1959 356A S/R coupe project chassis # 108625

[roy mawbey]

Justin patience is a virtue and you were so right in not assuming things would just be okay. I like the way you proved that error step by step. Also so good again to have a spare item to confirm things as you go. I have over the years had my hood off a number of times and I do have a small difference in gap from the left to right fender. Its almost as though over 64 years the left fender has moved a small amount in the length towards the front nose. I could not correct it on the hinges but over that 500 mm length I could correct it with a little lead, but I won't. Also do you not need the rubber hood seal fitted but not glued in place just to make sure before painting as you need the compression to see the effect on closure height?

Roy

[JTR70]

Dialing the hood latch mechanism:
Original hood remounted and the latch mechanism with base was engaged onto the hood shank then lowered down to locate the most centered position in relation to the hood.
Next is setting the base at an attitude that matches as closely as possible with the approach angle of the upper catch. I want to ensure full engagement without any binding or misalignment. The gapped and set hood with the cowl is dictating everything.
This initial mock up is showing a bit more tilt in the lower latch than I remembered but after referring to this undisturbed original there is tilt in this base.
next was adding the upper closing wall in to check for clearance with the latch base.
The new wall does crowd it backwards a touch and the base is now sitting too flat and off in angle with the shanks approach. No surprise as these parts never fall right into place on the first try. Some nipping and tucking coming up next to get that angle back to ensure proper mechanism engagement. I don't any issues with latch jamming when its all over.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

Good confirmation;
This unmolested hood bolts tightly against the hinges allowing them to float nicely in the center of the pockets. Confirmation number one.
Any needed future adjustments as far as the hinges are concerned will be to the hood side.
Nearly the same profile issue as before; the majority of the problem is on the fender side! Confrimation number two.
As I try to level the edge of the hood with the forward most edge of the fender everything behind it just falls apart much like it does with the car's original hood. So glad I tried this before just blindly assuming the original hoods profile needed all the correcting.
Not only that but the gap is huge the entire way down. The hood and its hinges are adjusted at center in a relaxed state. This is where it is staying! Everything including this remaining fender will be gapped and adjusted to suit, not the other way around. Remounting the original hood with new confidence to proceed.

Thanks for looking!

Justin

[JTR70]

Aside from the hoods profile, the gap on this side is enormous with the hinges centered and the rear cowl gap set and even. Remnants of a buckle at the crown of this fender can still be seen here. The factory weld joint also has a crack in it next to the hood. While the right side bore the brunt of the damage this left fender did shift a little.
Now I was beginning to wonder just how much of this contour discrepancy was in the hood. This fenders damage could be a contributing factor as well?
To get at that answer I decided to mock up this absolutely cherry, unkinked and accident free hood from my '56 coupe.
Mounted on the hinges and dialing the closest 3mm+ across the length of the cowl.
Fits pretty well though its a little proud at the center. Close, but thats why these hoods were numbered.

[JTR70]

Carefully contorted back in line with a large crescent wrench; no hammer strikes. You really have to careful with these later version hinge mechanisms. They are half the thickness of the earlier AT1 and Pre-a version mechanisms and instead have a spring washer installed to move everything over to one side to make up for the thickness discrepancy. If the hinge gets too bent up or deformed the star and the lock get out of alignment with one another and won't mesh correctly. I've delt with that issue before and the only real fix is to disassemble the mechanism and straighten the frame back out separately. The earlier hinges are much more forgiving. Hinges now reset dead center and will correct the hood flanges to match this position as closely as possible.
As the mounting flange adjustment continues I needed another look at the bulge along the left side profile. Setting the rear gap back to 3mm+ here.
That thing sure sits proud. I'm at the point where I'm really getting my mind around all of the damage and the hood is not as unscathed as I had first thought.
A lot of grinder marks on the right side where the skin had been damaged and reworked. It was actually very nicely done as it wasn't anything that jumped right out. Anyway the hood suffered more collision damage than I thought.