Hood fit

[EScanlon]

..... I've adjusted the hood hinges down as far as they will go and the fenders are already as high as they will go." So there is no more room for movement down on the hood or up on the fenders....

I think you'd be surprised at how much the sugar scoops can STILL move.

I'm willing to bet that if you loosen the sugar scoop bolts on the inside of the fender as well as the two that clamp the headlight / fender support and for grins the first one / two of the fender, then pushed UP on the bottom edge of the sugarscoop, you'd get that edge that aligns with the hood's front edge to be ABOVE the hood's.

That's what you're looking for isn't it? Ask Beandip about this, we just did this on his car, and that's EXACTLY what we did.

FWIW

Enrique

[ZSaint]

Did you ever solve this hood alignment problem? I have a similar problem with my '71 Z. I put the same hood on the car with the same hinges. I bead blasted the hinges and media blasted the hood. It was all painted and was put back together. The hood now is above the sugar scoops at the front of the hood. I have adjusted all of the hinge ajustments. I got closer but not the fit I had before the restoration.

It sounds like I need to loosen the bolts on the fenders and buckets and try to raise the fenders and buckets. Is this the correct method? Sugar scoops are the buckets, correct?

[riggzola]

ZSaint,

I worked on the alignment of the headlight buckets a little. I do believe that I have other front end problems because I noticed that one had some hairline cracks near the top back corner where they meet with the fender and the hood. I'm still suspecting that maybe one or both of the supports is bent. I'm going to hold off on working on it for awhile because 1) I don't want to crack those buckets anymore and 2) I'm probably going to repaint next year sometime. If I repaint I'll be able to disassemble the whole front end and start over.

I believe that if you loosen the bolts on the buckets and fenders that you'll get the alignment you want. Check out EScanlon's directions below. Yes the headlight buckets are often called sugar scoops.

Definitely let me know what you find out.

[ZSaint]

Riggzola/EScanlon: I have checked my hood carefully. The hinges are down as far as the bumper brackets will allow. I noticed that these bumper brackets are punched with the (mounting) holes off-center. Someone suggested that I may have put these front bumper brackets on right to left/left to right. Does anyone remember if these brackets are marked "R" and "L"? Can I turn these brackets over and have the smaller/thinner side up? This will allow another 1/2" of travel on the hinges. I do not want to take the bumper off and find out these brackets do not interchange. I plan on taking them off today if they do in fact work on either side. I see that they have them marked in the parts book 'L' and 'R'. I wonder if I mixed them up?

[240 in OZ]

The brackets arent marked L and R. The correct mounting position is with the short side to the top, meaning that when they are mounted to the car the bolts are located closer to the top edge of the bracket rather than the lower edge of the bracket.

Hope this helps.

Joseph

[ZSaint]

I finally have the hood fitted. I removed the grill, took the bumper off and turned the brackets over, left to right. I had clearance on the hinges now. After making that change I still had hood alignment problems. I thought the hood did not adjust where it mounts to the hinge. We had moved the hinge as far down and forward as we could get it. We found a HUGE amount of play at the hood mount. We loosened the hood there and moved the hood forward (Pointing the front of the hood down) and tightened the hood. Wham! The hood finally fit. I remember one of the guys (Beandip) reminding us of that: There are two places for adjustment... The hinge and the hood mount. Everyone must remember that the next time "hood adjustment" comes up on this forum. Also, remind all that those bumper brackets will fit side to side but, they need to be bolted in with the thinner side up. These are the two bits of info people need when they install the hood and bumper.