I've seen this on a few cars, including mine and I'm really not sure what causes it. Is this normal on these cars or are the stops maybe moving from vibration and causing the hood to get deformed after multiple open/closes?
Here's a pic that makes it really visible (sorry if this is your car!):
(http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd334/fannie20/mandapictures066.jpg)
I dunno what causes it, but I CAN say that both my stock hood, and the certa-fit "TC" hood both look(ed) like that...
it's a small pic, but look in my sig at mine...it's shiznitty, but it's not a Ford TC hood, so :punchballs::hick:
There are multiple adjustments for that sort of thing. The hood stops on the radiator core support can be adjusted up or down. In theory. They were difficult to move when the cars were new; as time progresses they're near impossible to move at all. Nonetheless it is an adjustment. Vise-Grips and WD-40 recommended. ;)
Also, the way that the hood bolts to the hinges is another adjustment at the back of the hood. Owners of cars with factory spring-loaded hood hinges have additional bump-stops on the hinges.
there is also another large adjustment: hood-to-fender. Loosening the fender bolts and moving the panel can yield tighter gaps along the side of the hood.
Don't forget about the alignment of the hood to the header panel. The main hood latch can be moved up or down also, although you have to be very careful when you do that. But that is an adjustment at the front of the hood.
Yup is it mostly in those adjustments. I takes times but you can get if if you work at it. The hardest part is lining everything back up to line up right!
Well, if you look at the pic, you can see the hood is actually angled different than the header panel. It's not so much that it's out of adjustment. I'm more wondering about how the hood gets deformed in the first place.
You sure the battery not hittin it?If not its all ajustable.
the fender may be out of alignment too on that one side.
the hood looks lower all the way along the fender.
or the hood is to low on the pass side.
the front will form to whatever it's bolted down to, to a point.
It can all be fixed to look perfect. just a lot of adjusting.
and if that doesn't work. toss a 2x4 under 1 side and warp the hood to match. LOL ..J/K
J/K nothing, I've done it :hick:
I think these cars came factory with shiznitty hood fitment. I definitely see more with poor fitment than I do with good fitment. I was determined to make my TC hood fit my car, and after several hours of fussing I think it came out OK, considering I don't know what the hell I'm doing (the shadows in the pic make it look worse than it actually is):
I've done it to.
........and doors
Yeah, I haven't used 2X4's on doors, but I've used my knee. First generation Saturns had a problem with water leaks - water would get between the door and the rubber and drip on your knee. GM issued a TSB on how to repair the problem: Open the door, place your knee against the inner panel, grab the window frame, and pull. Literally, we were to bend the door so that the window frame part seated tighter against the rubber. The best part of the TSB was the statement "Although this is a proper and legitimate repair it is recommended that the technician perform this procedure out of view of customers". It would be kinda hard to explain, I guess...
kitzdnm, that's not my car; but if it was, no, because the battery wouldn't be in the front. :D And besides that, that hood actually has gaps that get progressively larger on each side. If you raise or lower one side to make it better the other side would get worse.
Anyway, guess I was just curious why I see so many cars with mis-shapen hoods (not mis-aligned which was a problem I already understood)
It might be just a bad overall panel alignment.
my doors were misaligned from the factory, until last month when I replaced them.
could be a replacement hood.
I also noticed some differences between the bird and cougar quarters.. could be bad stamping.
body lines on the bird are a lot crisper then the ones on my cougar.
just things I have noticed in rebuilding my car.
I don't think quality control was at the top of the list, depending on where the cars came from. there were also interior panels that weren't welded from the factory on my car
huh, that's interesting. It's amazing how far all the automotive tooling and what not has come since our cars were built. Guess it's up to us to fix that as much as we can! :D
And don't forget all the twisting and flexing the car has done in the last 20 years. somethings got to not line up after that many years
Oh yeah! LOL so that's why my passenger door is low and sticks out 1/2" on the bottom (toward the back side if it)?
Mabe you need to use the 2x4 LOL
I actually started a while back but never finished! Eastwood also sells a tool made just for doing this on doors... after I inspect the door for rust I'll either buy the tool or a new door!
Found it! They even mention the wonderful 2x4 :D
http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=10412&itemType=PRODUCT
the door aligning tool?
I was looking at that before I put the doors on.
I have plenty of 2x4s LOL
yup, i think I posted the link while you were typiing, look above... guess you've seen it already, but it looks cool
get the gap gauge too
I adjusted my header up in the center - it can be adjusted up and will flex a bit!
I've adjusted the center latch lower & side adjusters up to further help fix a situation like shown in the O/P. The hood will also flex a bit.
There are also many adjustments to the hinges that effect not just the rear of the hood as mentioned previously.
You can re-shim the fender if you need to raise or lower it in places for best alignment with the edge of the hood.
I had tons of shims on the pass. side of my car. none on the other
I have that too. I just passed mine off as a tweaked hood. It will make me feel better when I cut it up (has a bent corner anyways). I'm sure my whold front is all out of line. When I replaced my fender I just made it close with the door as possible and went off that. The Front of my car has been in 2 accidents ( header panel& Bumper, Fender) so Im sure its knocked out.
After I filed down my A/C bracket it closed much better but not when I get on it around a turn it pushes the scoop up and it cracked it already.
Im just waiting for the repaint and Ill get it all flush then.