Last night we attempted to put the hood back on my '58. I wasn't surprised we had problems for the old hinge's (which I'm trying to find in my garage) holes were rounded out, actually looked more like "figure 8's". That being said, my old setup work flawlessly but the brackets were worn and had play at the pivot points. The new hinges I bought from Paragon seemed to be marked wrong with the "L" and "R". The "L" must be on the passanger's side for the "wing" that goes into the hood to be outboard of the radiator and line up. We seem to be 1/2 screw hole off at the radiator with the bolt hole on each side. My question is if more than just an adjustment is needed by redrilling some holes, the norm? Also, what is the easiest or least awkward way to line these hoods up, the hinges fastened to the hood first or radiator first? Awkward is the key word here. Glad they're not heavy. Feel like all thumbs...for weeks.

 

can't answer for the bolt hole alignment problems you are having, but as for ling it up and setting the position and proper gaps all the way around this is what I did on my '78 when I was putting the hood back on (having a second person to help and hold the opposite side is a HUGE help:

1. bolted the hinges to the car
2. carefully, so as not to scratch anything, had my helper (wife in my case) lifted the hood up and held it in the up position and threaded the 4 bolts in to connect the hood to the hinges. Only made the bolts snug, not tight. This way the hood can be somewhat adjusted my moving it but not move just by itself on it's own weight.
3. very carefully start to lower the hood down, making sure the front edge of the hood doesn't hit the rear edge of the front of the surround.
4. with the hood down but not locked into the lock catches look at the gaps on all sides of the hood. Since the hood-to-hinge bolts are snug but not tight you can now push or pull as needed on the hood to adjust for proper gaps on all sides.
5. once you have the gaps even all the way around, very carefully open the hood again so as not to move it's position against the hinge and tighten the all the bolts.
6. lower the hood again to recheck it didn't move and gaps are still even and now push down to lock hood in the catches to make sure they are aligned correctly and it catches and locks easily and also will release correctly. for me, never having done it before, this was the scary part since if the alignment on the lock catches was correct it might have locked down but not released when the release handle was pulled and trying to unlock a C3 hood from underneath is not fun.

On my '65 when it was at the painter I was there when he was reinstalling the hood and his method was pretty much identical so I'd imagine the adjustment for proper hood alignment is pretty much the same for your C1.

 

This is closing the barn door after all the horses left, but I always, and I mean always, on any car,, took a very fine pointed sharp awl, and scribed an outline of the hinges where they attached to the hood, and the radiator support prior to removing the hood.

The scribed line can be seen through a mild repaint.

On the Corvette, I then attached the hinges to the hood, while the hood was upside down on the floor, tightenened them, then used a helper to position the hinged hood to the rad support enought to get all three bolts in on each side, then, one side at a time, lined up the scribed lines to the hinges, everything lines up perfect, everytime, and nobody sees the scribed lines.

If you have a basket case, or didn't scribe, Barrys directions are as good as any.

Doug

 

If I was doing a "first time" hood fit, I'd remove the hood latches and center the hood in the opening where I wanted it. Then add the latches fitting them to the hood and maintaining the fit. Some make the mistake of trying to fit the hood, keep adjusting and adjusting, only to find when they close the hood, it jumps right back where it was. That's why you need to remove the latches with a virgin fit process.

Your modified hinges are probably the results of a poor opening and the modification allowed the hood to fit or get "best fit".

Just remember when it comes to fitting the hood, it gets what's left. Sometimes, you have to "give some to get some" because the opening is not adjustable. Just the hood.

 

All the above is good info - I also put a double layer of blue painters tape around the whole hood surround so when the inevitable 'touch' occurs there is no chipping.

 

Not quite lined up yet but we got closer. The blue tape is a great idea and I'm glad I put it on. Thanks all for the help.

 

Well its hard to get 'em perfect - probably weren't that great from the factory. Even after hours of fussing and many expletives my hood fit is just 'acceptable'. (Dips down in one spot in front on the right in this picture or else the front clip has a hump in it!) When I started out it was rubbing so much on the passenger side fender it took the paint off -- that's fixed at least.

 

Your front panel seems to have a hump.

You will probably find evidence of a long ago repair somewhere underneath it, or at teh join of the fender and front panel.

Doug

 

yup, I see it too......looking at the car on the right-middle side in front of the hood

 

I hear you folks -- but I looked that area over closely when I replaced the grille and can't find any signs of a fix....and the 2nd 'T' in the word 'Corvette' is just slightly higher than the first 'T'...some say this is a sign of an original front clip...