Fix strategy for (common?) broken hood on '71?

Where my hood support attaches to the hood on the left side something
bad happened. My guess is that while it was up either the wind or
someone leaning against it partially cracked the inner fiberglass of
the hood and pushed the hood support mounting plate partially into the
fiberglass hood. The crack follows the perimeter of the hood support
plate that fastens to the hood and is maybe 50% around w/ the
remaining 50% still 'barely' holding the hood support.

Is this a very common problem?

Are there any recommended strategies to fix it?

I was thinking of two possible solutions:

A) force the pushed in part back out to where it's flush again (which
will probably slightly worsen it but no way round that) and somehow
re-fiberglass it or maybe even cut it out altogether and refiberlgass
it in and paint black again... Problem is it's impossible to have any
access to the 'backside' of where the hood support broke thru...

B) some sort of slightly oversized metal plate that conforms around
the inner support ridge of the hood and the support bolts to the
reinforcement plate and spreads the load around...

Maybe this is not a common problem but if it is - what would be a good
approach to fixing it and securing the two threaded bolts inside the
hood or whatever...

thx

In article >,
pgtr <pgtr(deletethisnsubsatsymbol>bigfoot[ddot]com> wrote:

> My guess is that while it was up either the wind or
> someone leaning against it partially cracked the inner fiberglass of
> the hood and pushed the hood support mounting plate partially into the
> fiberglass hood

Damn. Sounds like someone tried to close the hood without releasing the
"elbow" in the support - and really forced it.

I don't have any tried and true suggestions other than perhaps trying to
clean and smooth the fracture line as best as possible without breaking
it totally free. Then gently depress the broken area so you can inject
some bonding compound into the fracture - followed up by using a bolt in
the mounting plate and pulling the broken area flush with the
surrounding structure. Once cured, smooth the repair and repaint black.
Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB

In article >,
pgtr <pgtr(deletethisnsubsatsymbol>bigfoot[ddot]com> wrote:

> My guess is that while it was up either the wind or
> someone leaning against it partially cracked the inner fiberglass of
> the hood and pushed the hood support mounting plate partially into the
> fiberglass hood

Damn. Sounds like someone tried to close the hood without releasing the
"elbow" in the support - and really forced it.

I don't have any tried and true suggestions other than perhaps trying to
clean and smooth the fracture line as best as possible without breaking
it totally free. Then gently depress the broken area so you can inject
some bonding compound into the fracture - followed up by using a bolt in
the mounting plate and pulling the broken area flush with the
surrounding structure. Once cured, smooth the repair and repaint black.
Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB

The only real way to fix it is to separate the hood frame from the hood skin
and go in from the inside to fiberglass the break. Very labor intensive.


"pgtr bigfoot[ddot]com>" <pgtr(deletethisnsubsatsymbol> wrote in message
...
>
> Where my hood support attaches to the hood on the left side something
> bad happened. My guess is that while it was up either the wind or
> someone leaning against it partially cracked the inner fiberglass of
> the hood and pushed the hood support mounting plate partially into the
> fiberglass hood. The crack follows the perimeter of the hood support
> plate that fastens to the hood and is maybe 50% around w/ the
> remaining 50% still 'barely' holding the hood support.
>
> Is this a very common problem?
>
> Are there any recommended strategies to fix it?
>
> I was thinking of two possible solutions:
>
> A) force the pushed in part back out to where it's flush again (which
> will probably slightly worsen it but no way round that) and somehow
> re-fiberglass it or maybe even cut it out altogether and refiberlgass
> it in and paint black again... Problem is it's impossible to have any
> access to the 'backside' of where the hood support broke thru...
>
> B) some sort of slightly oversized metal plate that conforms around
> the inner support ridge of the hood and the support bolts to the
> reinforcement plate and spreads the load around...
>
> Maybe this is not a common problem but if it is - what would be a good
> approach to fixing it and securing the two threaded bolts inside the
> hood or whatever...
>
> thx

The only real way to fix it is to separate the hood frame from the hood skin
and go in from the inside to fiberglass the break. Very labor intensive.


