Larry Callahan
06-09-2007, 08:58 PM
Recently, I had the chance to install one of the coolest new pro-touring products currently on the market: Ringbrothers (http://www.ringbrothers.com/) billet hood hinges. These hinges are truly a work of art. As the General Manager of an aerospace machine shop, I am well versed in various forms of metal production and fabrication, and I must note that these hinges are of the nicest billet pieces I have ever seen. They are not only aesthetically pleasing (read: look awesome!), but they work really well, and simply put, are just a bitchin’ part.
As the hinges were shipped to the aerospace shop I manage, I took the opportunity to take them around and show them off to some of my co-workers. Though the layman might not appreciate the beautiful machine work and craftsmanship, the general consensus around the shop was—wow! Everyone (myself included) was very impressed with the quality of the product. When I told everyone that these were hood hinges for a ’68 Camaro, and not the intricate workings of a robotic arm, or a part for a spacecraft, jaws dropped. These hinges are the real deal, and an excellent upgrade from the old, crusty stamped steel hinges they replaced. Mustang owners needn’t worry—the hinges are available for early mustangs, as well as first generation Camaros and Firebirds.
https://www.pro-touring.com/advertisers/ringbros/hinge-on-hood.jpg
The interchangeable gas shocks on the hinges act as both a feature of function and convenience: the hinges can be ordered with shocks valved for the weight of a steel, fiberglass or carbon fiber hood. As any motorhead knows, a project is never “done” as parts are always being altered and upgraded. If one was to swap from a steel hood to fiberglass, or vice versa, the only alteration necessary to the hinges is a simple shock swap.
My ’68 Camaro is still sporting the original steel hood, but as I’m on the tall side, I was able to remove the hood, install the hinges and reinstall the hood by myself. I simply unbolted and removed the hood, pitched the old steel hinges in the recycle bin, and bolted the new Ring Brothers hinges on. New (and upgraded) hardware is included with the hinges, so there’s no need to run out to the local hardware store. Note: there are two different length bolts included with the hinges—make certain that the longer bolts are installed into the fender and not the hood. Once the hood was bolted back on, it took just a few minutes of minor adjustments, and everything was lined up perfectly.
In less than 30 minutes, I went from this:
https://www.pro-touring.com/advertisers/ringbros/old-hinge.jpg
To this:
https://www.pro-touring.com/advertisers/ringbros/new-hinge.jpg
These billet hood hinges are just one of the awesome products that the Ring Brothers manufacture.
Check out their website:www.ringbrothers.com (http://www.ringbrothers.com) for lots of other cool products, and information on some of the incredible cars they have built (I can still recall the first time I saw "Reactor" at SEMA: it is absolutely amazing. I still can't get over the amount of mill and lathe work that went into that car.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
This is the first interactive product review and install on pro-touring.com; there are more to follow. Please feel free to respond with any questions or comments you may have. If I can't answer your questions, I'm sure Nick from Ringbros can.
As the hinges were shipped to the aerospace shop I manage, I took the opportunity to take them around and show them off to some of my co-workers. Though the layman might not appreciate the beautiful machine work and craftsmanship, the general consensus around the shop was—wow! Everyone (myself included) was very impressed with the quality of the product. When I told everyone that these were hood hinges for a ’68 Camaro, and not the intricate workings of a robotic arm, or a part for a spacecraft, jaws dropped. These hinges are the real deal, and an excellent upgrade from the old, crusty stamped steel hinges they replaced. Mustang owners needn’t worry—the hinges are available for early mustangs, as well as first generation Camaros and Firebirds.
https://www.pro-touring.com/advertisers/ringbros/hinge-on-hood.jpg
The interchangeable gas shocks on the hinges act as both a feature of function and convenience: the hinges can be ordered with shocks valved for the weight of a steel, fiberglass or carbon fiber hood. As any motorhead knows, a project is never “done” as parts are always being altered and upgraded. If one was to swap from a steel hood to fiberglass, or vice versa, the only alteration necessary to the hinges is a simple shock swap.
My ’68 Camaro is still sporting the original steel hood, but as I’m on the tall side, I was able to remove the hood, install the hinges and reinstall the hood by myself. I simply unbolted and removed the hood, pitched the old steel hinges in the recycle bin, and bolted the new Ring Brothers hinges on. New (and upgraded) hardware is included with the hinges, so there’s no need to run out to the local hardware store. Note: there are two different length bolts included with the hinges—make certain that the longer bolts are installed into the fender and not the hood. Once the hood was bolted back on, it took just a few minutes of minor adjustments, and everything was lined up perfectly.
In less than 30 minutes, I went from this:
https://www.pro-touring.com/advertisers/ringbros/old-hinge.jpg
To this:
https://www.pro-touring.com/advertisers/ringbros/new-hinge.jpg
These billet hood hinges are just one of the awesome products that the Ring Brothers manufacture.
Check out their website:www.ringbrothers.com (http://www.ringbrothers.com) for lots of other cool products, and information on some of the incredible cars they have built (I can still recall the first time I saw "Reactor" at SEMA: it is absolutely amazing. I still can't get over the amount of mill and lathe work that went into that car.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
This is the first interactive product review and install on pro-touring.com; there are more to follow. Please feel free to respond with any questions or comments you may have. If I can't answer your questions, I'm sure Nick from Ringbros can.