Yes you can do that. Thats what it was intended for.

 

The Dynacorn hood is OK, and the price is right, ~$150, but for ~$400 you can get a new original. Either way, you'll be a lot happier with a new one than if you try to straighten the probable kinks in yours, in which case it'll never be as strong as it was.

 

2+2, you're probably right. one thing for sure. i ain't gonna put no springs back on it. once a snake bites you, you remember what the poison tastes like.

 

I'd get the hinges working properly, then your most of the way there, whether you use originals or repros. Use original springs, though, the repros are usually stiffer.

 

x2 on the using the right springs and original my 68 had 2 different springs turns out one was way stronger than the other and well...

 

Mustang hinges are excellent.

The problem arises when the cars sit for years with no maintenance. My 66 still has the original hinges and springs and hood and has been opened about (roughly) a scazillion times, still not bent.

The moral of the story is never, never, never, never, never, never, force the hinges open or closed when the hinges are stiff and rusty. Even if you don't wreck the hood, you'll bend the hinges.

If you have stiff hinges, soak PB Blaster or WD-40 into all the pivot points. Gently rock the hinges up and down, in a very short arc, not full travel. Keep soaking light oil into the pivots. Gradually increase the up and down movement, re-spraying the oil, until the hinges travel freely. Then spray white lithium grease into the hinges.

Before I get the "bull" flag, this is the method I use to get into junkers. Typically, even hinges nearly locked solid are perfectly fine in less than 10 minutes.

 

Makes a lot of sense.

Slowly working at it to get rid of the friction so that the hinge pivots about where it is supposed to - instead of bending somewhere that it isn't.

I've freed up other rusty mechanisms using a similar approach.


Norm

 

Hmmmmm...

Me too! lol

 

When we got new reproduction hinges, I used good amount of 3 in 1 oil on them. They were really tight. I would have kept the original hinges but one of them buckled. I have no idea why other than I think the springs are a little on the stiff side. Just having one spring on will hold the hood up. I think it would be nice if there was a spring that was in between that and the fiberglass hood springs.

 

Maybe there is. Drake now offers a "concours" spring.

http://www.drakeautomotivegroup.com/...A.aspx?wid=141