[beach10222]

hope someone can help me, I am having trouble getting a hood to fit on a 50 ford 4 dr. It looks like it has been replaced recently and and the owner said he heard it blew open on the guy he bought it from. I was told that there is a method for adjustment but I can't find any info. on it anywhere.
Thank's, Dave Johnson

[KULTULZ]

That procedure is given in the appropriate year shop manual. Because of the hinge design, it is fairly complicated.

Does it appear the hinges were damaged or worn?

[MARTINSR]

I don't remember ever aligning the hood on one so it may be different than other cars. Look at the following text and study the "theory" of how the hood alignment works and look at your car to see if it would do the job. I believe if memory serves me those hinges are basically like all others where it is a combination of pivots that simply form an "imaginary" pivot off the rear of the hood. The hinge has to be "rotated" rear word to lower the hood at the rear for instance.

http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?p=413681

Describe what is happening and post a photo of a hinge.

Brian

[powerrodsmike]

alot of times fitting hoods on those cars can be complicated by the bracing being broken, coming loose from the outer panel etc. You say the hood blew open. I would check all of the reinforcing structure first. If the reinforcement is weak or broken the hinge springs will push the hood all over the place,and alignment is impossible. Hope this helps, mikey

[MARTINSR]

Mike is very right, I forgot about that little tidbit "The hood flew open". "Springing" a hood, door or trunk can cause SERIOUS and strange damage that is hard to detect and repair. It can also cause what appears to be SERIOUS and strange damage that a pro could repair (sometimes) in a few seconds.

Soooooo, if you can't align it out using simple alignment techniques, take it to a body shop and let them look at it.

Unfortunetly I have found that a LOT of todays bodymen don't know the theorys explained in the link I posted! So it may take a few before you get a guy who can do it for you.

Brian

[powerrodsmike]

Brian-That is a very informative piece you wrote for the camaro board. Your technical writing skills are second to none. That piece should be put here in the knowledge base as well if it has not already.
I had a customer with a 41 chevy bring me his car complaining about no one being able to get his hood to fit. He took it to 3 different "experts". They all spent alot of time and money trying to get it to fit and shut properly. I opened the hood, saw that the bracing was cracked in the middle and had pulled loose from the outer panel @ the hinge mount on one side. I pointed it out to my customer. He took it home and welded it up himself. He got his hood fitted in less than 1 hour himself.
I like jobs like that.
Mikey
Edit- that damage was obvious and easily seen. (even by me)
many times sprung hoods and the effects of metal fatigue are not that easy to see. If this is the case it will take a trained eye to find it. M

[beach10222]

Thank all of you for your help and sharing your experience and knoledge. I decided I needed more info. on this job so I talked to the previous owners again and found out that the hood is a 1950 but the hinge and cross brace is a 1949 also the hood was made with 4 holes per side but the hinge and brace had only 3 per side, knowing this made me realize that when the car was designed different dies were made for each year with no thought as to where the slotted hood holes would be from year to year ( I had been trying to use existing slotted hood holes with out cutting or filing) so I just hogged out my own set of holes shimmed one hinge assembly out from the body made some tar paper shims to go between the brace and hood and it is now well within the ballpark alignment wise.Thank's again.