MikeinBloomfield

Thanks everyone for the awesome replies.

Podguy, that Harbor Freight portable power tool looks like a good idea. Excuse the dumb question, but is the cross member you're talking about where the fan shroud and air intakes are bolted to? That would be strong enough to push the sheet metal with the hood latch away, correct? Or should I just get the puller?

MikeinBloomfield

No wait, I get it. It goes from the engine crossmember under the engine, up to the first thing I can find on the front of the car to push it. I'm guessing having the hydraulic ram at an angle isn't a big issue.

Walt L

Oh my that is a bit of over kill!! The latch plate that may be slightly bent is really quite soft, we bent mine back into shape with a short block of wood and a 2 lb hammer. I swear those Germans used Japanese steel on that part!! It needs to be banged forward and down, just unscrew the 4 or 5 screws holding on the black cover trim and tap away. Having the new hood bolted into place will help you determine the proper curve and height.

Podguy

Walt is probably right. I already have a porta power and then to use it when I need to push something. I used it to break loose a frozen set track. The spreader is helpful in a lot of ways. I also used it to change the bearing on the torque tube.

The other alternative is a monkey bar. We used that in VWs all the time. Not sure where you can get one but you might be able to borrow one. Then there is always a slide hammer. Harbor Frieght is selling a suction cup slide hammer that can be adapted to other attachments. It can also be used to work out door dings and other small dents.

One unrelated discovery I made is the cheap Harbor Frieght puller which is about worthless for most things screws directly to the oil pump and slides the thing right out. You can the oil pump seals in about 15 minutes.

Good luck with the car. A good hammer and a two by four can go a long way to fixing dents.

JHowell37

Better yet, don't f*ck with it until you get it down here. Your current hood is significantly damaged, and it can't serve as a reference. In addition, the hood has a wide range of adjustment and the impact could have caused it to shift. I had assumed I would be installing the new hood for you anyway, which only takes a few minutes if everything else is good. So resist the temptation to "fix it", and we can look at it on Sunday. Just make sure the current hood is secured for your drive down.

MikeinBloomfield

JHowell, that was the plan. I'm going to use the new hood to align the front nose, either at your house after a couple whacks, or at mine with the porta power or at a shop. I appreciate all the help!

Send me a PM with your address or wherever you want to meet, and depending on weather, i"ll probably see you around 11:00 AM.

Thanks again.

MikeinBloomfield

Thanks to JHowell37, I've got a new hood on the car! No time for pics, the drive back was exhausting, too much traffic. The drive down was nice, 3 and half hours of highway driving in a car that made to do just that.

Thanks again to JHowell37, who put the hood on for me and helped with great advice. He's got a great setup down there, I'm totally envious of his massive work space. Pretty nice '85 too, and good roads to crank it up on.

The hood fits ok. Will fit much better when I get it to the body shop to pull the nose out a bit. Looks like I need to get bumper shocks too, although I haven't gotten the nose off yet.

At least I can drive the car again!

911 Crazy

Too bad. I wouldn't take any chances though. I'd get her a fixed up and sell to me.

MikeinBloomfield

Ha ha! No chance, 911Crazy. I love this car too much.

Walt L

Congrats!! Glad to hear it's coming along!!

Bodymotion Inc.

Mike,
Stop by and we can provide you with a free estimate. I know we have a brand new hood for your car in stock. We also may have various other parts that may help you save some money. We have been working on these cars since they were new and have all the knowledge to do it correctly.
Thanks,
Ace

MikeinBloomfield

Thanks to JHowell with his spare hood, and my neighbor who works for a car dealer, the car is finally fixed. I got a great deal on the little body work and paint. Looks fantastic. I was worried that someone working so cheap would paint over the beading, or mis-match the color, but the beading is still black, and I can't tell the difference.

I'm thinking about letting him take a crack at doing the whole car later this summer.

Its amazing how bad the original paint was, and I'm only noticing now because the whole front end looks brand new.

Now back to my regularly scheduled program of maintenance. Injector cleaning and brakes are next on the list.

brutus

Now you just need a replacement front license plate !

MikeinBloomfield

brutus, what's crazy is that I was thinking of visiting the DMV website and searching for 'lost license plate'

These cars can really make you an irrational person.

brutus

It is like when you meet a pretty girl with a big Zit on her chin....all you see is