How to Attach Hood?
BigSky
Posts: 772Senior Contributor
It’s time I get the hood on my 37 coupe, because.... well she just doesn’t look right without it.
Thus far I have a Mack Truck center chrome strip which holds both top halves of the hood together. I was told this was a very close match & would work. I have also have removed the rusted steel rods that hold the side panels together with the top pieces and have stainless steel rods to replace them.
What I’m needing is good information on what to do with the inside area of the hood (pieces) which the steel rod goes through. How do I clean it? What do I use to clean it? Once clean then what? Does one paint it? Did the factory leave it bare steel? Does one use some kind of an insert (plastic) between the hood & the rod.
At the ends of the hood center pieces it looks as though it should attach to the top of the firewall however I’m missing the piece which goes on top of the grill & have no idea what it even looks like.
Comments
I was told a Mack one would work for my 34. I didn't check the two profiles. They weren't the same and I chewed up the paint as I tried to slide the Mack along the hood halves - and yes, I did lubricate it with silicon grease beforehand.
The chrome wasn't too bad on the original, so that's what's on the car now.
I have also have removed the rusted steel rods that hold the side panels together with the top pieces and have stainless steel rods to replace them. Tick.
What I’m needing is good information on what to do with the inside area of the hood (pieces) which the steel rod goes through. How do I clean it? What do I use to clean it? This depends very much on where you are up to with finishing the rest of the hood, lots of variables there.
Once clean then what? Does one paint it? I'd be using a spray can of primer and putting a squirt down each tube, mask the rest of the hood as required.
Did the factory leave it bare steel? Don't know.
Does one use some kind of an insert (plastic) between the hood & the rod. The stainless rod will work fine by itself.
At the ends of the hood center pieces it looks as though it should attach to the top of the firewall however I’m missing the piece which goes on top of the grill & have no idea what it even looks like. The front hood end will be similar but not necessarily the same as the rear end. Each end fitting should also have an under fitting that keeps the centre strip pushed up against the top fitting.
There are two "bonnet hinge clamp bolts", one at the front, and one at the back. In the lower of your two photos, is (I believe) the rear mounting bracket, in front of the air vent. You can see the hole for the clamp bolt in the top. Likewise, there is a similar bracket and hole at the front.
The bolt itself has a 1/4"-20 (originally 1/4"-28) thread. The head is a formed piece of steel, curved so that it slides into the hinge (which you will already have fastened to the hood halves. After the clamp bolt has been slid into the front and rear ends of the hinge (so that the threaded part penetrates only maybe 1/2" to 3/4", the entire hood with its hinge, is lowered down so that the hinge sits on the two brackets and the threaded portion of the fore and aft clamp bolts fit through the holes in the brackets. Then, a regular hex nut and washer is attached and tightened down from under each bracket. (Shims can be added above the brackets if necessary to raise the height of the hinge so it mates with the trim on the cowl vent, or on the grille shell.
It's a tricky operation mounting the hood. It takes three people, or one very skilled 1937 owner.
I'm sorry I cannot offer you a view of the lamp bolt head. If you hear of someone parting out a '37, certainly you should offer to buy two. Or, take the hinge (the long chrome strip) to an accomplished metal worker and ask him to make a couple of them.
Here http://www.earlyfordstore.com/index.php/cPath/172_174?osCsid=fc025615f3be68296d85322d8bb0ec61 is a page from an Early Ford Store catalog, with two or three hood hinges.
Here's another possibility (or maybe it's one of those in the Early Ford catalog):
More possibilities, though some may be duplicates of those I've already shown
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Search?query=B20351
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Search?query=B20352
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Search?query=B20353
Here's one for 1930's MoPars: http://www.srpmstreetrods.com/srpm/mopar-hood-hinge-center-strip-ff8081812db6a293012dbe0e3cd504d5-p.html
My car seems to be missing something that goes under the front hinge mounting plate to stop the hood sides sliding forward on the hinge strip and fouling on the cowling - my Citroen Traction Avant had a little metal stop that did that.
Did the 1934/5 Hudsons have something similar ? Do you know what it looks like, please ?
(As always!)
Please could you tell me the dimensions of the front T-shaped part ?
I'm in England and would like to try making my own.
Thanks.
Thickness 1.5 MM
BELOW THE PIECE 2MM
For my part; I'm looking for this piece to fix the second spare wheel. It's the only piece I miss