Hood fiberglass separating / hood hinge cause??

[A83]

My hood is separating at the front for the second time in recent years. 

 There is noticeable dip in the hood on the driver side when the hood is open as the hood support is on the passenger side.  Could the hinge be weakening and cause this?

Is there a way to install a support on the driver side? 

 

Thanks for any help and advice.

 

Kevin A83

[mfg]

1 hour ago, A83 said:

My hood is separating at the front for the second time in recent years. 

 There is noticeable dip in the hood on the driver side when the hood is open as the hood support is on the passenger side.  Could the hinge be weakening and cause this?

Is there a way to install a support on the driver side? 

 

Thanks for any help and advice.

 

Kevin A83

Although I’ve never done it, I don’t see why an identical hood support couldn’t be installed on the driver’s side,

However, I think a better solution would be to remove hood from car and repair it with a good clean out & rebond.

[mfg]

Something I’ve seen on Avantis when the bond between the hood skin and its inner construction releases (at the front) …Water gets inside, and creates rust and corrosion between the hood bolts and their respective nuts…. Sometimes making it impossible to unbolt the hood from the hinge.

[A83]

Thanks I had it rebonded on a few years ago so will probably have to be done again I can’t imagine the hinge itself awakening cause it’s metal so I’m wondering if it’s the fiberglass around it

 

Thank you very much for responding and for the advice and information

[ronmanfredi]

9 hours ago, A83 said:

Thanks I had it rebonded on a few years ago so will probably have to be done again I can’t imagine the hinge itself awakening cause it’s metal so I’m wondering if it’s the fiberglass around it

 

Thank you very much for responding and for the advice and information

If it has already been re-bonded, then either the work wasn't done right or the fiberglass is actually coming apart.  Do you know how they re-bonded it?  

[A83]

Not sure how they rebonded it - the owner of the company has since passed away and there is a new company there. 

My car is in a shop for some other work And they informed me that it was starting to split so I haven't actually seen it myself - my guess is it's in the beginning stages whatever it is.  Nothing looked that bad before I brought it in for the service.

 

[Michael Phillips]

I have noticed over the years of owning & working on Avantis, that quite often a person unfamiliar with the "pawl'" which locks the hood prop in the open position will try to close the hood without first rocking it forward to release the mechanism. The resulting leverage puts a lot of stress on the mount area. Since most cars for the last 30 or so years have hydraulic/ pneumatic cylinders on them the process of lifting forward before closing the hood may be alien to them.

[Bill Hanlon]

I had the same issue about 3 or 4 years ago. I used 3M panel bond adhesive 08115 product and it is still working. It is available on Amazon problem is that you need to purchase a gun applicator and mixing nozzle. I used the same product to remount my sun roof and has been working for about 6 years.   You need to fix the root cause before a second hood support. 

Edited 10 hours ago by Bill Hanlon

[Dwight FitzSimons]

1963 Avantis had their hood prop on the drivers side; Studebaker moved it to the passenger's side in 1964.  I haven't looked at both to determine if there is any difference between the '63 and '64 hood props; maybe just the attachment brackets at the bottom & top would have to be reversed.

It might be easier on the hood hinges & fiberglass to have two hood props, one on each side.  I assume that, when tilting the hood forward to unlatch the two hood props, that there would be no problem unlatching both so that you could drop the hood. 

Jon Myer in Ohio has parted out many Avantis and probably has hood props.

--Dwight

[Mark L]

My 63 has the same issue, but the opposite side. My hood prop is on the left side, and it's sagging on the right rear corner. In my case, I've determined the underhood  reinforcement that goes from left to right across the under surface of the hood skin has disbonded from the skin. While the hood is open, I can see movement between the reinforcement and the skin when I gently lift and lower the right rear corner.