"pgtr bigfoot[ddot]com>" <pgtr(deletethisnsubsatsymbol> wrote in message
...
>
> Where my hood support attaches to the hood on the left side something
> bad happened. My guess is that while it was up either the wind or
> someone leaning against it partially cracked the inner fiberglass of
> the hood and pushed the hood support mounting plate partially into the
> fiberglass hood. The crack follows the perimeter of the hood support
> plate that fastens to the hood and is maybe 50% around w/ the
> remaining 50% still 'barely' holding the hood support.
>
> Is this a very common problem?
>
> Are there any recommended strategies to fix it?
>
> I was thinking of two possible solutions:
>
> A) force the pushed in part back out to where it's flush again (which
> will probably slightly worsen it but no way round that) and somehow
> re-fiberglass it or maybe even cut it out altogether and refiberlgass
> it in and paint black again... Problem is it's impossible to have any
> access to the 'backside' of where the hood support broke thru...
>
> B) some sort of slightly oversized metal plate that conforms around
> the inner support ridge of the hood and the support bolts to the
> reinforcement plate and spreads the load around...
>
> Maybe this is not a common problem but if it is - what would be a good
> approach to fixing it and securing the two threaded bolts inside the
> hood or whatever...
>
> thx

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 00:43:25 -0700, Barking Rats
> wrote:
>Damn. Sounds like someone tried to close the hood without releasing the
>"elbow" in the support - and really forced it.

Yes - exactly. :-(

>I don't have any tried and true suggestions other than perhaps trying to
>clean and smooth the fracture line as best as possible without breaking
>it totally free. Then gently depress the broken area so you can inject
>some bonding compound into the fracture - followed up by using a bolt in
>the mounting plate and pulling the broken area flush with the
>surrounding structure. Once cured, smooth the repair and repaint black.
>Here's waving to ya - \||||
>
>Owen

Tell me what you mean by 'bonding agent'? Epoxy? I was thinking along
the same lines - figure I'd remove the hood and either cut enough that
I can flex it back up smooth or simply cut the whole square out. Once
out I might build up enough of a 'beveled' or 'recessed' edge inside
the hole say w/ some fiberglass to support the small rectangular
cutout. Then simply put some more epoxy down and 'set' the piece on
top and glue it in.

Other crazy ideas involve placing something inside to reinforce the
buildup like say a short piece of PVC or aluminium or something -
Sounds like a hack I know but then it's impossible to ever see behind
the darn thing and I don't want to remove the entire inner skin. It
may not be 'by the book' but I'm looking at an alternative that will
last, hold and spread the weight.

thanks Owen!

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 00:43:25 -0700, Barking Rats
> wrote:
>Damn. Sounds like someone tried to close the hood without releasing the
>"elbow" in the support - and really forced it.

Yes - exactly. :-(

>I don't have any tried and true suggestions other than perhaps trying to
>clean and smooth the fracture line as best as possible without breaking
>it totally free. Then gently depress the broken area so you can inject
>some bonding compound into the fracture - followed up by using a bolt in
>the mounting plate and pulling the broken area flush with the
>surrounding structure. Once cured, smooth the repair and repaint black.
>Here's waving to ya - \||||
>
>Owen

Tell me what you mean by 'bonding agent'? Epoxy? I was thinking along
the same lines - figure I'd remove the hood and either cut enough that
I can flex it back up smooth or simply cut the whole square out. Once
out I might build up enough of a 'beveled' or 'recessed' edge inside
the hole say w/ some fiberglass to support the small rectangular
cutout. Then simply put some more epoxy down and 'set' the piece on
top and glue it in.

Other crazy ideas involve placing something inside to reinforce the
buildup like say a short piece of PVC or aluminium or something -
Sounds like a hack I know but then it's impossible to ever see behind
the darn thing and I don't want to remove the entire inner skin. It
may not be 'by the book' but I'm looking at an alternative that will
last, hold and spread the weight.

thanks Owen!

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 14:15:40 GMT, "Tom in Missouri" >
wrote:

>The only real way to fix it is to separate the hood frame from the hood skin
>and go in from the inside to fiberglass the break. Very labor intensive.
>
>

afraid of that - kinda what I was hopin to avoid. Just out of
curiosity how does when separate the skin from the hoood?

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 14:15:40 GMT, "Tom in Missouri" >
wrote:

>The only real way to fix it is to separate the hood frame from the hood skin
>and go in from the inside to fiberglass the break. Very labor intensive.
>
>

afraid of that - kinda what I was hopin to avoid. Just out of
curiosity how does when separate the skin from the hoood?

You'll need to cut a section out of the inner frame to access the repair
from behind the skin. Cut it with a die grinder, seperate it with a sharp
chisel (something flat such as a wood chisel or gasket scraper). Put
plenty of fiberglass mat & resin on the back of the skin to re-inforce it,
then when that sets up go into the top of the skin & "v" out the crack &
fill it with resin & mat. Grind flat, & finish with bondo/filler. You can
also reinforce the inner structure with mat & resin while you're at it.
Glass the inner peice back into place, then when that dries v out those
cuts & fill the v with mat & resin.
HTH,
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Giggle Cream - it makes dessert *funny*!