71 hood alignment

[badass]

Any tips on hood alignment  fenders and doors to ?Im going round and round wheres a goo place to start? I know some one out there knows better please turn me on thanks again.

[mikepmcs]

BRRRIIIIIAAAANNNNNNN!!! I'm sure 1hot68 will chime in soon.  I'll jump in on this thread as well just to see if I can pick up some more tips and tricks to make mine easier as well.  That's all that is left for me is to put the front end together as well(course i've been saying that for months but this time i mean it )   

[Nacho-RT74]

doors are not really hard, either fenders, but hood WHAT A HEADACHE!!!

BTW thats the aligment order.

[superbirdtom]

HERES THE DEAL WITH HOOD FENDER ALIGNMENT. FIRST OFF YOU HAVE A COWL PANEL WHERE YOU HAVE THE SLITS AND WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MOUNT. THE CURVE OF THAT IS WHERE YOU START TO DETERMINE WHERE TO FIT YOUR HOOD.  YOU MUST ADJUST YOUR HOOD FIRST BEFORE WORRYING ABOUT THE FENDERS.  ADJUST THE HOOD SO THE GAP IS EVEN WITH THE COWL ON BOTH SIDES. YOU ADJUST YOUR HOOD SO WHEN IT OPENS IT DOES NOT BIND ON THE COWL PANEL ,IT SHOULD MISS IT BY ABOUT A QUARTER INCH AND BE FLUSH WITH THE COWL ON BOTH TOP SURFACES. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LATCH THE HOOD WITH MODERATE EASE. IF IT REALLY POPS WHEN YOU OPEN IT YOU NEED TO ADJUST THE BOLTS ON THE HINGE WHERE IT IS ATTACHED TO THE INNER FENDER.                 

AFTER YOU MESS WITH THE BOLT SETTINGS AND GET THE HOOD NOT TO BIND AND IT SETS DOWN NICE WITHOUT ANY BINDING OR FORCING IT CLOSED, YOU THEN CAN ALIGN THE FENDERS. IF THE FENDERS DO NOT ALIGN WITH THE HOOD IN THE PROPER PLACE THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN HIT ON THE RIGHT OR LEFT SIDE OF THE RADIATOR SUPPORT AND TWEAKED THE FRONT FRAME RAILS SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT THIS IS WAY MORE COMMON THAN MOST REALIZE AND IT IS HARD TO TELL UNTIL YOU GO TO ALIGN YOUR FENDERS WITH THE HOOD IN THE PROPER PLACE . NOW YOUR READY TO SEE HOW THE FENDERS FIT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO SHIM THE BOTTOMS OF THE FENDERS  TO GET THEM TO FIT FLUSH WITH THE DOORS AND ROCKER TRY TO GET THE GAP BETWEEN THE FENDER AND DOOR THE SAME AS THE DOOR AND QUARTER PANELS. THE GAP BETWEEN THE COWL AND FENDERS SHOULD BE THE SAME AS THE HOOD, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO ADJUST THE DOORS. IN OR OUT AT THE TOP TO MATCH THE FENDERS.

. SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LOT ON ONE CAR AND OTHERS LINE RIGHT UP THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF QUALITY CONTROL IN THOSE DAYS.

       NOW MOTHER MOPAR WAS A CRUDE WOMAN AND I HAVE SEEN MANY MOPES WITH UNTOUCHED FACTORY SHEETMETAL REALLY WHACKED OUT.  MOST IN THE RESTORATION BUSINESS KNOW TO REALLY MASSAGE A CAR OUT TO NICE GAPS ALL THE WAY AROUND IS A CHORE.  I REMEMBER A DUDE AT A CAR SHOW RAGGING ON SOME GAPS OF A KNOWN SURVIVOR UNTOUCHED CAR AND I TOLD HIM WHERES YOUR CAR?               HE TOOK ME TO HIS CAMARO IN THE PARKING LOT WHERE I HAPPILY TORE HIS CAR TO PIECES AND HE LEFT HE WAS SO MAD.  ANYWAY HOPE THIS HELPS

[badass]

IM SHURE IT WILL HELP I PRINTED IT OUT AND WILL TAKE IT OUT TO THE GARAGE AND TRY IT OUT.THANKS

[Nacho-RT74]

HERES THE DEAL WITH HOOD FENDER ALIGNMENT. FIRST OFF YOU HAVE A COWL PANEL WHERE YOU HAVE THE SLITS AND WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MOUNT. THE CURVE OF THAT IS WHERE YOU START TO DETERMINE WHERE TO FIT YOUR HOOD.  YOU MUST ADJUST YOUR HOOD FIRST BEFORE WORRYING ABOUT THE FENDERS.  ADJUST THE HOOD SO THE GAP IS EVEN WITH THE COWL ON BOTH SIDES. YOU ADJUST YOUR HOOD SO WHEN IT OPENS IT DOES NOT BIND ON THE COWL PANEL ,IT SHOULD MISS IT BY ABOUT A QUARTER INCH AND BE FLUSH WITH THE COWL ON BOTH TOP SURFACES. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LATCH THE HOOD WITH MODERATE EASE. IF IT REALLY POPS WHEN YOU OPEN IT YOU NEED TO ADJUST THE BOLTS ON THE HINGE WHERE IT IS ATTACHED TO THE INNER FENDER.                

71 never meets with cowl panel like on earliers

[superbirdtom]

oh yeah it goes over the top. all I have is 70 b body on the mind. same principle though ,theres tricks for panel alignment  . it all is based on how true the unibody is. if theres a slight bend in the bottom of the radiator support on either side your front end might be tweaked over slightly. Some people miss this .  basically if he is having problems aligning hood fenders and the parts are fine then something is amiss with the unibody.   thats the only frustrating thing about trying to give help here I know if i were there I would have the alignment figured out in minutes.

                 

[badass]

STILL HAVING TROUBLE NEED TO COME FOWARD MORE BUT AM MAXED OUT ON TOP HINDGE SLOT,DOESENT SEEM TO BE DAMAGE SLIGHT WRINKLE ON VERY BOTTOM OF CORE SUPPORT LIKE FROM PARKING BLOCKS . NEED BODYMAN ADVICE GOING ROUND AND ROUND. THANKS

[badass]

took it all apart last nightstart moving doore back and lining up hinges feel tight dint think I need pins and bushings,then comes fenders that's the plan hopefully hood will be closer.