Hood questions

[bucata206]

The hood on my truck is rusting horribly. Is there any way to stop the rust without needing to buy a whole new hood?

Also years ago while working on the truck, when I closed the hood, it bent straight across in the middle. Still to this day I have to push in the middle of the hood to close it so it doesn't bend. Is there a way to reenforce the hood so it won't bend or am i just better off buying a new hood to fix both problems?

 

[gpmorgan]

The reason the hood bent is probably because the hinges have not been lubed in quite some time. Sounds like you may need a hood.

 

[John81287]

I second the new hood. Once it's bent it's not real easy to get straight again! Mine is bent too and it's getting replaced!

 

[GTME94]

Lubricating the hinges is good. I think they make a reinforce mentioned to help prevent the hood from bending. It might be for pre '81 hoods.

 

[junkyardog05]

New Hood

I would also go with a new hood since your has a lot of rust and has the hinge breaks. It also gives you an excuse to but a cowl hood if you wanted one.

 

[highdesertrange]

once they bend they are done. keep the hinges lubed also when you close it don't pull it straight down. push it back towards the window as you pull it down. highdesertranger

 

[bucata206]

Awesome thank you guys. May get just a stock replacement for the time being. Eventually I would like to get a cowl for it.

 

[junkyardog05]

Old School trick

Also when your closing the hood to push it back as you shut helps a ton too.

 

[theblindchicken]

If you get a new remanufactured hood, it will most likely need a brace across the center to help prevent them from bending.

 

[Thunder]

Iwould go with the new hood too. But LMC has the braces that fix the bending hood problem.


Also, if you go with a fiberglass hood I would recommend using those braces.

 

[VAL]

I've seen the hood bracing brackets on LMC, and I've always wondered about the safety issue on that. The hoods on 73-80 squares were designed to bend in half in the event of a front end collision. I used to have a 79 with a bent hood, I ended up getting a new hood, kept the hinges nice and lubed, never had a problem again, even though the replacement hood was not as tough as the original GM hood. I found that the sheet metal used on reproduction hoods are cheesy. Them repro cowl hoods would offer more support, I would think.

 

[bucata206]

Does anyone know if a hood from an 84 would fit on my 79? I tracked one down in great condition!


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[bucket]

The '81 and later hoods are very different and don't bolt up without using the matching front clip.

 

[bucata206]

Bummer thank you


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