How does it line up to the fenders?

 

did you adjust the bumpers the hood site on? there should be one near each headlight.

 

Yes I even took them out. I think it is hitting on the pass side headlight.

 

Tough one Jeff, I saw the pictures of when you had it apart & you could have a lot of 'collision work" type tweaking ahead to get it all straighter again.

 

Yeah funny thing, is when I bought it there was no word of any collisions, accidents, etc. So I don't know what went on there. It was an old couple to.

It is a lot of collision work. Would like to replace the crash bar, but its welded on...need specialized tools for that.

Haha we did do some tweaking already...not going to go into detail there.

 

Looks like the headlight is not sitting properly and causing your problems. I know my drivers headlight is off from an accident I was in. I can no longer install the lower screw in the car.

 

Yeah that is what we thought as well. But that was the reason for taking everything apart in the first place. The passenger headlight is only broke at the top mount. All other mounts are in and secured with no issues.

We straightened some things out and it is much better now than what it was. But i do believe that it is hitting at the top of the headlight like you mentioned. But I don't know how to fix that.

Also discovered that the hood is kinked, creased at the bottom from the alleged collision. It just keeps getting better and better.

 

looks like that corner was pushed to the right and back now that I look at the photos of the hood and fender.

 

Yes...I don't know how to fix it though. Everything was pushed out of whack when he hit what he hit...So fixing the crash bar I don't think will solve anything if the rest is pushed a certain way. Guess I will have to live with it all....but i don't want to.

 

The wacky shaped X-brace that holds the hood as well as everything else up front is involved IMHO, bumper is prob. the least affected because the ends look to be in the same spot from your pictures - just the center bowed in.

 

Ok so heard a vibrating type noise last night. Hood is hitting against the pass. Light. Not good...eventually will wear a hole in it...I do believe the hood is creased. There is a line at the bottom that shouldn't be there.

Yeah sailor you are right about all of that..just fix and unbend what I can and live with it.

 

is the crease right along the front edge from headlight to headlight? If so it may be common. My original hood had this crease and I believe it is from slamming the hood shut.

 

I would say it is probably an inch up from the bottom and starts probably 8-10 in from the headlights. Just in the middle. Not all the way across.

It could be from the closing.

 

It comes from people trying to force hood to shut all the way when it won't. By putting hand on the front edge of hood at impact.

All that is fixable but a lot more minute moving of everything than you think there. The hood can be moved like 15 different ways. No one or two move(s) going to get that right. Hood can be moved side to side, at angle as well (rotated like clock hands) both ways and up/down and forward/backward. The latch assembly can be raised/lowered and the metal loop in hood can be moved around as well.

Biggest problem I've found to repeat long term hood shutting correctly and placed properly is the way Ford attaches the latch assembly to the rad support, it is plastic and flimsy and tends to come loose or migrate with age.

I knocked the entire hood box opening all out of kilter once in accident, it closes perfectly and with only about a 6-10 inch drop and for years. Took better part of a day to do it though.

 

Thank you! Now you have to explain to me how it adjusts that many ways and angles. I can see how tweaking certain parts would help but the other moving has me confused.

I noticed the good latch can be adjusted. Just haven't done that yet till I know how to the hood from rubbing on the headlight. Didn't know about the hood loop. Interesting.

A little more insight would be nice if you don't mind.

 

Do a search, I posted a 1000 words on it once and thinking twice even, not gonna do that again. Nothing there you can't figure out anyway if you THINK about how it all bolts up.

You fix with a combo of several moves, no one or two will get that there, and every one is different with different needs.

Hood loop can be whacked with hammer to predispose hood front one way sideways more than the other and the depth of it can be changed by dropping bottom middle of the loop to be not dead straight any longer. You must get hood lined that way too or simply letting loop realign hood by itself will break parts after a time depending on how far you warp the sideways shift. ALL parts have to work together to be longterm bulletproof there.

May well even have to move headlights to fit to suit as well. When done all will look perfect but needs some thought or give it up. No training course for that. I even had to slightly slot my fender bolt holes to make one fender line up perfectly once all else was correct.