OK, got in a slight accident with my Z28 2 years ago, I bought brand new GM quarters and the front valance. I also snagged a SMC hood out of a local yard, and had my father drop everything off to my body guy(I live in AZ, and the Z is in MI where I used to live). Well, I picked the car up at night, and it looked good, but I didn't get a chance to really look at things in the shadows. So, I get it back to my parents house, and the next day I am looking at it, and notice that there is a 3/4" gap between the middle of the hood and the plastic nose piece. Any ideas on what could be causing the mismatch? The hood doesn't look bowed or warped at all, so I think it is in the valance. Hopefully none of the body metal is bent. The impact didn't even break my headlights, just tore the cover up pretty bad, put a sligth dent in the lip of the hood, and dented a quarter panel(other one was slightly creased from someone sideswiping me in a parking lot. Other than the front end not lining up exactly right with the hood, I only had a few other issues with the work. He forgot to do under the rear decklid(slight rust), and didn't do the lower body stripes. Oh well. Also, anybody know where I can find a lower driver's turnsignal for a 84 Z28?

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1984 L69 5-speed Z28, T-tops, Polished Irocs, Dynomax headers, Flowmaster exhaust, 14.87 in the quarter. Currently 50,370 original miles.

 

Try adjusting the hood forward at the hinge. The hood and fenders all have slotted mount points and can be moved a bit to align everyting. Both the hood to hinge and hinge to fenter locations can be moved a bit.

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90 RS Convertible
Owner: Top-Down Solutions
(626)369-0040

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It is a vertical gap, not a horrizontal gap. The middle of the valance sits 3/4" below where it should be. The ends of it line up perfectly with the quarters and the hood edge.

 

The hood latch mechanism can also be adjusted. try loosening it and sliding it as far down as it will go. Moving it helped close the gap on mine. I've noticed from photos on the net that a lot of cars have a gap between the hood and the front valance.

1987 iroc
tpi 305
auto
g92
39,000 actual

 

Makes sense about the hood latch thing. The hood didn't come off of my car, but another, so the latch mounting point may have been different, requiring moving the latching mechanism on the body. I will tell my father to try that.

 

If you just got the car back and you aren't happy with it, go back to the body shop and have them adjust it till its right. You could have a frame problem. Adjusting the panels might just cosmetically cover up a deeper problem. Regardless the adjustments of the body panels are virtually endless, its really not something you should attempt by yourself.

 

Minor problem in that I live in AZ, and the car is in MI, and it is probably snowing there right now. Guess I will address it next March.

 

That gap is a little large, but I've seen worse gaps on brand new thirdgens. Since your car was damaged, if even slightly, that may have led to some of the gap you are now experiencing. You can help close the gap a little by placing fender washers (I'd use stainless ones) under the valence near the hood at the bolts to help pull the nose up. That is the only way I know of to fix that problem, and there will still be some gap. Nature of the beast. BTW, real nice Z you have there, and yes you need the body stripes added back

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IROCnRoll.com
'86 Camaro Sport Coupe and '88 IROC

 

Thanks for the compliment. I need the lower body stripes painted on, the bottom of the decklid, the black in the center of the ground effects in the front, and the 5.0 Liter High Output sticker under the badges on the sides.

 

I don't know, the car has a nice crisp look without the stripes. Probably wouldn't look bad with them, but I'd be hesitant to paint them on. Either way it should look good.

 

It just doesn't look right to me. Looks like it was repainted half *** without the proper markings re-applied if you ask me.

 

Being a stickler for originality, (aka OEM or bust) I'd vote for getting reproductions of the original stripes rather than painting them.
Phoenix Graphix offers a 82-84 Z28 kit that would pretty much take care of what you have left. Having used one of their kits in the recent past I can backup their quality (identical to stock) and its alot easier to apply the decals then I thought.
http://www.phoenixgraphix.com/gm/8284z.htm

For any other accents rattle can, can give you the same appearance as a body shop and its cheaper, faster, etc. On small areas it works great, I wouldn't try blending it to a painted panel, but for accents its fine.

Just some thoughts, either way I think it'll look fine.

 

Wow, Drew, thanks a bunch for that link. I will probably actually order the stripes and use them as a template/pattern to have them painted on and sealed under clear. I wasn't too happy with the edge of the factory decals as they tended to kinda peel back and wax would get trapped up against/under them. Glad to find those 5.0 HO decals cheap too. Thanks a bunch. Being that I have headers and a flowmaster(salvaged stock tailpipes though as they are a perfect match for the vehicle) on the car, it is far from factory anymore(WC T5 and torsen rear with moser axles doesn't help either). Not to mention that SMC hood from an 82 CFI car. Again, thanks a bunch for the help and the compliments on the car.

 

I know what you mean, its virtually impossible to keep the edges of the decals clean... Zaino seems to be a bit better about it then other waxes.

Now that I think about it, I haven't really had any problems with wax build up on the new decals. My Formula is half new decals from Phoenix Graphix and half factory originals. The ones that have been on since 1991 have crud around the edges that wont clean up, the others that I put on two years ago still blend with the paint entirely. I just make it a point to keep wax or Zaino away from the decals to prevent the buildup.

[This message has been edited by Drew (edited December 11, 2001).]