Hood Alignment Help
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Northfield MN
Hood Alignment Help
No matter what I do, I can't seem to get the hood to sit straight. I've been adjusting it with the hinges loose but every time I straighten the hood, it sits too close on the passenger side. If I push it towards the driver's side, it sits crooked. The whole front clip is already on the car, I just need to get the hood back on. Does anyone know of any tricks or easier ways to adjust the hood? I have a 78 L82 if that helps.
Thanks
Thanks
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Northfield MN
I'll try and get some pics. I do not know if the hood was aligned before the front clip was installed. The front clip is perfectly aligned to the car. The previous owner replaced the front clip but the hood looks original. Can I align it with the front clip on the car?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
you should be able to adjust it out if the clip is on there straight. Sounds like the latches in the rear need to be moved over a bit. Take the latches off and then try your alignment
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
OK, then loosen up the hinges completely and see if you can get the thing to set in there square, then carefully lift the hood just far enough to snug down a couple bolts and recheck. I don't know, but the shims under the hinge may give you a hard time if they are not right.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 1
From: AL
maybe enlist a helper; if everything is installed as it should be, then you should be able to loosen the appropriate bolts, make a slight adjustment or add/remove shims, etc., and pretty soon have it line up. a helper saves some sanity through it all.
if this doesn't work, then something else is going on . . .
if this doesn't work, then something else is going on . . .
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,560
Likes: 439
From: Wellington, FL
St. Jude Donor '11 thru '25
Maybe I'm missing something here, but I can't imagine trying to install and align a hood on a Vette by myself.
Last edited by Jud Chapin; Aug 29, 2007 at 05:01 PM.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 1
From: AL
there was a post sometime back where a gentleman pulled the body off the frame by himself, so . . .
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,560
Likes: 439
From: Wellington, FL
St. Jude Donor '11 thru '25
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Northfield MN
You're right about that one. I could not imagine doing this by myself. There are two of us and that is barely enough.
How are the hood shims supposed to work? I thought that they just adjust the height not the alignment of the hood. Am I supposed to use them to shift the hood left/right?
How are the hood shims supposed to work? I thought that they just adjust the height not the alignment of the hood. Am I supposed to use them to shift the hood left/right?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,560
Likes: 439
From: Wellington, FL
St. Jude Donor '11 thru '25
You're right about that one. I could not imagine doing this by myself. There are two of us and that is barely enough.
How are the hood shims supposed to work? I thought that they just adjust the height not the alignment of the hood. Am I supposed to use them to shift the hood left/right?
How are the hood shims supposed to work? I thought that they just adjust the height not the alignment of the hood. Am I supposed to use them to shift the hood left/right?
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 43
Likes: 5
From: hammonton nj
hey joe, when you say it gets crooked when you push the hood toward the driver side, do you mean your gap distance is uneven all the way around, or does the hood lift or lower in some places where it shouldn't? the reason i ask is because i had my hood off for several months and had it standing against the wall on its' side and it got warped. when i put it back on it just didn't fit right. with everything installed, i had over to adjust it (if you know what i mean-extra shims where it was too low and no shims where they normally would be), i carefully forced it closed as not to crack anything, i let it sit for serveral days in my heated garage (the sun may be faster), and then i took out the extra shims i put here and there and it went back to shape and fits good...so you may have some warping going although it is hard to tell without seeing myself...just something to keep in mind...hope this helps///good luck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,126
Likes: 0
From: Hudson Falls, N.Y. 76 Vette Modified L-48
I had a crooked hood also, aligned it myself, took 5 or 6 tries...I had to move it more to the driver side, loosened top bolt and bottom bolt just slightly, enough to barely move the hood and slowly loosened bottom until the hood dropped slightly, tighted bottom, checked it, repeated until it was straight....it can be done 
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
If I remember, it's about thirty trips around the front of the car tweaking and adjusting. Just get the hood on, and start there. Yes, I got the hood on by myself too using a hood prop. I set the hood down in the valley where the hose of the hood is too big to fit through. I use a towel to avoid hard contact. Then, I prop up the top of the hood with a broom stock. Then, bolt on one bolt on one side, then one on the other, then the other, then the other on the other side.
Then it just comes down to adjusting.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,560
Likes: 439
From: Wellington, FL
St. Jude Donor '11 thru '25
If I remember, it's about thirty trips around the front of the car tweaking and adjusting. Just get the hood on, and start there. Yes, I got the hood on by myself too using a hood prop. I set the hood down in the valley where the hose of the hood is too big to fit through. I use a towel to avoid hard contact. Then, I prop up the top of the hood with a broom stock. Then, bolt on one bolt on one side, then one on the other, then the other, then the other on the other side.
Then it just comes down to adjusting.
Then it just comes down to adjusting.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri