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Hello all. New to the forum. Just got into my first project in 35 years. I got an 86 Iroc with the usual rust which i will probably have a few questions about in the future (Thank god I found this site)... my question is this. The hood on my car has some dents, looks like some hail damages ect. Is there a way to determine if the hood is repairable? There's no way to get at the dents from the underside, should i use filler and try the repair that way? The hood is currently off the car. Is there a way to tell if the hood is straight and not warped before putting in all the time on the repair first? Thanks guys. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Dave
Hello all. New to the forum. Just got into my first project in 35 years. I got an 86 Iroc with the usual rust which i will probably have a few questions about in the future (Thank god I found this site)... my question is this. The hood on my car has some dents, looks like some hail damages ect. Is there a way to determine if the hood is repairable? There's no way to get at the dents from the underside, should i use filler and try the repair that way?
Hiding dents (other than tiny imperfections before a repaint) with body filler isn't the best idea for a number of reasons, especially on a panel that sees frequent open/closing. Proper body/metalworking is always the best path, the difficulty of which will be determined, of course, by the severity of the damage.
Google "Paintless dent repair" for some alternatives.
The hood is currently off the car. Is there a way to tell if the hood is straight and not warped before putting in all the time on the repair first?
Yes; re-install it with the correct hardware and then close it carefully. Adjust the fit as required and then check all the gaps; if there is any warpage, it will be obvious.
Last edited by ironwill; Aug 16, 2019 at 07:37 AM.
Hiding dents (other than tiny imperfections before a repaint) with body filler isn't the best idea for a number of reasons, especially on a panel that sees frequent open/closing. Proper body/metalworking is always the best path, the difficulty of which will be determined, of course, by the severity of the damage.
Google "Paintless dent repair" for some alternatives.
Yes; re-install it with the correct hardware and then close it carefully. Adjust the fit as required and then check all the gaps; if there is any warpage, it will be obvious.
Thanks for the reply. I'm in the process of dismantling the car to get at some rust. Before I did that I took a pic of the hood when I got into my garage. I know the pic doesnt show you a lot but looking at this pic is that gap between the hood and nose seem normal? Is there a piece missing? I'm just wondering if it's best while I fix the floors I look for a better hood new or used. Thanks for any advice!
Thanks for the reply. I'm in the process of dismantling the car to get at some rust. Before I did that I took a pic of the hood when I got into my garage. I know the pic doesnt show you a lot but looking at this pic is that gap between the hood and nose seem normal? Is there a piece missing? I'm just wondering if it's best while I fix the floors I look for a better hood new or used. Thanks for any advice!
It looks like you have a couple of problems here; that gap under the front of the hood is more likely to be a problem with the nose of the car, made out of a non-metallic material. It's known to flex, bend, and warp after long exposure to the sun. I've heard of fiberglass panels to replace the factory piece that fit better, but have no experience of my own with them on a 3rd gen.
And while a bow across the front edge of that hood is a possibility, probably the bigger issue with it is all the dents/damage it has sustained; even in that pic, at that shallow angle, it's obvious. Repairing such a large expanse of relatively flat sheet metal such as with a hood or top is a daunting task, even for a experienced body man. The problem is compounded further by the dark paint color which hides nothing.
I don't claim to be a body repair expert; before you do anything else or spend any $$$, you might want to take it to a professional and get his opinion on how to proceed.
It looks like you have a couple of problems here; that gap under the front of the hood is more likely to be a problem with the nose of the car, made out of a non-metallic material. It's known to flex, bend, and warp after long exposure to the sun. I've heard of fiberglass panels to replace the factory piece that fit better, but have no experience of my own with them on a 3rd gen.
And while a bow across the front edge of that hood is a possibility, probably the bigger issue with it is all the dents/damage it has sustained; even in that pic, at that shallow angle, it's obvious. Repairing such a large expanse of relatively flat sheet metal such as with a hood or top is a daunting task, even for a experienced body man. The problem is compounded further by the dark paint color which hides nothing.
I don't claim to be a body repair expert; before you do anything else or spend any $$$, you might want to take it to a professional and get his opinion on how to proceed.
I agree with you. Not sure how the past owners let the hood get to this condition, but it definitely looks like some of it is some serious hail damage lol I will be looking for a new hood forsure.
