So wouldn't the same vendors who would sell you a hood at a show be in SoCal somewhere? I mean if they're here, and you're here, why not make a hood part of your vacation?

 

Well, the plane ride home would be part of the problem, that's not exactly carry-on baggage although from the bags some idiots lug on a plane these days it might be considered acceptable.

I actually don't need a hood, I was just commenting on missing the show that was mentioned.

 

Well I'll let you know shortly, I have one on the way from Mid-Fifties, which unfortunately I could have picked up when I was there last month. I have my original, which is perfect except that my dad louvered it and I want it stock. My brother-in-law in San Diego bought one for me from the same guy I got my Fordomatic from and I picked it up on the same trip I stopped by Mid-Fifties to pick up most of the other stuff I needed. Unfortunately when we sandblasted it we discovered it had been patched with thick layers of bondo. The guy doing my restoration is also doing a restro-rod of a another '56. His hood had been dented in and he bought another used one. Mark pounded out his original and got it in shape to be used, but will need a dinner plate patch of bondo in the center of the hood. I don't want bondo on the hood, so I'm rolling the dice that a new one will fit.

 

Please keep me posted .

 

Why does it need bondoing in the center of the hood? can't be rust, there's no doublers to get in the way so it should be able to be straightened at least to the point of only needing a skim coat no more than 1/16" thick.

 

Apparently somebody ran into something and dented in the hood of the other '56 that is being restored along with mine. A replacement hood was found for it. During a slow time Mark pounded out the damage, but there is still a low spot in the center on the drivers side which would have to be patched with bondo. I'm probably being too particular, but I don't want any bondo on the the hood. But if the one from Mid-Fifties doesn't fit, then I'll have to choose between that or using my original.

 

If the low spot is oil canning (pops in and out) then the metal is stretched in that area. To fix it a heat shrink needs to be done. Try a single one on the center of the area first, if that isn't enough to pop it out, do two more one above and one below and 3" away from the first one. (in a line from front to back) That should take out anything short of a crater, at least along the length of the hood (check it against the other side or the good hood with a 3' straight edge). If there is still a hollow on either side of the line of shrinks, then do one more shrink in the center of each low spot. I can't imagine any hood needing any more shrinking than that unless someone dropped a cement block on it from a couple stories up or hit it with a sledge hammer.

Anyone who wants to learn how to do a heat shrink, do an advanced search for any posts on my user name with the words "heat shrink" in this forum. I did a how to a while back. There is also an illustration in my "extras" gallery to go along with it.