Ok all you body shop guys, I have 2 hoods needing cut and repaired. One needs the rear area replaced and the other needs the front replaced. Both are rusted from the underside. I have an old flat hood that is rusted in the front and good in the back. after looking at it and measuring 12 inches from the hole located toward the front from the hinge slot, the cuts required would only be 4. Since I have never ever done anything like this I dont won't to ruin a hood. Is the rim of the hood welded or is it just rolled over and crimped? can the edge be lifted up to get the frame skeleton out? I have watched the rebuid shows and seen them grind the edge off, but the replacement skins are wide enough to dolly the edge back over. Robert
Robert, it is hard to say without seeing. I would probably cut across both the inner and outer and butt weld back together. That is how I fixed Daves hood, but it was the front edge.
Ill post a picture of both hoods when I get home. dont have any here at work. Ok got pictures.....guess next time I buy a "good" hood I need to check the hinge area and not just the front of the hood. To me it looks like it will be easier to do 4 cuts that 6. Robert
this is more difficult than i had hoped. I got the black line cut in about 15 mins, then I took a small chisle to the seam and got it started but the area between the seam and the frame skeleton is so close I can't get any farther. Guess I need to get a door skin removal tool. Robert
Not sure if I understand correctly. Tom an I skinned a hood for the drag queen, We took a torch an heated the area between the skin an "frame" to soften the glue. Then the skin separated from the frame or skeleton. Frame an skin is glued very well together. Hope this helps and I am understanding right. Thinking I know now on the seam, edge of skin you are referring too. There was some seam sealer in there also. Little bit of heat may help that also. Good Luck
yep, the edge of the hood is folded around the frame. I found this https://www.autobodytoolmart.com/p-10870-13314.aspx The rear frame is taller than the front. I looked around the forum for a write up on doing this but could not find anything. I am going to take a lot of pictures and do a step by step write up.....that is if I get it right. Robert
If I understand correctly you are not wanting to cut the outside skin at all? I know a hood that I took apart had at least 4 spot welds across the back egde. I don't know about the sides as I was only interested in the center section, but it would be better to drill out those spot welds to get it apart because by the time you get those welds apart you will have created more work in trying to straighten the edge than just welding up the holes. Hope this makes sense. Also, I don't think I would cut that far up the webbing unless it is bad that far up. Just go past the hinge area and cut it in a "U" shape, being up the sides and across the back.
A body man I am not......this will be a learning experience. Not to mention a few selected words. ward, I see where you are coming from, less metal work around the edge but more welding on the frame. I didnt know if there were spot welds. guess i will get out the roloc wheels and remove the paint to see if there are any and drill them out. Here is where i got to last night. the donor hood has a good skin but the front frame is toast...almost completly rottened away. If i didnt want to damage the top I would have just gotten the grinder out and cut the lip off. I figured I would use the donor hood to learn how to get the edge rolled back before I start on the grabber hood. would rather screw up the donor learning than the grabber hood. Robert
got the donor section removed. I went to several auto body stores around here and they didnt have a skin removal tool. Found a write up on removing a door skin using a pair of large flush cut pliers. I had a set of tile stips that worked ok but left some ripples on the top in some places. guess I will have to learn to do some dolly work, time to get out the books and do some reading. Robert
Robert, I have never used a skin removal tool. I just grind the edge till it splits, remove skin, then apply new skin. Then comes the hammer and dolly and welding. Reading the books is a great idea. That is what I have always done in my life. Read, practice, goof, redo, goof, redo, cuss, cuss, redo, Done!! Pretty well explains how I learn new things. Dan
I talked to a guy whos father had done that on his grabber hood. he replaced the entire skeleton. I hit the edge with a scotchbrite grinder pad to revil the spot welds, then use a spot weld cutting bit, which worked well, got them at harbor freight. They have a nice tool at eastwood http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=10466&itemType=PRODUCT I looked at local stores to no aval. I may order this one so i dont ruin the grabber hood. Robert
Robert, your approach is the best way to go. With a grabber hood, you will be glad you did it that way. Dan
I am taking lots of pictures so I will put together a write-up with step by step how I did it. The back looks easier that the front. Robert
You are doing it the right way. My guy patched my hood and it looks 100% better than it did, but he had problems with the edge drawing in from the heat of the weld. Having a donor hood is the best choice. Don
