1966 Ford Mustang Hood Hinges - The Last Word

Here you can see the old and... 

   

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Here you can see the old and the new hinges side by side. The new hinge by Fesler Billet looks much nicer, and has a lot more adjustability than the stock piece for better fitment. The strut that replaces the spring is specially valved for either a stock or fiberglass hood. We're using the stock hood for now, but the strut can easily be swapped out down the road if our plans change.

We're building in an era where it seems that most everything has already been done, and it takes something really special, expensive, or ridiculous, to stand out. It's easy for big-name shops with deep-pocket clients to get the pricey extravagant parts. For us, it's more difficult to have an impressive product on a blue-collar hobbyist's budget. That's why I look at the details.

This month, I gutted the engine bay of my '66 Mustang, project Street Fighter. With all the parts on the ground next to the car, I could really inspect them and think of how they could be improved. Most of the parts I took off just needed to be cleaned up, and some really needed to be replaced. The worst of the parts were the hood hinges. They had been subject to who knows how many layers of overspray and grime over the years. The problem with hinges is that they are assembled in a way that makes them really difficult to clean and refinish, so replacement is the best option.

I spotted a really clean '66 Mustang at the Del Mar Goodguys show last month, and got closer to take some pictures of it. I asked the neighboring booth whose car it was so I could get them to pop the hood for more pictures. When we got the hood opened I first noticed the really interesting flattened stack fuel injection system, and then the black-anodized hood hinges. I asked the gentleman who opened the hood for me where he got them and he pointed back at the booth I pulled him from and said, "We make them." We headed back to the booth where they had most of their products on display.

The company, Felser Billet, is primarily a builder of Pro Touring and resto-mod muscle cars, including the Mustang I was drawn to at the show. These cars require special parts, and instead of outsourcing these items, Fesler Built started producing high-end billet accessories under their name, Fesler Billet. My favorite product on display by far was the black anodized hood hinges. Apart from those, they have dozens of other products including trunk hinges, fender braces, emblems, door vents, door strikers, body mounts, engine mounts, raised washers, taillight bezels, headlight bezels, and wheels.

Application Guide
Here are the all the models, years, finishes, and prices for hood hinges by Fesler Billet. The price listed is for natural finish. Polished, brushed, black, or clear anodized is an additional $80-$90, depending on the model.