Hi all. I know that I have read somewhere on this forum how to fit a hood. Someone wrote up a step by step guide. I searched for it, but have had no luck finding it. Anyone know where it might be? Or, anyone have tips on how this is done? I have just put the hood on my '53 F-100 for the first time in almost eight years. I'm making sure that everything fits properly before painting it next spring.

 

I think you're looking for AX's article:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...procedure.html

 

Hey JV,
Take your time on the Hood alignment. It will test your patience.
It takes a lot of attempts to get it right - A lot. Sounds like a good winter project up there in Vermont. Shoot some pics to let us see how it's going.

Our's still rubs in one small spot grrr.... We have had problems with
mechanic shops slamming the hood down & denting the support in the very front where the hood comes down. I have no idea how to prevent this - just be sure to reinforce it well.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

We need an Ax book. With all of Ax's tuterals (sp) in one place.

 

I've looked at Ax's instructions but I didn't see anything about the adjustment rods on the under side of the hood. What do those rods adjust?

 

They adjust the hood width and curve, seldom need adjusting unless hood got badly tweeked or is from a different truck.

 

Thanks, EffieTrucker, it was Ax's article that I was looking for. Thanks, Ax for writing it up. I'll start wrestling with front sheet metal alignment this weekend. I'll post here with comments on my progress. I'm a bit worried about my hood hinges. About 38 years ago I was making a cross country trip in the truck and the hood flew open while on the Interstate in Nebraska. I had to finish my drive to New England with the hood roped down. About ten years ago I made a pretty decent repair of the lateral hood brace / reinforcement channel where the hinge arms attach. But I suspect that the arms themselves may still be a bit bent. on one hinge, I noticed that the plane of the hinge arm end at the bolt hole is not exactly on plane with the side plates on the hood. I may do some tweeking of the hinges to see if I can get the hood to close completely before I begin aligning all the other sheetmetal. Ax, you say that the bolts should be finger tightened only. As my hinges are right now, I have to wrench on the shoulder bolts just to draw the lower hinge arm in close to the hood plate on one side. I think I may have a badly bent hinge arm.

 

repro hinges are available. Likely someone on here has an extra used set as well.

 

Are the repro hinges any good?

 

There are a few sets on eBay now. Some original, and some repops.

 

I followed Ax's outline for installing all the front sheet metal. Everything was going well until I came to installing the reproduction fender on the passenger side. With a 1/4" space at the cab/hood, I still have the nose of the hood extending about 1/2" forward of the nose of the fender. And, the cab to fender bolt holes do not align at all. The ways things are now, I would need to move the fender back about 1/4" to get the cab bolts to thread into the nuts welded to the fender. And, there is something funky going on with the way that the fender joins the cab at the bottom; the gap is far too big. I'd never be able to draw the fender in enough to hold the fender welt in place. The driver's side fender is also a reproduction, but it bolted on fine. The joint between the cab and the fender is good, and the nose of the hood aligns well with it. Removing and reinstalling the sheet metal repeatedly is turning out to be a worthwhile excercise. I am getting faster at it, for one thing. And, I am getting a good handle on what I have to do to tweek everything into proper position. It is my intention to paint most of the parts and assemble them prior to applying the final coat of paint next spring. By that time, I should be able to put all this stuff together without scratching the paint up too badly. I'm heading out to pull off both the fenders and do what I can to compare their construction with respect to the feneder to cab bolt holes. I'm not ready at the moment to launch into a rant about the quality of reproduction parts. As it is, both these fenders need work to repair crummy fabrication at the front where they join the valance. I already ranted about that many years ago when I first got them.
1953 Ford F100 4x2 - funky fenders

 

Hey JV,
Hang in there - The hood alignment process will definitely test your patience. Maybe a few pics showing your problem areas might get you some positive input. I always have a hard time visualizing...

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

Easy prevention method: do virtually ALL of your own work. That's how I "justify" buying all of these high-end tools. I have resorted to a machine shop for engine work but I'll take most anything else on myself when it comes to these older vehicles. Right now, I'm designing a PCV for Albatross' 292. Tomorrow I plan to start the transmission rebuild. This forum is a great asset. It was reading through Ax's "hood tango tutorial" that now has Us able to gently lower the hood and, with the left hand, flip the safety catch out of the way to allow the hood latch to softly "click" home. Fits like a glove on my hand (rather than on OJ Simpson's hand).

 

I havew made some progress. I made a card stock template that fits over the cab edge of the left front fender (the "good" fender). All bolt holes are cut out, etc. Upon transferring this template to the right front (the "bad" fender) I found that here is a serious mismatch in the bolt hole locations. When I attach the bad fender without using the known bad holes, I get substantial improvement in the alignment of everything. What this means is that besides correcting the poor fabrication at where these fenders bolt to the valance, I also have to relocate the nuts that are welded onto the inside face of the fender. I'm looking at moving the three nuts at the cab to fender connetion about 3/4" . How do folks deal with crummy reproduction parts? Especially when they cost so much to ship.

 

are there any hood hinges, that won't get all weird. like the oem 53-56 f truck hinges.
i don't mind incorporating gas struts.. just don't want to be fighting a hood, to close it, the rest of my life...