The stock hood on my C5 coupe has a slight bulge at its very front, just above the "crossed flags" emblem. The bulge is a gradual, symmetrical progression, beginning about 12" either side of the center point and progressing to the center point of the hood - the highest point of the bulge - where it is about 1/8 " high- just enough to be very noticeable (and annoying). It creates the illusion that my baby has an overbite.

Hood fitment is fine everywhere else - side seems are even (front to back), each seem looks to be of even width, the rear alignment on both sides snugs right up to the fenders, and front alignment on both sides (where the points of the hood meet the headlight covers and front bumper) seems to be fine.

I bought the car 18 months ago, but just begain to notice the bulge over the past three or four months (and since I wax it a couple of times a month, I would certainly have noticed the bulge had it been there before this summer). The car has never been in a wreck (hell, it only had 2,800 miles on it when I bought it, having been "parked in a barn" in Abilene, TX since it was new).

The only "under the hood" mod I have made that could be triggering this bulge is the installation of an FIPK K&N CAI, a mod I completed 15 months ago. (OK - I have also installed LT headers, a new cam and heads, but none of those should be causing this problem.) Could it be that the FIPK air bridge is sticking up too high, thus causing the bulge? (I question whether the FIPK is the culprit, however, since it was installed almost 12 months prior to the time the bulge began to be noticeable.) Anyone else ever experience this problem after installing the FIPK air bridge?

Regardless, does anyone have a suggestion how I can realign the front tip of the hood without screwing up the alignment everywhere else?




The "Currently Bucktoothed" Lizzard

 

My car has the bulge also. I didn't notice the bulge when I bought the car but I did notice the hood alignment was slightly off with the fenders. The car had a cyclone intake installed and when I looked up some info on it the first step in installing the intake was to "remove the hood".

I went to a friends shop and had the hood realigned and after that I notice the bulge one morning when the sun hit it just right. I don't know if it was there before or after the alignment. It's not glaringly noticeable unless you're looking it for it but I know it's there.

I thought to loosen the hinges and move them outwards alleviating the stress and bulge on the hood but then I would need to mess with the rest of the hood alignment again. That was a pain in itself. I may just live with the slight bulge.

 

Well, stay tuned. We may both learn something.

 

Is the air bridge stock? Can you see where it might be hitting the underhood insulation? It will leave an indentation if it is.

 

After installing a aftermarket hood I had a similar situation. I pulled the attachment plugs that held the nose.......and inserted various amounts of rubber washers until the nose matched the buldge in the hood....afterwards the plugs may not be able to be inserted....but the outer plugs hold everything in with no problems.....the long and short of it to shim it until it matches the hood.....its easy.

 

I seem to recall under the front fascia is an adjustable support, You have to take the front fascia off, adjust and rehang the facsia to test the fit.

 

It's just the hood alignment. I just went out and fixed my bulge. The hinges are too far pushed together so the center is put under stress and bulges when closed. When trying to align the fender gaps move the hood as a whole and not just one hinge inboard.

I fixed my bulge and realigned my hood but the driverside vender gap is about 1/4" wider than the passenger side gap. The whole hood needs to be moved over towards the driverside just a hair but I got tired trying to keep the the rest of it aligned and moving the hinges back and forth. I think I'm tapped out on the driverside movement anyway.

 

My problem is the sides of the hood are not lining up with the fenders, the hood is higher on both sides, and the adjustment screw rubbers are below what they should be making all 4 other corners seem too low now, but I have to have it that way so the sides don't stick up too far, as of now they are both about 1.4 to 1/2 inch higher than the fenders, does anybody know how to fix this problem?