Sagging Right Fender Due to Hood Support

On my '72 it looks to me the right fender is not the same curvature as the hood and my speculation it is due to the hood support pushing down on the fender all these past years.

When the hood is opened you can see the fender flex down when it takes the weight of the hood. I was aligning the hood and fenders over the weekend, which is a job that requires a lot of patience.

Has anyone made a support for the fender to brace it and keep it from sagging and also correct the alignment issue ?

Have you got some pics....the little cone /spring thingy in the front is adjustable and the sissor hinges can be shimed with flat washers

Prop

I think he means that, like mine, his midget has spent much of its life with the bonnet in the "uh oh" position, and the fender is dipping down where the hood stay attaches to it from the weight of the bonnet.

Correct Tim, the fender shape is not the same as the hood due to the years of being pushed downward. The hood maybe sticks up 1/8 inch above the fender on part of the seam. I still want to do something to 'make it better'.

You sure the hood isn't bent up? That would seem more likely. Every once in a while some tries close the hood too early.....



Peter C

I don't think the hood is bent. The hood has the same curve on both sides just sighting the lines. It fits well on the driver's side. It looks like the passenger side fender just flattens out. When you open the hood and then watch the fender as it takes the weight you can watch the inner edge of the fender dip slightly. The hood could have been up on my car for a long time. It sat inside for 26 years, as the story goes.

I've recently been worrying about the hood becoming warped from the same open position that you describe, never thought about the fender over time becoming a little warped or sagged from this. I have been using a small telescoping paint roller handle to keep my hood open when doing things under the hood. Place it in the center of hood and use small towel to keep from slipping off hood and also to keep from scratching the paint.

The hood may be bent on the right side as it'll sag to the left because of the support. I literally just went through this and it was 1/2 of my issue. Mine was about 1/2 or so higher on the right side once the hood was closed. I simply opened the hood and twisted it in the opposite direction, left side up rt side down and held it that way for a minute or do....BAM everything lines up now.

i had thoughts of welding on another hood prop receiving flange for the other fender and put a whole other prop on the other side to help support it evenly, is that crazy?