body work on my 78's hood

[RfirstVette]

Attached is a pic of the hood of my 78. I know it's impossible to be 100 % sure without seeing it in person and even then with out actually getting into it but would like opinions on :
1) Should I repair this hood
2) buy a new hood

I took it to the supposed best body shop in town and he told me that without actually tearing into it he would estimate 10 hours to repair the hood and make it paintable amd then I would have to add the paint job on top of that. He told me he had just did a complete rebuild on a wrecked 'Vette and swore he would never do another !
He suggested it would be cheaper to buy a new hood (less body/prep work)and paint it . Is he giving me the run around 'cos he doesn't really want to do another 'Vette or is he telling me straight .

Thanks for the input,
Gary

Here's the link to a couple more pics http://nothingbutmopars.20megsfree.com/photo5.html

 

[Chas]

dont look so bad in pics....

im not a body expert , but i would keep trying...my hood comes off in less than 5 mins .....preping wouldnt seem so awful...he may just be too busy and knows that a vette owner is very picky to deal with if its not good.
my 2 cents.
Chas

 

[Copdogcorvettes]

Well I can't tell that much from the pictures, but it doesn't look that bad. I'd have to see it up close to be sure. Myself, I'd just fix the hood and then have it painted. If there are no breaks or major warping fix it.

Now on the other hand if you have to pay someone to do all the work; it could cost you a $100 or more to fix the hood. A new hood is around $500-$600 plus shipping.

If you don't know how to do the work yourself; I'm sure there are CAC members close to you that may be able help you fix it yourself.

Good Luck,

Gary

 

[joe1975]

My 2cents worth, the guys telling you about right, If he's a pro he's probaly seen more screwed up repairs then he cares to count so he has to undo someone elses probaly unexprenced work then redo so he can stand behind his work Theres a place down here in Louisiana that has hoods for $425 new ,Vanqours corvette parts if you are intrested I can get you the web site, I saw some of his stuff at a NCRS in Baton Rouge last month .I'm in need of a hood also good luck!

 

[johnd]

hey, the picture is not workin for me but I do alot of work on vettes...if you want you can send me some pictures at jdykstra@new.rr.com and maybe I can help ya...

John Dykstra

 

[paintdaddy]

Its had to tell from the pic but that just looks like super thick paint that has peeled up in that area rather than damage to the actual fiberglass.The reason the body shop doesnt want to work on your corvette is probably because they mainly want to do insurance work.I suggest finding a specialty shop or maybe even someone that does it part time.

 

[RfirstVette]

Thanks for the replies,
I find that most bodyshops want to do the insurance claims and not much else. even the so called classic car body shop here local does very few classics.

Will probably start on it myself this weekend. Hey if it comes out good thats great , if I srew it up worse than it is oh well. I'll take it somewhere and pay sopmeone else to screw it up ! LOL Thats been my experience lately with bodyshops .

 

[69_Dream]

I would also say go for it Gary. Nothing to lose. If you expect to have to buy a new hood anyway, go ahead and spend some time yourself. At best, you get a great looking hood and you can proudly say "I did that". At worst, great hands on experience.

Not that I have much experience, but I'd say it might take you a weekend or two, but hey. It's only time right?

Sly

 

[RfirstVette]

Sly ,

Good thinking . I was planning on starting Sunday but found out today I have to work ! Oh well , I have 2 half days this week so I'll put them to good use .

Had the vert out yet ? I notice you are in Ontario so I'm guessing not.

Gary

 

[Brutus]

I used a razor blade to effectively remove the paint from my hood after glassing in the scoop. If you do that first you'll at least have a better idea of the extent of the repairs needed, plus you'll be able to fix any nicks incurred during the stripping process.

 

[69_Dream]

Had the vert out yet ? I notice you are in Ontario so I'm guessing not.

Gary

Once or twice, quick runs. Turns out the she has LCS, a very common ailment with our vettes, that's "Leaky Car Syndrome" to the uninformed public. I wanna get some of those fixed before a lay down a new floor in the garage scheduled in a week and a half.

Yesterday was in the 80's, so not too bad... pretty much summer up here

Brutus is right, first step is stripping it see what horror lies beneath... remember to post some pics as you work your way through.

Good luck.

Sly