My hood doesn't fit by a lot. I am not sure where to go from here.. now mostly fixed

[Blitzboy54]

Like the title says I tried to install the hood and it's really far off. I am hoping I did something obviously wrong that can be corrected otherwise I think I need to be mad at FFR? I installed the hinges per the instructions and mounted the hood. FFR pre drilled the holes so I guess they are right? Here is the hood before putting it on.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=216288&d=1752424061

I have the hinge adjusted as far in on the drivers side as it is capable of going and the passenger side just about as far out as it will go. The hood overlaps the passenger body by nearly an inch.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=216282&d=1752423597

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=216283&d=1752423597

With everything loose you can get it close maxed out in both directions but as soon as you put any tight on it looks like this or some version of this

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=216286&d=1752423641

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=216285&d=1752423641

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=216287&d=1752423641


So now I don't know what to do. My options are limited because I am fully adjusted in on the drivers side. There isn't anywhere for it to go. Even if I open the adjustment hole it will still bang into the bracket. I am inclined to removed the hood brackets, fill in the holes and re drill offsetting them an inch to the right. Again these were pre drilled so I had no say in where they go. If i do that they will be a bit goofy but probably not that noticeable? I appreciate any body guru advise here. I feel like this one has been fighting me since the begining.

I appreciate some advise.

[Papa]

A couple of thoughts:

1. Is the body in the propper position?

2. When/if you trimmed the hood, did you take the same amount from both sides? If not, one of the ribs might be hitting the frame.

3. Are the hinges mounted above or below the frame mount?

4. Can you make any adjustments from below the car with the hood closed?

[Blitzboy54]

A couple of thoughts:

1. Is the body in the propper position?

2. When/if you trimmed the hood, did you take the same amount from both sides? If not, one of the ribs might be hitting the frame.

3. Are the hinges mounted above or below the frame mount?

4. Can you make any adjustments from below the car with the hood closed?

Thanks Dave,

1. This is a good question. If it's not then FFR pre cut my holes in the wrong spots. The quick jacks restrict how far over I can move it. I guess I could pull them out and the windshield. I would have to move the body over an inch to get it to "just fit" with the hinges max adjusted. But it's on this list.

2. I didn't trim the hood. This is how it came. If fits in the opening pretty decently. I assumed after it was in I might have to shave a touch here or there but this is something all together different.

3. Below

4. This is a real challenge. I can do it but will need to get it back up on jack stands. I don't have a lift. I'm willing to do it of course but I am not clear how much difference it will make yet.

[gbranham]

Interesting. I didn't have to trim my hood at all for it to fit, and installed the hinge brackets on the hood where the hood was marked for them. Mine fit great. As Papa mentions, loosen up all hinge bolts, close the hood and try to center it. If you can, then put something heavy on the hood to hold it in place, and get below the car to tighten everything up. Are you sure you have the hinge brackets installed properly? And is the body centered? I know folks put a 3/4" rubber stock on the 3/4" tube where the body rests, but I didn't like the wheel gap, so I ended up notching my driver's side hinge piece slighty where it hit the upper radiator support. After that, it lays in the opening just fine with no trimming. The pic here with the hood closed is before I notched the hinge arm. Now it lays in the opening flat. I just jacked up the front of the car and reached up in there with sockets, wrenches, and a few extensions. Don't drop your ratchet on your head like I did. That hurts. I'm betting your hinge piece is hitting the upper radiator mount on the driver's side. I marked my hinge in blue where I notched it. Here's mine:

216298216295216296216297

[Jeff Kleiner]

I have never had to move the hood brackets from the predrilled location. The photo shows that yours look exactly like all of them. Methinks that you don't have the front of the body properly centered. It doesn't center on the tubes surrounding the hood opening---center it side to side by measuring from the top of the coilover mount out to the high point of the wheel opening (it'll be about 17 3/8" per side + or - a little). It's very common to have to bend the bumper/QJ "outriggers" that run forward to get them to align with the body holes once the body is centered (especially on the driver's side).

