Hello guys,this for my cousin which is having trouble with the new `66 chevelle SS hood he`s purchased,he bought it from Ausleys and the front of the hood does not line up with the fenders,the angle of the front where the molding also goes isnt consistant with the fenders,so he went out and bought another hood from Goodmark thinking they are better and still the same problem,now he has 2 new SS hoods with the same problem and the car at the body shop waiting to get painted but this problem is delaying,did anyone have this problem with the aftermarket hoods?anyone know of anyone selling an original `66 SS hood?

Thanks
George

Believe it or not, most factory original hoods are similar...in that the molding that goes across the front of the hood does not line-up perfect with the fender eyebrow moldings. and also, the hood itself, does have a slight bow to it....all of these things can be adjusted to a degree... a little from the back, a little from the front...adjust the hood hinges abit...it can also drive ya crazy!! Ya have to find a happy medium with the adjustments IMO.

Now, others may have a different feeling on the subject...but I really don't think your cousin is going to find a repro hood any better from a another source. Finding an original may help a tad, but good luck finding one that doesn't need work and the cost will still be high...

Mike

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66 MYSTERY CHEVELLE.COM (http://hometown.aol.com/mysterychevelle/66CHEVELLESS.html)

Mike,i understand,but its not the molding fit problem,its the the front of the hood and the fenders cannot line up because the front of the hood lip ,its angled inward and so are the fenders but the hoods lip angle isnt consistant with the fenders angle,the fenders angle is steeper than the hoods,the hoods is almost straight with a slight angle,did you ever use one of these repro hoods?

Thanks

Mike,can i have your e-mail address so i can e-mail you and you`ll see excatly what i`m talking about,i will send you a photo of the problem.

Thanks
George

If it is the vertical gap at leading edge, some of the problem could be in the fender. The lower grille filler panel helps to spread the lower portion of fender below headlamp, it can affect leading edge fit. I have had the front sheetmetal on and off my 66 at least 10 times. If you would like to e-mail me a photo too, maybe I can help. Karl

C`mon fellas no one has used the repro chevelle hoods?

guys need some help,someone must have some experience with the aftermarket hood???

Yep, my repop hood fit badly, the roll in frt. did not match fenders. My body shop trial fitted frt. clip etc. then they rerolled frt lip on hood. A reputable body shop should be able to also do this for you. I have no clue how they really did this except they used dolleys. Hood ended up fitting perfectly.

Frank
66SS396

Thank you Frank,i knew it wasnt just us with the hood problem,but who knows maybe people are scared to come out and say it,lie its a shame or something,but i thank you Frank once again.

George

My 67 repo Ausleys SS hood fit's so bad I'm ashamed to close it. It's arched higher then the fenders and you can see the valve covers with the hood closed! He said he'd give me my money back but he never did.

You are welcome George. Hope hood turns out well. Mine is a Goodmark hood, the sides and back were fine as far as lines go . Only problem was in the frt. Make sure to trial fit your hood frt. lip molding.

Frank
66 SS396

With all aftermarket sheetmetal you will have fitment problems. That is why if you use aftermarket or even NOS you will need an excellent metal guy, not an average autobody shop worker. This is what separates autobody and restoration shops. It is also what separates average resto shops from the great ones. A good one will work the hood and fenders till its perfect with a dolly. This is also expensive as these guys want some $$$ do to it "right".