What to do when the hood former is a little bent?
The one side of the hood former on this 1912 is slightly bend forward and maybe slightly torqued. Enough to make the hood scrape against it when I lift it up.
Can a machine shop straighten it out? I will give a vender a call tomorrow and ask them if they take trades or fix them but would like to handle it myself first.
Thank you in advance! Bob
Please post some pictures. My first thought is to borrow or buy some fender and body dollies and hammers and fix them yourself. Some Chinese stuff from Harbor Freight would be inexpensive.
The hood former is very light steel pressed part, should be easy to just hand bend the places where the hood strikes if as you say the former is only slightly bent. A padded jaw on a pair of vice grips or Crescent wrench pinched on the edge of the hood former can be a good way of bending back to shape gently.
If that doesn't work, then resort to removing the hood former and have it shaped back with dolly and hammer. A body shop will charge big $$ for such a little job you could probably do, but if reluctant then take the part to a body shop along with your hood.
It looks pretty straight in the pictures. Other things can also cause a problem with fit of the hood. If the frame sags the hood will be closer at top than at the bottom. If the frame sags on one side, it would move the top of the hood former in the direction of the sag so the hood would fit differently on one side than on the other. If the radiator is not exactly straight with the top hood support bracket off to one side, it could also cause a problem with the fit and lastly the length of the support rod could cause the top of the radiator to be too far or too close and also cause a hood fit problem.
So be sure the hood former is the cause of the problem before you start bending or replacing it.
Norm
Robert, when you have done all the fiddling you think is needed with the former, and the hood still does not quite fit, you can file some off the edge of the aluminium hood. custom fit your hood to your car.
hope this helps.
Allan from down under.