bgall2

Hi folks...1978 Silver Anniversary Edition. The hood (on the back by the windshield) does not come down flush with the top of the fender. It is up about 1/4 inch or so but keeps hood from looking great. The shems (if there were any) have been removed so I can not see any adjustment to bring the corners down any. I can push them down with my hand fairly easily so nothing is holding them up. Anybody have any suggestions as to what I may be able to do? Thanks. Bob

KenSny

Yeah, I have seen so many cars like that, mine included, that it makes me wonder how good the fit was from the factory.

BLUE1972

If you can push the hood down, this shows there is some room under the hood. Then screw in the Male on the hood latch. The hood will drop. Just give it one turn in and try, if the hood gets tight, then that is too far, and go out 1/2 turn.
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BLUE1972

https://www.corvettemods.com/C3-Corv...te%201968-1982

Duke94

I think he's got a 78' which doesn't use this pin type hood latch. Do your homework on Corvette Mods, they don't seem to be very well liked on this Forum.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ette-mods.html

Bikespace

Mine do this too. I'm assuming the springs are there to soften the drop, and to pop the hood up out of the latches when you pull the release.

https://www.zip-corvette.com/77-82-h...up-spring.html

Perhaps there is an adjustment in the height of the latches themselves? Be warned, though, this is exactly how you get your hood stuck in the closed position.

Do you have the weatherstrip installed at the rear of your hood? You should, of course.

Mark G

Make sure the hood isn't adjusted too far forward. Pulling it back may help. Also look where the fenders are glassed to the birdcage (below the windshield). That's not always the problem, but look down there and see if there is a gap where the fenders have come loose.

But I know what you mean. There are a lot of C3 hoods where the curve of the back of the hood doesn't match the fender curl by the windshield. Can't be adjusted out. Lowering the back only lowers the hood below the level of the fenders which also doesn't look good. When I was repainting my vette I cut and lowered the back of the hood down ..re-glassed it.

bgall2

Thanks for the info guys. As I suspected, I most likely will just have to live with it. Not that big a deal I guess but I am a perfectionist when it comes to my cars. Bought a 2019 stingray and there are no gaps anywhere on it...perfect. I don't think they had the same standards on the C-3 models. And I agree, I sure do not want to get the hood stuck in the closed position.

7T1vette

Relatively simple adjustment, if the hood is a stock component (not aftermarket piece).

Mark G

Yes (if it's out of alignment) and No (if it's not). I've tried to adjust a few and I've had many years of bodyshop experience aligning panels. There seems to be some phenomena where the back of the hood does seem to curl. Or at least doesn't match the fit of the fender. I initially thought it was an issue with the fender bonding, or the center of the upper surround panel de-bonding (lifting 'up'), but it doesn't always seem to be the case. At least not what I've noticed. It may well be the case on some cars, but doesn't seem to be on others (completely stock vettes). If you look in magazines of the 70's and 80's at corvette shows you didn't see a fitment issue back then like you see these days. But at the same time, the hood is double-layered SMC so curling is tough to understand too.

I'd like to continue to hear other people's comments on the subject.

KenSny

I spent a lot ot fime this past summer while the engine was out of the car being rebuilt trying to figure out the hood.
On mine, if you line up the front point of the hood and start to match it up to the cowl, you can have it one of 2 ways.
You can line up the cowl points on both sides and the edge along the fender will be sunk lower than the fender edge a little, not much but I don't like the look.
If you line up the front point and the sides, you will get a little hood above the fenders at the cowl on both sides. Mine are up almost equal on L and R. That's where I left it.
I have an even gap on both sides of the hood running from the front up to the cowl.
During all this adjusting, I actually locked the hood down and could not use the release to open it. The drivers side came up but not the passenger side. Good thing the engine was out so I could just crawl under and pull the release. That's when I gave up and said it was good enough!

Maybe it is an easy adjustment on the older style latches, but not so on my 75 or a friends 79.
At any rate, I'm not worrying about it anymore.

7T1vette

If the hood is not primarily a stock component, you will likely NOT get a good fit with stock fenders. I don't know that any aftermarket hoods that are correctly made. Close...but no 'cigar'.

If it IS a stock hood (with work done that doesn't distort the basic shape), you should be able to adjust it...IF the fenders are aligned with each other.

KenSny

Easy to say.......

7T1vette

Yep. And getting it all lined up is NOT that easy. But it needs to be done. Using an aftermarket hood, they will almost NEVER get aligned.

80-Vette

My hood does the same thing and I suspect the hood was off the car standing upright against a wall for an extended period of time.

7T1vette

I doubt that is an 'issue', if it's a stock GM hood.

bgall2

Thanks for all the comments, I have enjoyed reading them. Nothing on my 78 is after market and never will be including the hood. I agree that the hoods on some C3 models does warp a little over time. I have taken the hood bumpers off the fenders to replace and when my hood is closed it drops slightly below the fender. I agree that I do not like this look and rather it be flush with the fender and up slightly on the rear points. IF this were a simple issue I would not have asked for help on the forum. If the adjustment is "simple" it should not take very long to put the "simple" directions for the adjustment in a post. Thanks.

KenSny

Well said!

gdm78vette

I've owned my '78 since new and I can tell you that the hood has always been high at the cowl. Door gaps were also uneven. If you see one that's perfect it probably didn't come from the factory that way. There are 2 rubber bumpers on the fender edges on each side that the hood closes onto that attempt to keep the hood aligned with the fenders, if they are missing or too soft the hood may sit low relative to the fender.