[Superdutymike27]

Hey guy's.

I'm new to the hotrodder scene and recently purchased a 1957 Chevy Truck. The truck is a great driver and real head turner but needs some cosmetic work which i am excited to learn and plan on doing this work over the winter months. The photo attached, I hope it is attached, is probably the worst alignment on the truck and it just bugs the hell out of me. The rest of the work on the truck for me should be fairly simple, brakes, wood bed and headlight ajustments. I have watched some video's on you tube but I think I would trust the help of you folks here a little more not that the info their is bad but I know alot of you guy's really now your stuff as I have lurked for long time.

Almost forgot to mention, it's the gap where the hood and the passenger fender meet.

Any helpful tips our advice would be great!

Thanks,

Mike

[tech69]

you can either reposition the hood or shift the nose over a tad. Looks like both will help as it appears to be a pretty small gap on the other side in the front. From the looks of it I don't imagine much movement up top on your fender and it also looks like addressing it at the hood would help on the other side as well.

To shift the hood loosen the right hinge to the hood and bring the hood back a tad or move your hinge towards the driver's side and tighten. If the hood sits flush to the fender up front on that side than go to the driver's side hinge and push the hood forward or towards yourself and tighten. Can also semi loosen all the hinge bolts and shift it around with your hands while closed, then carefully lift the hood up enough to get a tool in there to tighten it up.

Before doing that I would check to see if the nose is square by doing some cross measuring from a bolt in the back of the fender to one in the front on the other fender. If it's not square it will most likely need to shift towards the driver's side. You can do that by loosening the bolts on your supports and holding it in place while tightening. But only do this if it's not square.

[Superdutymike27]

Thanks Tech.

I have also noticed that OEM hood hinges are very weak and the firewall they are attached to seems very flimsly and thought this might be part of the problem? I was thinking going with a nice set of billit hinges but I feel these might be only as good as what they are attached to (firewall). Or go with the hinges to make your hood tilt forward when opening, thus starting over with hood placement?

I'll print your instructions when I get home this afternoon and keep you posted.

I have also noticed in the past that when I close the hood after opening, the alway's tends to lift up toward the windshield and I have to force it back into place.