• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Irritated with 64 hood alignment

miller

Well-Known Member
Local time
12:44 AM
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
4,081
Reaction score
2,016
Location
Tom Bean,Texas
Made another attempt to straighten the alignment on my 64 Sport Fury hood.

The hood is not the original off the car, but shouldn't make any :mad: difference. Both fenders are lined and gaped right, with the rest of the body.
Besides the rear of the hood's 'bow' being higher, the driver's side of the hood, has a gap of more than 1/4". Passenger side is good, with the fore/aft alignment bolts halfway in the hinge slots.

Yes, had to remove the cowl plate for rust repair. But, it went back on fine, correct location, windshield seam right.

There is no aft adjustment on the driver's side. Alignment bolts fully to the rear of the hinge slots. WTF? Both hood hinges are original to the car, and 'seem' in good shape. I'm missing something here...but what? Hinge bad?

Any ideas?
Thanks!
 
I've had some success with lowering the cowl end by loosening the hood bolts a bit and having someone push upward on the front, then tighten.
I'm not a body expert but you may need to resort to shims.
 
I'm not a body expert but you may need to resort to shims.
Shims? Where?
I have the normal shims on the front fenders, to get things located.

Thanks on maybe raising the front of the hood. I'll try it. Still, from side to side, for the hinges, big difference.
When the car was down, and apart, did all the frame measuring for being square. It was good.

Thanks!
 
I played with the shimming the side rubber bumpers on my 64. I could push the hood
Sideways that way. I added hard rubber on the sides under the side bumpers. Hope that might help you.
 
Take the time and measure the width between the front and the back of the fenders. Measure the hood width front to back and do the math. You may need to play with the hood seams to bring in the gaps.
 
Thanks for the ideas! Yep, gonna break out the measuring tape, and see what I find.

Yesterday, using cardboard boxes and a block of wood, I got the weight of the hood off that hinge. Then re-adjusted the hinge. Both hinges are adjusted fully down. Fore to aft is good on the passenger side, middle of the slots. Rear gap is 1/8" there.
Driver's side (one re-adjusted) is a different story. Aft is against the end of the slot, and 1/4" gap.
In effect, that puts the front of the hood slightly to one side, messing with the latch hook-up.
All new rubber bumpers.

Also going to measure the hinges, to see if there's any difference.

Unfortunately, yesterday I had to get another lupan shot, for cancer. It's going to knock me down for a few days...typical. Hard to walk, sit, so on.
 
Thanks for the ideas! Yep, gonna break out the measuring tape, and see what I find.

Yesterday, using cardboard boxes and a block of wood, I got the weight of the hood off that hinge. Then re-adjusted the hinge. Both hinges are adjusted fully down. Fore to aft is good on the passenger side, middle of the slots. Rear gap is 1/8" there.
Driver's side (one re-adjusted) is a different story. Aft is against the end of the slot, and 1/4" gap.
In effect, that puts the front of the hood slightly to one side, messing with the latch hook-up.
All new rubber bumpers.

Also going to measure the hinges, to see if there's any difference.

Unfortunately, yesterday I had to get another lupan shot, for cancer. It's going to knock me down for a few days...typical. Hard to walk, sit, so on.
Take care of yourself first, the car can wait otherwise what's the point. My general rule of thumb for gap widths is 5mm (around 3/16) If you have a 1/8 on one side and a 1/4 on the other you may be dealing with an out of square front clip.
 
If you have a 1/8 on one side and a 1/4 on the other you may be dealing with an out of square front clip.
Appreciate that, 68Moparmaniac.

Starting to wonder that myself. I had this car completely down, far as it could go, and did frame measuring, and the like. Throws me off, why the different fore/aft on each hinge. When I can, going to take a hard look at it all.
 
Just final comments on this. Sorry, no pics...dang camera battery is dead, and the charger is no where to be found.

Squareness of the hood, front fenders, is good to 1/8". Both hinges are good, driver's side being the best of the two. Don't know why, from all the measurements, still no adjustment on the driver's side. 1/4" gap.
Sooo...letting my wild hair loose! Going to put my rat tail file to work, and add to the rear of the hinge slots, and be done with it!

Also pulled the hood, for the rear edge being too high. On a work table, 2 x 4 under the hinge pads, clamped the center rear of it, to flex out the arc. Sat like that for 3 days. Managed to lower it a 1/4". Still plenty of flex there, but I'll live with it.
 
More black coffee.
Remembered, son gave me a hand with this. Hood off, we pulled both hinges down, where they would be when the hood was closed. Driver's side is 1/2" farther forward, than the pass side, at the slotted plates. ??

But, the hinge bases measure the same, from the firewall.
 
If your getting a different measurement from a fixed point ,opened to closed ,side to side then I would think it's gotta be in one of the hinges ( or different spring tension rates?) . Seems like everything else is a fixed,know number.Maybe try switching springs side to side if you think there was a chance they got mixed up?. I may be wrong but another vote for rat tail work.
 
Thanks, Dan64!

Yep, as far as I know, the hinges are original to the car. Fixed! Via the rat tail file, only needed 1/4" added.
Hood lines up now, latch more lined up, and it closes sooo much easier!
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top