Bonnet alignment
 

I have tried to search threads on this topic and have also tried to get the alignment right by adjusting the rubber stops on the left and right.

I can't seem to get this to align properly.

Anyone have any suggestions what I can do?

Thanks in advance.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1273491628.jpg

I have the exact same issue, and have searched to no avail as well. I too will be anxiously awaiting any advice. Just the slightest misalignment on the bonnet makes what otherwise would be a perfect car look like it was pieced together.

As you may know, I built a custom bumper for the 911 short hood:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1221361319.jpg

The line at the smile was of significant importance to me. As you can see, my hood and fenders appear the same as yours. Pretty much they all do. It might be the view angle.

There are some things you can do, but getting the bumpers at the right height on both sides is the first thing. I have tweaked a lot of body parts with pressure against wood blocks. That would be my next step. I might try to put a tiny bit more crown in the leading edge. That way the latch won't have to be adjusted so low and the outer edges will be able to contact the bumps w/o the hood flattening out.

You can rotate the fenders too. I see your gaps look a little tight mid way up. By spacing the flange at the body, you can roll the fenders outward lifting the front edge nearest the hood.

But, if you don't have a feel for this kind of work, don't attempt it. You might want to consult a body man.

The photo is a bit misleading with the gap but I might try and roll the fenders out a bit. The gap along the front though indicates that the bonnet itself it out of alignment.

You might be right - could be a job for the bodyman.

Thanks, Darren

tweek it to move the hinges around. thats how it got like that i bet. if you are really serious you can unfasten the hood mounting bolts and shim with washers. i played around with my fiberglass hood for an hour or more to get it right. i would suggest loosening both bolts but only remove & shim one at a time. the hood is heavy. again i would just open it and tweek the thing around in the direction it needs to go.

t

Well, I can't really see with one pic. The procedure for assembling a 911 is to hang the doors first and work forward. The hood and front fenders are adjusted to each other after the rearward part of the fenders is aligned with the front of the doors.

So, they can be moved in and out along their length until they provide a consistent gap for the hood. Finally the hood is leveled and the rear gap adjusted. At that point, if proper alignment is not achieve, metal gets shaved or added.

Over the years the center latch pulls down against the outboard bumps. This will flatten the leading edge. You can put a small amount of crown back in at the risk of folding the hood and you don't want that.

As I said, these don't always look that well at the smile depending on view angle.

I elongated the holes for the lock slightly and was able to get the hood down a bit lower but it's not the same level as the fenders.

It took some tweaking but I'm happy with the result.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1273534700.jpg

Thanks Peter - there's some lateral thinking! I will have a closer look this weekend and post some better 'before' shots and hopefully some even better 'after' shots.

Thanks also milt and car311. I'll try all points of adjustment and see if I can get this looking better.

On my pic it looks like the gap on the left hand side (right on photo) is too small and the bonnet is shorter on the right (left on photo). In reality the gap between bonnet and fenders is good and each side on leading edge of bonnet is higher not shorter. The left hand side (right on photo) is higher than the other which shows up by referring to the gap between the bonnet and rubber trim.

Have I confused you???

Did you ever make progress on this? I have the same issue and am wondering if there is a fairly easy way to adjust the corners of the hood.

The fenders have since been removed and re-installed when the car was repainted. When they were out back on the body shop was able to align them perfectly. There is some 'give' in the positioning of the fender so you should be able to sort it our by loosening some of the bolts that attach it.

I hope this helps.