Are there any aftermarket hoods that open like "normal" cars?

[newman]

I don't really care enough to write another long-winded response. I couldn't care less what you do to your own car, but (and correct me if I'm wrong here) you are talking down on a design of a car because it's not extremely conducive to working on the front of the motor after you've extensively modified the engine bay. Dude, Hansel the engineer didn't think about you dropping an RB26 in their car when they were designing it. Doesn't make it a poor design.

And as for why what you're doing is gay, imagine buying a Koenigsegg, then converting the doors to open regularly. It's just a cool part of the car, something that makes it unique, that is a subtle defining point of an old BMW--and you're turning it mainstream.

That's all.

If the doors on the koenigsegg inconvenienced me enough and I had the money and the time, I sure as shit would. But I doubt that the doors would hinder much.

And it doesn't matter what motor is in the BMW, there is a lot of service that could quickly be handled simply by popping the hood, not removing it. Adjusting timing gears, for example, would be WAY easier to do from the front of the car.

[newman]

Groma Fabrications did it on their V8 car.



You could shoot them an email and see if they tell you how they did it. In my years of browsing e30 parts though, I have never seen a rear hinge hood kit. It's going to have to be something else for you to make yourself.

Thank you for your information!

[kronus]

You guys argue about the most inane shit.

Newman, I think e28 hood hinges are your ticket.

[everlast]

FYI, I read in a Road and Track article YEARS ago that the front hinged hood was great for track use, and you could pop the hood while still moving into the paddock area without any fear of it lifting up to vent heat. I do that now after a tough turbo run.

With your swap, is most of the goodies you'll have to work on at the front of the motor? I can see wanting to swap if so. I still prefer the front hinge since most of the attention is near the middle / back of the motor.

E28 hood hinge pictures on RealOEM really do look like they'd work out with some drilling and messing about. I also see the e28 hood strut is called a "Gas pressurized spring" so it could be used to "pop" the hood up when you unlatch it. The E30 latch would likely work just fine.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=DC74&mospid=47231&btnr=41_0447&hg=41&fg=35