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For what it's worth, if you haven't posted yet in the Southeast Region forum in Regional Discussion, post there for custom paint shops in your local area and see if you get some leads.
Most national or large body shops won't touch the small stuff, but small shops that are hungry will be more likely to work with you on small repairs like this that aren't insurance deals.
Those were my initial thoughts. Appears from what everyone is telling me that such a simple approach is not possible with good results.
I may stop into a few other body shops to continue getting other opinions when I have time.
I'm originally from Rockingham, NC, send me a plane ticket and I'll come home and repair that fender. I've done composite/fiberglass/carbon fiber repairs on 100's of Air Force jets for many many years. Two days it will be repaired and ready for paint, in that spot at least. I've also been a painter for 42 years too. I got this, hold my beer
The entire car would NOT have to be stripped to bare fiberglass and painted to fix this issue on the top hood surround.
Why do I say this??? Because...the doors can be used a panel to 'blend' the paint. Simple as that. And the paint can be tinted and adjusted to make the color so close that you would not see a blend line..IF the painter has CLUE and knows what they are doing. If a painter can not 'blend' paint in the distance of the length of the door....they should not call themselves a 'painter'.
There are other 'tricks' that can be applied in this repair that I would talk with you about if your car were in my shop. Each of these tricks can save you money BUT do change the possible outcome and how it can look in time. SO...that also depends on how picky a person is. SO thinking that you are going to get a lot of work for little money and have it it perfect is just NOT going to happen. BUT...if you can live with little things here and there because you are not obsessed about it being PERFECT...then those tricks can be employed and save you money and STILL have a car that look really really good.
When the repair begins will tell the true story on what can and can not be done....but I can say that there are tricks that do work...but it all depends on what you expect.
The entire car would NOT have to be stripped to bare fiberglass and painted to fix this issue on the top hood surround.
Why do I say this??? Because...the doors can be used a panel to 'blend' the paint. Simple as that. And the paint can be tinted and adjusted to make the color so close that you would not see a blend line..IF the painter has CLUE and knows what they are doing. If a painter can not 'blend' paint in the distance of the length of the door....they should not call themselves a 'painter'.
There are other 'tricks' that can be applied in this repair that I would talk with you about if your car were in my shop. Each of these tricks can save you money BUT do change the possible outcome and how it can look in time. SO...that also depends on how picky a person is. SO thinking that you are going to get a lot of work for little money and have it it perfect is just NOT going to happen. BUT...if you can live with little things here and there because you are not obsessed about it being PERFECT...then those tricks can be employed and save you money and STILL have a car that look really really good.
When the repair begins will tell the true story on what can and can not be done....but I can say that there are tricks that do work...but it all depends on what you expect.
DUB
There ya go leadfoot88, take it to dud's little shop, he'll have it perfectly fixed in no time. Post pics when it's done?
Here is a picture to show the rest of the car. Pretty good 5-10 foot condition overall.
Going to work on the hood alignment this weekend. It sits a little high in the front.
I agree..the car is clean and has a very good appearance to it.
I am curious if you resolved the hood where it is 'high' at the front.
If you did not get it where you are happy with the hood at the front. if you could either take a good photo of the front of the hood when you are down on one knee looking right at the hood gap at the front. And when doing so if you could lay a straight edge on the hood when it is down and either describe how high it is away from the top hood surround would be helpful....or take a photo of that gap from the side showing the distance
Often times from my own experiences...if the hood is flush at the hinge area on each side. Removing any shims at his area will obviously lower it and get the height closer the front...but you may find that you may not like that solution.... or you may like it.
Some owners split the difference and are happy with the flushness of the panel not being prefect...but also not being an eye sore...so it all depends on what you envision it to look like when it is repaired.
I have encountered many Corvettes (1963 to 72 mainly)where the center of the top hood surround in front of the hood drops. There is a fix for this.
It is not a factory correct type repair in most cases. So if you are concerned about judging...it may not work. but if you a re not worried about factory correct judging...it can be installed to get the top hood surround back up again.
I agree..the car is clean and has a very good appearance to it.
I am curious if you resolved the hood where it is 'high' at the front.
If you did not get it where you are happy with the hood at the front. if you could either take a good photo of the front of the hood when you are down on one knee looking right at the hood gap at the front. And when doing so if you could lay a straight edge on the hood when it is down and either describe how high it is away from the top hood surround would be helpful....or take a photo of that gap from the side showing the distance
Often times from my own experiences...if the hood is flush at the hinge area on each side. Removing any shims at his area will obviously lower it and get the height closer the front...but you may find that you may not like that solution.... or you may like it.
Some owners split the difference and are happy with the flushness of the panel not being prefect...but also not being an eye sore...so it all depends on what you envision it to look like when it is repaired.
I have encountered many Corvettes (1963 to 72 mainly)where the center of the top hood surround in front of the hood drops. There is a fix for this.
It is not a factory correct type repair in most cases. So if you are concerned about judging...it may not work. but if you a re not worried about factory correct judging...it can be installed to get the top hood surround back up again.
DUB
I did not get a chance to work on it this weekend. I got very sick on Saturday so I spent my weekend laying in bed.
Thank you for the suggestions and help. I will upload some pics of the hood alignment to see what you think. It is just enough to annoy me. I can see where it is low on the side from the drivers seat and when I push down on the front of the hood it aligns everywhere perfectly. If I can just get the nose down some it will be perfect.
From what I can tell in your first photo in POST#32. Is that it appears that the hood is high at the location on where the hood hinge is located.
Can you look and see if you have any hood hinge shims on the drivers side??? If there are any shims...they will be between the hinge and the inner skirt. If you have some there...roughly how thick is/are the shim(s).
Also look and see if you have the metal supports attached to the front section of your inner skirt. These supports hold up the very ends of the support brace that is bonded to the underside of your hood surround where your headlight actuator supports attach.
They look like this and are on the front of the inner skirt.
I do agree that the front of the hood is way to high so 'getting the nose down' is not the method I would use as like you wrote.
Are you concerned about whatever method is used to get this gap issue corrected being 'judging correct'????
I will check the hinges. I was assuming that is where the adjustment is off. I took a quick peek about a week ago but didn't get to spend a long time checking things out. I don't remember seeing any shims but I will investigate more hopefully this weekend.
I do not plan to have the car judged so don't need the fix to be by the book perfect.
Good to know that you are not worried about the 'serious judging' aspect. Not saying that is bad thing...but it can allow for a repair that will be hard to detect unless the people knwo what they are looking at.
Those cracks com from unsuported nose while jacked up. Crack follows bond strip. fender cracks doe to stress trying to pull away from b-strip. mine looks the same.
02-01-2017, 03:38 PM
