How do you close your hood?

[dfrazz]

The other day at the end of a show I was watching all the owners of these beautiful classic and muscle cars close their hood in different ways. Some just drop the hood from 2'+ up, some slam it, and others gently close it. I have always slowly closed it to the safety latch and then just push it down shut. I'm not even sure this is the proper way. So how do you close your hood? Obviously, fiberglass hoods are a whole different topic.

 

[Cranky]

The other day at the end of a show I was watching all the owners of these beautiful classic and muscle cars close their hood in different ways. Some just drop the hood from 2'+ up, some slam it, and others gently close it. I have always slowly closed it to the safety latch and then just push it down shut. I'm not even sure this is the proper way. So how do you close your hood? Obviously, fiberglass hoods are a whole different topic.

Always made sure my hood didn't have to be slammed....put down and push it until it clicks. ALL of my cars were and are like that....trunk lid AND doors are the same way!

 

[dadsbee]

I use to shudder watching the "Jay Leno" drop.... but have 4 cars that get that now vs denting the hood forcing them down. Wife's 67 Formula S is the worst. Drop it, or dent it!

 

[Cranky]

I use to shudder watching the "Jay Leno" drop.... but have 4 cars that get that now vs denting the hood forcing them down. Wife's 67 Formula S is the worst. Drop it, or dent it!

No adjustment helps??

 

[eldubb440]

If things are adjusted properly, it requires very little effort...... If the weight of the hood clicks it shut from a couple inches, there is no need to push on it

 

[RemCharger]

I use to shudder watching the "Jay Leno" drop.... but have 4 cars that get that now vs denting the hood forcing them down. Wife's 67 Formula S is the worst. Drop it, or dent it!

If things are adjusted properly, it requires very little effort...... If the weight of the hood clicks it shut from a couple inches, there is no need to push on it

Just need to find the sweet spot. There's also a spring there for whatever that's worth..

 

[eldubb440]

Just need to find the sweet spot. There's also a spring there for whatever that's worth..

it should rest on the rubber stops with no up/down play.......if you have to slam your hood, raise the latch a little

 

[Lefty71]

If you dont slam it, somebody else will lol. Doors too. Can you guys tell this is a pet peeve of mine??

 

[Dennis H]

Yep. Varies by adjustment. Mine requires a 2’ gentle drop. The owner knows. Don’t ever close a hood that you do not own.

 

[eldubb440]

If you dont slam it, somebody else will lol. Doors too. Can you guys tell this is a pet peeve of mine??

when it comes to doors, I use the term "click, click" ....... cause that's all it should take

 

[Kern Dog]

I close them all the same, even the ratty cars that I have. I lower them down to the first latch, then push them closed.

 

[R413]

Door slammers, they drive me crazy. And the gently set the hood down and push? WTF? Why is that any good? Dents and cracked filler if you don't know what's under that paint.

Want a better question? When was the last time you lubed your latches and hinges?

 

[Kern Dog]

"Why is that any good ?"
How is this difficult to understand? Have you ever dealt with hinges that are not perfect? I've had cars with hinges like you see on E bodies and 71-74 B bodies. They allow some amount of fore/aft and lateral movement that could pose a bit of a problem if the hoods are slammed shut.
I don't slam the hood in one shot. I'd worry about the edge of the hood maybe touching the fenders and chipping the paint.
My latches are not dried out rusty junk so it does not take much to push the hood closed.

 

[33 IMP]

I carry it over to the car, try to align it with the rear pins first then let the front down gently till I can get my fingers out from under.
Then I put the four hairpins in..... if I remembered to get them out from under the hood first.
On the white car, I just grab whichever half is open by the handles, carefully guide it down past the spare tire, and attach the two rubber bands.

 

[Pecos Bill]

I push mine closed, then lift up to make sure it's latched.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

My Audi had soft close doors. You just latched them and the car closed it the rest of the way. Should make soft close hoods.

 

[MarPar]

when it comes to doors, I use the term "click, click" ....... cause that's all it should take

Click click vs snick snick? lol

Either way, positive engagement is the goal

 

[Some Car Guy]

I guide it down and let go from about 18” and it fully closes without a push.

I compulsively check for it to be latched. I bought a 69 rr one time. Had the car up to about 90 on test drive. Put in trailer and hauled it home. I don’t remember the sequence that followed exactly, but somehow that hood came up in the first drive at about 35 mph. It was flat closed. Looked to be latched. Obviously it wasn’t. How it stayed down at 90 is a total mystery. That’s been haunting me for about 25 years now. I double check EVERY hood I ever put down. All of them. Every time. All.

 

[hunt2elk]

Curious if any of you guys are using a weaker pop up spring? I have mine removed from both my 1969 cars because of how much pressure it takes to compress them. I was worried about eventually distorting the hoods. With them removed, the hoods close perfect and easy.

 

[Outlawd]

Lower slowly to the safety latch then gently push it to closed....every time, every car I own. No dents, no problems.