bladehand

leading edge is bent down and under a bit, both corners are in place and it still closes if forced, was thinking of drilling some holes in the bent area at the factory crease, slipping 1/4 round stock inside along the crease and welding some tabs to grab onto from the outside pulling it forward and up. asking body pros if this is a waste of time...like will the hinges hold a load pulling forward and would the hood panel itself likely deform as it is a large fairly flat panel. looked through youtube, but none of the hood dent repairs were the front edge, would this be an application for a door strecher? input appreciated

Arizona IROC

iTrader: (4)

I assume you mean it's bent because of a fender bender? If thats the case just get a replacement. They are cheap when the louvers are broken.

Get a hood from a '89 or '90. They fit better and look nicer

stealtht/a

iTrader: (1)

Anything metal can be re shaped, but as pointed out, might be better to get a used replacement.
Do not try and reshape the hood on the car. Hinges or fender may be damaged. Also, it sounds like you are going to need to clamp the hood down to a bench or something in order to get the leverage you need to straighten it. You may also find the metal is to distorted once you bend it back, requiring cutting and rewelding.
Hoods are always a challenge to reshape because of the reinforcement welded to the underside.

bladehand

thanks for the input, don't really want to waste alot of time or cause more damage, that is probably the sticking point, the under hood reinforcement, even if I cut it away and straighten the surface it would probably warp when I weld the reinforcement back in place, San Diego has many salvage yards and I have checked the central coast, craigslist and recycler for over three months now. one was available out in the desert area but had extensive hail damage, and was asking $400., gen three classified has them on occasion but east coast and midwest make shipping cost prohibitive. guess i'll have to be patient, found a stock rs hood in good shape for $ 80. might just buy that but I want to paint the whole car, and I would prefer the original, thanks for your quick responses

Arizona IROC

iTrader: (4)

I see them all the time in the Phoenix area for $100 or less. Maybe it's a Cali thing

bladehand

ok hit me upside the head, I didn't even think of AZ, which was a good source for vintage motorcycle parts when I used to restore them, thanks for the heads up, aside from craigslist is there a Recycler or local classifieds I should check. definitely a Cali thing I have been checking from San Diego to San Luis Obispo four 4 months, and got numbers for the Otay border yards which are not connected to any network, no love out here, Az is a bit of a hike but the 8 is nice and straight. thanks again