putting my 53 back together and the hood doesn't match that good with the fenders, i tried everything the shop manual says but still doesn't seem to match very good. if i shim the fenders out about a half inch on both sides of the radiator it fits better but should they be shimmed out that far and make the hood and fenders match that way or is there something i am doing wrong PLEASE HELP
One of the hardest things to get right! Getting the hood to fit properly is tough to say the least. Here's a link to a previous post that has a lot of good tips. https://talk.classicparts.com/showthread.php?t=8742&highlight=hood Good luck. Ken
Lots of people want the perfect gaps like they imagined that these great old cars and trucks had with that great American craftsmanship. The truth is, these trucks were screwed together as fast as possible, and if everything closed and latched, it passed inspection. I have never been able to get all the gaps exact, only as close as possible.
hood fit You should check you cab mounts the back ones are just like your leef springs when the ware out the cab falls backward. Also make sure you radiator mount is in good shape , this will let front fenders drop down, also replace the rubber on your inner fenders. This all makes a difference. They are right when the say the gap wont be dead perfect because its a truck. Then follow the shop book on shimming you hood and alignment. Hope this helps. Its not hard but time consuming
