'Glass hood prep

[parsonsj]

Alright all you body guys. I have a couple of questions about my Harwood fiberglass hood.
1. It came with 1" lips pointing down around all the edges. They are big enough to affect the body gaps with cowl and fenders. Is it OK to cut those back to 1/4" or so?
2. Is there any prep steps I can take (or to be accurate, David Sloan can take) to reduce any future shrinkage issues? I don't want my hood looking all "weathered" a year after it's painted.

thanks!
jp