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DLinson
08-21-2004, 09:11 PM
More frustrating bad news again with the fiberglass hood. I've completed all of the body work top and bottom and it's been fully block sanded. It looks good until I bolt in the grill and test fit everything before the final prime and paint. The freaking front lip is all screwed up. There is a 1/2" gap between the grill at the pass end, about a 1_1/2" gap in the center, and it is hitting the grill on the drivers end. The top of the grill is even with the bumper and the bumper is even with the tops of the fenders. It is definitely the front lip of the hood.

I am planning on cutting off the front lip and set it up where I want it relative to the grill and then graft it back to the rest of the hood. Unfortunately, it may require extra cuts and bends in order to get the lip parallel to the top of the grill.

I'm open to any suggestions anyone may have for a better way to fix it. I don't know when I'm going to start cutting as this is really frustrating. I'm taking a break for a few days.

And I thought the entire care was ready for its final coat of urethane primer and wet sanding in preperation for the paint.

This is the second fiber glass hood I bought, this one was from US Body Source. The first one was from Unlimited and it was pathetic. This one required a lot of work to get it to line up with the fenders and cowl. I should have known it would fit with the grill and headlight bezels.

:banghead:

Thanks,
Dennis Linson

parsonsj
08-22-2004, 05:07 AM
Dennis, that sucks. Sorry to hear about your troubles. The 62-65 hood grill fitment seems problematic even from the factory. I don't wonder if the simpler "hood over grill" arrangement of the 66-67 design was because GM had a hard time getting the fitment right on the original cars.

FWIW, my Harwood fits really well. The only issue with it is that the back lip has a pretty large radius and leaves a bigger gap than the fenders against the cowl. But that pales next to what you are dealing with.

Sometimes you gotta walk away and think about problems before a solution comes to you. The only problem with me is that it keeps me awake at night!

Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

jp

Randy75
08-23-2004, 07:22 PM
Sorry Dennis, but from what you describe, that sounds like the only option. Either that or try another hood. Do you have your orignal hood around yet to try it just to make sure it is the hood? You don't want to do all that work and find out that it's not the hood. Just be careful as to not make the front of the hood to look out of place because you add to the one side. Take some pics and we may be able to help. I would still try the other hood though.

RatMalibu
08-23-2004, 08:44 PM
I doubt you'll want to pitch what you've already worked on and start again but you might be better off if it is the hood......from what I've seen and heard these guys http://www.glasstek.com/ make some very high quality stuff.....I have an unlimited hood on my Malibu that I bought about 10 years ago and really can't complain about, but I've heard that everything they make is junk now and plan on buying a hood from Glasstek when the time comes

DLinson
08-24-2004, 10:24 AM
I definitely won't be pitching this hood. I have about 40 to 50 hours in it already getting it to match the cowl and fenders, clearance for the fuel injection, smoothing out the complete under side, and all of the block sanding top and bottom.

I did exagerate a little on the gap dimensions, I was a little ticked at the time I posted. I'm still ticked just have stepped back and gathered myself a little.

The hood really has about 3/8 gap at the passenger end, about 5/8 to 3/4 gap in the center, and interferes by about 1/4 inch on the driver end. It will still require me to cut off the entire front edge and graph it back on. There is a body line on the front lip of the hood. If I were to just shave off the bottom to match the grill, it would screw that up.

This is just another obsticle that I really didn't need. It seems like this car is never going to get done. This is why the smart guys pay someone else to do all of their body and paint work.

Thanks guys,

Dennis Linson