More help with the hood

[Ron H]

Continued from my last post. MartinSr, don't know if you read my reply on my last post or not. But I worked the dent out of the ridge of the hood almost completely. This brought the level to where it is still about 3/8" below normal height. It doesn't seem to want to move up any more. I'm relatively sure the ridge adds alot of structural support that doesn't want to flex back to original position. I was wondering if I can use a hydraulic jack while supporting the ridge towards the end to try and get the crown back? It dips about an 1/8" or a little less now where the dent was/is. I need to somehow put that crown in the ridge I tried pushing from the bottom with my hand, and that took alot of the low out of the "flat" between the ridge and center of the hood. I need some way to apply pressure in the center of the ridge from the bottom of the hood, as that is where the dip is located, and extends four to six inches front and rear. Using a body hammer did not seem to have much if any effect on moving the ridge upward after a certain point. Is this possible to do, or should I start looking for another hood? Any ideas are welcome. Thanks Ron

[Phil V]

Ron, I had to think about your hood problem for a while. Using a porto power is not a good idea from my perspective. I have a couple old wide masons chisels that are great for situations like yours. One of the masons chisels is about 4" wide and the other is about 6" wide. They come to a point but not a sharp point like a metal cutting cold chisel. The sharp edge on my mason chisels is intentionally blunted so that they don't cause more damage from being too sharp. If I were in your predicament I would give the 6" chisel a try first. The hood will have to be off the car then set on some type of support with enough padding to make sure you don't cause damage from the support the hood is sitting on. It sounds to me like the sharp peak of the hood ridge was pushed in at some point. That sharp peak has to be make sharp again. You can substitute what ever works to tap that ridge back. Keep in mind that you don't have to hit the hood metal that hard. Keep tapping and moving the chisel/substitute while you are tapping. If you just whack it with a hammer/chisel then you put dents in the ridge area. If you work it carefully with a hammer/chisel then it will come back with minimal or no added damage.

I'm also wondering if there isn't a couple high spots a couple feet on either side of the hood ridge that were put there when the ridge was forced down ?
Using the palm of your hand and fingers check real close for some high spots on one or both sides of the hood. Those ridges robs the center section of support. If you find a ridge or two tap them back down and you will see how much it stiffens up the metal in the middle of the hood.

[Ron H]

Hey PhilV, great idea you had. Tried it last knight with a chisel I had. I rounded off the corners a little first though. Worked great, also on further examination I do need to bend the hood support that runs along the side of the hood to put a little curve back in it. It was bent straight, when it should also have a little crown,guess that's why I didn't notice it at first glance. Looks like if I can get that back to the original curve things will pretty much be back in place. I was wondering about using the porto power to flex that thing back in place? I have a unit that was my father in laws (he's passed) looks like it has never been used. I also have a prettygood size rubber/plastic mallet, among other hammers. Looks like about a quarter inch or so is all I need. I did also find a small ridge in the "flat" area by the depression in the hood. Smoothed it out pretty well and now the flexing area seems to want to stay up more than down. It appears as though someone hit this hood with a pipe, bat, or something to cause the damage. It also seems as though the metal has stretched where the end of the striking object hit the "flat" area of the hood. So even when I get things back in shape I will have a high spot or hump. Will ask you about shrinking the metal when I get to that point. Between you and MartinSr, I have almost got this thing back into shape. I really did not think I was capable when I first saw the damage. Thanks for all the help