Jeff

[JMD]

I had to move the front outriggers to the passenger side ~3/8" to center the body (maybe it was up to 1/2"). Looks like yours could come that way, which would help the situation. The hood is going to be too big but should fit well enough to operate without trimming. If you've had an alignment done you can double check if the body is centered by looking where the fenders line up in relation to your front wheels while pointed straight ahead. Otherwise you need to measure the upper shock mount to fender distance for each front wheel and see if they're different distances.

[AC Bill]

So is not mandatorily having to trim the hood edge to get it to fit properly, a new MK4 thing?

Pretty sure that was the first thing I had to do when I was installing and fitting my MK3.1 hood.

Receiving the frame with the quick jack frames being slightly askew, was not unheard of. More than one builder needed to tweak them back in line to get the body fitting correctly. There's varying ways that was accomplished successfully. Some just used a large hammer. :p

I highly suggest fitting the hood with the gas struts removed. It looks like they are already attached in your picture? They could interfere terribly when initially trying to line things up, and should be the last thing to install after it's all good to go. There had been issues with the struts causing pressure on the hood, if the holes drilled for the strut mounts on the hood, were located incorrectly. The factory marks for the holes to be drilled were off by a slight amount apparently. Perhaps this is no longer an issue with the new MK4 hoods?

Adjusting the hood hinges from under the car, I initially thought was going to be a real *****, but it didn't turn out so bad after all. You should have someone there to help with the job from above, while you are laying under the car. I needed to use several ratchet extensions joined together in a row to reach up high enough to adjust the nuts. So get those rounded up first.

Does FFR now provide the carriage bolts with their hinge kits, or does a builder still need to buy some separately from the hardware store? I would hope that FFR picked up on that by now. Using Carriage bolts were originally an FFCars.com member's solution from many years ago. This idea helped immeasurably so builders could correctly fit the hood, and tighten the hinges, with the hood still closed.

[gbranham]

Does FFR now provide the carriage bolts with their hinge kits, or does a builder still need to buy some separately from the hardware store? I would hope that FFR picked up on that by now. Using Carriage bolts were originally an FFCars.com member's solution from many years ago. This idea helped immeasurably so builders could correctly fit the hood, and tighten the hinges, with the hood still closed.

Everything is provided these days.

[Blitzboy54]

Ok, definitely needed to move the body. My outriggers need to move too. What’s everyone’s preferred methods for this once everything is in place. It’s my drivers side. It needs to move in quite a bit (1/2 inch maybe). Thinking watch strap to the 4” tube

[Papa]

Ok, definitely needed to move the body. My outriggers need to move too. What’s everyone’s preferred methods for this once everything is in place. It’s my drivers side. It needs to move in quite a bit (1/2 inch maybe). Thinking watch strap to the 4” tube

A piece of scrap lumber and a BFH. I wanted to get technical when I was building my car and got a lot of crap from other builders for over thinking it.

Initial Body Fitting Questions https://share.google/748SVPJuw2HEMjd5b

[Jeff Kleiner]

If the body isn’t on use a BFH. If the body is on stick a 2-3 foot long 2x4 up against it through the wheel opening and hit that with a BFH!

Jeff

[Blitzboy54]

You guys are great. Yup I didn't measure it right. I lined up the quick jacks. I must have just been lucky the first time I did this. I had to pull the windshield to modify the opening, loosen the wiper brackets, re adjust the drivers door and I will have to pull the passenger door and remove a 1/16 or so along the front edge but the hood fits.

I used the leverage method to fix the out riggers. They move a lot easier than I would have assumed.

It's far from perfect but it fits now. Thank you to everyone for your help. Also yes, jacking up the car and tightening from underneath is the only way to go. I will update all the details in my build thread but this is how it looks now.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=216313&d=1752439903

[gbranham]

YES! Crisis averted!

Greg

[Jeff Kleiner]

There ya' go Jesse! Aren't you glad that you didn't try to relocate those hood brackets :)

You can put that weight away---it ain't going to help. Set the latches 14" from center rather than what the manual says and in the end that will help to pull the hood corners to body flush.

Jeff

[AC Bill]

Looks good now!
On to the next challenge. My bodyman found the door fit to be quite challenging. Perhaps the MK4's don't have that issue..