hood hinge fab

[chevy art]

has anyone ever tried to fab a 2 piece hood hinge that would make it easy to remove the vega hood. heres my idea. make an identical piece of metal for each hinge that is the same shape as the vega hinges and fit it in the recess that the vegas hinge has, install 2 strong bolts on the bottom part, 2 on the top, now you have a braced vega hinge. now carefully cut the vega hinge in half in the center. to take the hood off, just unbolt the 4 bolts (2 on each side and remove the hood and reinstall the same way. does this sound like it could be done. any ideas? ill bet with all the great fab guys on our forum, someone has done something like this already

[1100kaw]

I cut one one the studs off the hinge peice on the hood, drilled it out to 3/8" and use a bolt and nyloc nut on that one side. This way u can snug it up and it wont work loose. A little tricky with wenches, but can be done. Still need need help holding it to get it off and on but at least you dont have to pry and bend stuff to get it out of brackets.
Be sure you center punch the peice before you drill so you get good center. if it walks hood will not line up nice.
I also to a die and ran down the shaft of hood prop pin on fenderwell so i could use 3/8 nyloc there too.
Darrell

[cammerjeff]

Could I suggest getting a 76 or later Bolt on hood & Hinges? I have only owned 75 and Later Astre/Sunbird Wagons, and they all use Bolt on hood Hinges, I understand that at least 77 Vega's use them Also.

[283vega]

Art. I 'm not understanding what your trying to explain!

[cosworth0135]

i understand what your saying Jeff but the 75-76 vegas don't have bolt on hoods,atleast the 2 in my garage don't. i have owned one that had split hinges like art talked about but i didn't think to take pics of them, it was my first vega and i didn't know about it then, i can say that one of my hoods does have threaded holes I hadn't looked at the other yet. Timmy

[Rickracer]

I used to take mine off by myself all the time. Mine had the pins that stuck through a bracket on the core support. I would raise the hood, grab it by the sides, and just shift it side to side, pushing back on the side I was moving towards as I shifted, one pin would come out, then the other, done deal. Once I had some practice, I could do it in about 10 seconds.

[chevy art]

hey 283 basicaly what i want to do is cut the hinge in hals at the middle of the hinge and put it basck together with a (splint) made out a piece of strong metal that is the same shape as the hibgs and have 2 bolts on the bottom and 2 bolts on the top holding everything together. take 2 bolts out of top of each hinge and the hood will come right off. think i explained that right.. hope i get some suggestions on this. ricks hood comes right off for him, but mine didnt want to and i just feel there has to be an easier way. i have a perfect set of 77 hooh hinge, and my buddy had the 77 hood for me and i never went to get it and one of the storms destroyed it(so he says). im upset about that, but i still have my 75 hood which is still perfect, but difficult to take on and off.. hope to hear from someone with an approval to my plan for the hood hinges than ks art

[vegastre]

Sounds like a good idea. In fact you could just weld the splint to the bottom hinge and then just two bolts on the top hinge and the hood drops off. That said, I'm not so sure how cosmetic beautiful it would look but then with some shaping and couple of stainless bolts and who knows?

[HAULIN' IT]

Could I suggest getting a 76 or later Bolt on hood & Hinges? I have only owned 75 and Later Astre/Sunbird Wagons, and they all use Bolt on hood Hinges, I understand that at least 77 Vega's use them Also.

Correct, at least some did. Here's one I got. It has a floating plate inside with 2 tapped holes. The decal is hard to read, but it's a '76 model.
Art, One option would be to use nutserts...centerpunch the holes, drill, then cut the welds off of your original hinges.
Lorne

[chevy art]

hey vegastre i think you know exactly what i want to do. i probably would have welded it like youy suggested, but i thought it would be easier to explain the idea using the 4 bolts . good looking out. im going to do it your method for sure when i do this and i will let everybdoy see this ifmit works out. thanks guys art

[speedphreake]

Art,

I would find a later hood with bolt on hinges if you want to keep a stock steel hood. Other option would be a fiberglass bolt on hood with the later bolt on hinges. I have a glass hood with bolt on hinges I got from members here that I can take off myself.

What you want would work but i think it would be easier to get another hood.

[chevy art]

jeff i have a perfect set of 77 hinges, but no fiberglass hood. also need to install a hood scoop to clear my high intake manifold. want an l-88 scoop which will look the best on my Notchback. i have no problem using my metal hood with a scoop installed, just cant have the stock hinge setup like it is now. ill be watching for a used fiberglass scoop or maybed down in Pa. there is a company that can make one for me. anyone have any info on the fiberglass hood manufacturer in Pa thanks art

[chevy art]

hey haulin it. i have thought of using nutserts. i know i can get the hood aligned just like you suggested. just dont know if those nutserts would have anything to strongly grab onto when they are installed. does anyone know if the older hoods with the welded hinges have any sort of steel plate under the hinge like the 77 hoods do, or are the hingers just welded to sheet metal on the hood thanks art

[megavega]

This is what I am going to do with my hood/hinges, just take a small peice of 1/8" thick flat stock, about 1.5-2 inches wide by however long the hinge pad is on the hood now, could be a tad larger for added support. Take a scribe and go around your current hinge so you can realign it. Drill 2 holes for the hood bolts and then weld 5/16" nuts right to the flat stock. Drill 6 holes thru the hood webbing where the plate will sit. Then cut a slot in end of hood (green marks) , insert flat stock with the 2 nuts facing up towards top of hood, so the flat bottom will lay nice on the webbing. Align the flat stock to the hood and then tack end of stock plate to hood, remove bolts after you have hinge inside your scribe lines and plug weld the hood webbing to the flat stock plate (red holes)and youll have a bolt on hood. You can then stitch up the slot if you want but it will be on the bottom when hood is open.

[chevy art]

thanks don one question. is there a way i can get alignment or close to alighment of the plate before welding.( alignment so hood sits right on car). also the 5/16 nuts that are welded in . would i drill 5/16 holes and tap the nuts in, flush with the hinge side, and then weld them from the backside, where it wouldnt be flush with the thinner matal plate ,and not show, as its inside the hood shell? art