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Okay,
So most of you guys know that I left my '88 244 back in RI just in case something happened either in RI and I needed to be there or in FL and I needed another car. When I left RI the car was in great shape. It ran very stong, had a great, peppy engine and even almost beat a new Volkswagen Golf GTI in a drag race...Yes I said a VW GTI hahaha...ANYWAYS...
Now that I'm back in RI, the car obviously doesn't run as my mom's genius husband crossed the damned jumper cables and arced the battery out. Plus the fuel pump relay is shot which I think is the result of the battery arcing, who knows, who cares? All I know is that I have to replace it. ANYWAYS....I've had the hood open on the car for the past couple of days because it isn't closing right and I knew that the left side hood hinge is starting to go. So I left it in the upright position until I have the cash to get a new hood hinge. After working on piece of crap American cars for 14 hours, my mother tells me that she tried to close the hood of my car (Since it's going to rain oh so much tomorrow.) and she "Bent the hood 'a little bit'." She thought she was "Doing me a favor." even though she DIDN'T FRICKIN ASK ME. . . ANYWAYS I went out there a couple of minutes ago and the left side hinge is bent (on the right hand side of the hinge) and the hood is bent on the left hand side as well. After yelling and throwing stacked wood around for a couple of minutes, I cooled off and came inside. A couple of questions now that I'm SOMEWHAT relaxed:
1: Is this hinge completely shot or can I try to salvage the hinge? The hinge is just bending as I try to open and close the hood.
2: Is there any way I can bend that side of the hood back into place without having to heat up the metal and yaffing up the paint?
3: Can someone run my mom over with a 245?...Kidding...lol
I'm looking to drive the car to work tomorrow to work on it so I'd greatly appreciate any imput I can get tonight, and pardon my tirade!
-Eric
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After taking a minute to study your post,
it may be possible to remove the spring,
which is what is 'winding' up the hinge,
tweak the hinge back while hood is propped
up on a stick.Use a large crescent wrench or two.
Check alignment as you close it.
If it latches properly,and,it should because you haven't
crashed the car,and altered dimensions, it won't fly open.
Make sure it clicks AND Latches.
Tug up hard on it to test.
You can easily remove the grill and see it to be sure.
Wire it down with a coat hanger to be double sure.
--
White 86-245 DL, M 46, IPD bars & Wagon Overloads,Commando Bumpers,SS Belly Pan & Air Pickup,Straight-Shot EMT Chassis & Tower Braces,Scorpius Alloys,2 Belt No AC Conversion,Black POR-15 No Glare Front End
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Bad news:
The hinge won't bend back. The hinges on my 89 parts car were starting to get stiff from sitting for a year. Almost bent the crappy hood on that thing before it got towed away.
Good news:
They're not hard to get off, and the hinges can usually be found in good shape. Couple of 12mm bolts and it comes off.
I dunno without looking at it how bad your hood is. Maybe it's junk maybe not. Chances are very good that the hinge can not be salvaged. The hood itself, with good hinges under it, can probably be saved. These things have been kinking like this at least back to the 164 days... my wife's 75 bent a hood once.
I don't think I have any hinges handy but I'll look. I know you can get a hood and hinges for about $100 from Autowerkes in New London. They usually have plenty of parts cars around and they save good hoods. If it's just a hinge you're probably talking $25.
Good luck with it once again.
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: Today I'm driving: 1990 745GL, M47, 273K, Hydras, Urethane bushings, Teal & Tan ::: My wife's got my 92 down in VA Beach!
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Hinge is toast.
Hood can be made to work,but will never be pretty
without more body work than it's worth.
Got a free hood for you,
but I am way out here in SF.
Keep hinges lubed.
--
White 86-245 DL, M 46, IPD bars & Wagon Overloads,Commando Bumpers,SS Belly Pan & Air Pickup,Straight-Shot EMT Chassis & Tower Braces,Scorpius Alloys,2 Belt No AC Conversion,Black POR-15 No Glare Front End
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Although I'm not a Doctor, I would recommend that you take a Zanex and a 10mg Valium before dealing with the issue. I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night though!
Could have been worse, had a passenger side hood hinge snap on a 65 T-Bird Special Landau with a $5K paint job (2 weeks after it was painted!) Had to have the hood, right fender, and cowl repainted... now its a $6K paint job with two $50 hinges!
Seriously, chill, She meant well!
jorrell
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89 244 171K miles, 92 245 241K miles, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup
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I have to say, I feel bad for you. I know your mom meant well, but now you're stuck with a bigger problem than you had earlier.
Sounds like a safety issue to me.
My son drove an '83 244 where the hood didn't latch properly. This was during the week after he rear-ended somebody in said 244, which is why it didn't latch.
Hood latch let go on I-95. Hood swung up, hit forward edge of roof; broke the windshield. Of course he couldn't see anything with the hood up in front of his face so that was pretty scary at maybe 60-70 + mph.
Anyway, I can't judge your hood hinge from here - but any metal that's been bent isn't as strong as it was before. With a bad latch, bent hood and bent hinge, I'd sideline the car till you get it put back together.
A friend of mine swapped a hood once. He told me that pulling the replacement and installing it are best done with two people. Otherwise it's real easy to set it down such that you scratch something or bend the protruding corners at the rear of the hood. With two people you can lift it off the donor car and then set it right down onto the waiting hinges on your car.
I'm emailing you the tel. # for that yard I know in RI.
--
Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, open-front airbox, E-fan, 205/65-15's, IPD sways, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors. Wifemobile '89 245 NA stock. 90 244 NA spare, runs.
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