Pre 1973 hood hinges
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,031
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
Pre 1973 hood hinges
Anyone know where I can get CORRECT hood hinges for a short hood car? GM only shows one part number and those are for the longer hood cars. I've bought a set of hinges and a used hood in good shape (mine had been repaired for some reason before I got the car) and I can't get the darn thing to fit. It fits just like my old one, the point at the front of the hood is almost 1/2 inch too high, and that is after shimming the back of the hinges up nearly 1/2 inch.
I've got a '69 small block if that makes any difference.
I've got a '69 small block if that makes any difference.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 15,133
Likes: 477
From: NM
Re: Pre 1973 hood hinges (91mongoose)
As far as I can tell the 68-82 hinge was the same. Is it sitting right in the hinge area? Have seen previous post with the same hood fit problem and it seems to be fairly common. Involves making minor cuts in support under hood and bending hood down to fit. Don't have details, maybe a search can find the instructions.
tom...
tom...
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,031
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
Re: Pre 1973 hood hinges (Tom73)
I guess it could be. Here's what I know, though. I bought the car in high school and when the oil pump quit I started a body off the frame resto (yes, it was a stupid idea.) About 7 years later I still didn't have it completely finished, all it lacked was the interior being assembled and the paint being finished. I had to move out of state so I sold it to another guy in the local vette club. At that point it had the original hinges and the hood fit fine, but the hinges were really sloppy. The guy I sold it to bought new hinges (from dr. rebuild) and threw the old ones away.
I moved back and he got Z06 fever and sold the car back to me. The hood doesn't fit right. I buy new hinges from my GM dealer in case the dr. rebuild ones were off. That doesn't fix it. So I undid some body work that was done on the hood while the car was apart. Still no good. So I bought a hood from a '71 off of the forum and it fits the same as my original hood.
I'll look for info on bending the hood. Now that I've got two to work with I can afford to play with one.
I moved back and he got Z06 fever and sold the car back to me. The hood doesn't fit right. I buy new hinges from my GM dealer in case the dr. rebuild ones were off. That doesn't fix it. So I undid some body work that was done on the hood while the car was apart. Still no good. So I bought a hood from a '71 off of the forum and it fits the same as my original hood.
I'll look for info on bending the hood. Now that I've got two to work with I can afford to play with one.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 2,845
Likes: 2
From: Apex NC
Re: Pre 1973 hood hinges (91mongoose)
I believe I'd rather start hacking on the hinges rather than the hood. See if you can drop the pivot point of the hinge down to make the front of the hood sit lower. That's what I'm doing on my '69.
Shannon
Shannon
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,038
Likes: 3
From: Clinton IL
Re: Pre 1973 hood hinges (91mongoose)
My hood fit bad as well. However, I was installing an after market short hood on an Eckler front clip and Corvette Central front inner fenders and a Paragon core support. All this on top of the orginal frame.
My hood was too high in the front center. I did three things. One, I actually put the hinges on the bench grinder and milled off the bottoms as much as possible where they bolt to the car. I also chiseled out the mounting point on the car. Finally, I sloted the bolts as much as possible.
Now, the hood will also sit too high in the front if you don't have the gasket and proper hood latch alignment in the rear. IN other words, if the rear of the hood is too low in the car, the front will be too high.
This is the beauty and the pain of these machines. Nothing fits right the first time, and if it does something has to be wrong.
My hood was too high in the front center. I did three things. One, I actually put the hinges on the bench grinder and milled off the bottoms as much as possible where they bolt to the car. I also chiseled out the mounting point on the car. Finally, I sloted the bolts as much as possible.
Now, the hood will also sit too high in the front if you don't have the gasket and proper hood latch alignment in the rear. IN other words, if the rear of the hood is too low in the car, the front will be too high.
This is the beauty and the pain of these machines. Nothing fits right the first time, and if it does something has to be wrong.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 529
Likes: 39
From: Cumming Ga
Re: Pre 1973 hood hinges (91mongoose)
Guys, the 68 through 71 hood supports all mount in the same location. 72 hoods are unique in that they started using the second generation supports that mount in a different location. 73 and later hoods are longer and also used the later support.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 15,133
Likes: 477
From: NM
Re: Pre 1973 hood hinges (72vetteman)
Guys, the 68 through 71 hood supports all mount in the same location. 72 hoods are unique in that they started using the second generation supports that mount in a different location. 73 and later hoods are longer and also used the later support.
tom...
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,031
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
Re: Pre 1973 hood hinges (flynhi)
flynhi, you have mail.
In the mean time I cut 2 small slits completely through the fiberglass brace that supports the hood surface, one on either side if the nose of the hood. I put 1 piece of 1/8" x 1" x ~5" steel through each slit. The effect is they catch the metal support on the body just in front of the hood and hold the nose down in the proper position. The slits will be easy enough to remove once I get the correct fix figured out.
In the mean time I cut 2 small slits completely through the fiberglass brace that supports the hood surface, one on either side if the nose of the hood. I put 1 piece of 1/8" x 1" x ~5" steel through each slit. The effect is they catch the metal support on the body just in front of the hood and hold the nose down in the proper position. The slits will be easy enough to remove once I get the correct fix figured out.
