveston 3 or 4 yrs ago, one of the judges asked me "whats that"? pointing ti the cocktail shakers in the trunk!!
Thought I'd share my experience today. I purchased a pair of OER reman hood springs for 2nd Gen Camaro/Firebird to put on my 68, hoping for Liam's success.
Fail.
They don't even come CLOSE to holding my hood up LOL! This did NOT work for me at all...these are EXTREMELY weak springs.
I counted the coils...24 coils on the OER springs, 28 coils on my older factory springs which still hold the hood up fine but droop about 6 to 10 inches. When relaxed, the OER springs are shorter by about 1/2 inch or so, and using calipers the diameter of the wire is 0.26 vs 0.23 for my older springs. Based on all that, I thought for SURE they'd hold stronger. Wrong.
Anywho...before other lemmings might follow off this cliff, be warned this approach this didn't work for me AT ALL. I put the old ones back on with 6 to 10 inch droop and will probably Ebay off these brand new OER's to someone who has a 2nd Gen...
Might try the Volvo spring thing next if I can find a pair, presumably with better success...
Close to me is a person that rebuilds and custom makes his hinge parts. I had been in contact with him about rebuilding my hinges. He claims his parts are a lot better then the repro one out there. I'm thinking about letting him do mine.
He sells a GM firebird 29 coil spring count for 35.00.
Here is the information he sent me on hinges
"We can rebuild all 4 of your door hinges for 135.00, plus shipping charges. That gets them back to you in bare metal or in primer, with all new hardened GM door hinge pins, our own custom made oil-lite bronze bushings and 2 custom made detent rollers, which are hardened and have an oil-lite bronze sleeve for ease of motion. We can rebuild your hood hinges for 150.00, plus shipping, which gets them back to you with 14 new rivets, and in bare metal or primer, lubed with white lithium grease in between all metal to metal movement areas and under the rivets, when pressed into place. We also sell the new GM Firebird hood springs for 35.00 a set. They are 29 coil count hood springs, just like your original springs and help the rebuilt hinges work in uni-some. We have a few coating options as well if interested, we do a Zinc Phosphate spray finish, which cost 20.00 additional dollars for the hinges and springs. Zinc Phosphate is the closest we can do to original GM Phosphate. We also have a cast blast if you prefer a lighter shade of grey for the same price. Satin , semi-gloss and gloss blacks are also 20.00 for the spray finish. Powder coating is our most durable coating which runs 75.00 for the hinges and springs."
If everything he says is true, then its a no brainer. Ask him if he guarentees his coatings. Just the prep time to cleanup, strip and prime the hinges makes it worthwhile.
you know you can still get springs from gm parts direct.just put the part number in the search box,i bought a set and they worked great but i also bought a pair of rebuilt hood hinges from a guy on ebay.gm parts direct has the springs (3848272) for $10.10 each.
Well Happy Easter to me! Today wife and I were visiting a museum in town, and on our way home our driving route happened to drive right past my local Pic-A-Part...
With a beautiful 60 degree sunny day, and wife being a curious trooper who had never seen the inside of one of these fine establishments, and they being surprisingly open for business on an Easter Sunday, we decided to pay our $2 per person admission and go for a lovely stroll thru this oil and antifreeze slicked theme park seeking Volvos...
Less than 60 seconds into our little walk, there was a line-up of about a dozen old Volvos all nicely clumped together, and ONE of the cars was a 1990 240 model, with hood standing wide open and a pair of beautiful hood springs with the elusive internal helper springs staring right back at me! So I fished the shoe lace out of my shoe as a pulling tool, asked wife to keep the hood from falling on my head, popped them off, and paid another $4 to the cashier for the pair as we walked out the door...
Took me about 2 minutes to fish them into my existing springs after returning home and they work fantastically! Hood now stands proud with maybe 1 inch droop or less! $8 well-spent!
I did check the other Volvos before leaving, thinking I'd scavenge any others remaining for you fine folks here on this board, but there were no other 240's in the lineup...so they only had the single pair, which I shall greedily hoard for myself...
He is risen indeed! And also now is my Bird's hood!
Summary of my experience with the hood spring thing: Brand new OER Second Gen springs DID NOT WORK. But Volvo helper springs thru the middle of correct First Gen springs DID WORK.
And for clarification, no need to pigeon hole your search for these springs by seeking "early 80's 240's" as stated earlier: I did a little research that might help widen your search...the Volvo 240 and 260 series with this dual inner/outer spring setup was produced in the same body style from 1975 - 1993. 240 is by and large the most popular model, but depending on where in the world you are living, model names may also include 240, 242, 244, 245, 260, 262, 264, 265.
An Ebayer I contacted earlier in my search just sent me a note to let me know he had listed these. I don't need them anymore but maybe some of you do? First come first serve...and to the second peson who misses out on them, contact the same Ebayer and there's a good chance he'll list another pair for ya...I do not know this seller. But given his Ebay name of "volvorecycledrelics" I have a strong feeling he would be an easy and very regular source for the Volvo 240 springs:
I thought my hinges were bad, I replaced my old hinges and springs with those hinges and springs from Ames and they lasted 6 months, repo parts are such a pain. So it's the springs you know I did notice how loose they are(springs), I could remove them by hand. Thanks for the heads up, now I know what to do, Get 70-81 TA hood springs.
I think the route cause is worn out hinges. The hinge is designed to hold the hood up (fully upright position) not the spring.
The spring helps you lift the hood up from the closed position. This is where the most effort is needed to lift the hood.
When the hood is the upright position, the springs are at rest (zero tension). So if they designed the device to hold the hood up with the springs then why are the springs not extended at upright position?
I believe the hinge design is what does the trick, however, those old hinges wear out and thus stop working at the upright position.
I would get your original hinges rebuilt and buy original springs from GM (still available).
Btw, my 65 Pontiac hinges are designed the opposite way. The springs are extended as you open the hood. Hood stays up but when you let that puppy down ... watch out ... bang ... they goes your fingers!
Engine Test Stand Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoxyUwptUcdqEb-o2ArqyiUaHW0G_C88 restoring my 1968 Firebird 400 HO convertible (Firedawg) 1965 Pontiac Catalina Safari Wagon 389 TriPower (Catwagon) 1999 JD AWS LX Lawn tractor 17hp (my daily driver) 2006 Sequoia 2017 Murano (wife's car) 202? Electric car 203? 68 Firebird /w electric engine 2007 Bayliner 175 runabout /w 3.0L Mercuiser__________________________________________________________
When installing the helper springs do you connect the end to the same point as the original spring, or do you connect the hook to the coil of the main spring?? Thanks
Took me about 2 minutes to fish them into my existing springs after returning home and they work fantastically! Hood now stands proud with maybe 1 inch droop or less! $8 well-spent!
He is risen indeed! And also now is my Bird's hood!
Volvo helper springs thru the middle of correct First Gen springs DID WORK.
Took me about 2 minutes to fish them into my existing springs after returning home and they work fantastically! Hood now stands proud with maybe 1 inch droop or less! $8 well-spent!
He is risen indeed! And also now is my Bird's hood!
Volvo helper springs thru the middle of correct First Gen springs DID WORK.
this was my experience.
Glad it worked for everyone! I was happy w mine ....
