Modifying Hood Surround

Fuelie74

Fuelie74

Well-known member
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
767
Location
Monroe, WI
The old urethane nose fell off my 74 into many pieces the other day so it is time to replace it. The problem is that the previous owner put a 75-79 front clip on my 74 years a ago and I want the 73-74 nose it should have. I have a fiberglass nose off my parts car that I am planning to install.

Now my thought is to cut the lip off the front of the hood surround where it curves. Then support the are to be filled with wood wrapped with wax paper so it will come loose from the glass. Then I can glass the area in across the top and down the front.

Will my thinking work? I really don't want to glass the nose to the front end. Any suggestions would be great.

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I would do it a little differently. Consider this.

Clean polish and wax the existing hood surround paying particular attention to the contoured center lip.
Apply a smooth tape to the center part covering the bolt holes.
Cut the lip off the new glass bumper only at the center part.
Make a countoured piece from wood or whatever to fit the countoured part of the surround allowing 3/16" for the new lip. This piece should be big enough to attach underneath the new glass bumper top lip.
Test bolt the new bumper, making sure that there is a gap for the new bolting lip in the center. This gap will become glass.
Feather the bumperwhere you will be adding glass to nothing where it meets the wood with 20 or 30 grit.
You can cover the wood tightly in plastic and reattach to the car or glass separately off the car. If doing it on the car, tape and wax everything well that you don't want resin on. You can use clay putty for the bumper seam at each side to prevent resin runs. Cover the bottom of the gap with heavy tape. You want resin and glass down there.
When done remove and remove wood, then bevel grind the bottom joint and glass that bevel for strength.
At this point you should be really close, but any added glass or grinding may be necessary.
Bottom line, if you screw up, grind off and start over.
Just protect the surround and paint, resin can be messy.
Good luck.

A lot of people like the early style bumpers vs the 75 and up. I don't know if anyone makes a conversion bumper, but if you get good at this, you'll have the plug. :clap:
 
To get me by for this summer I decided to try and make a fiberglass filler panel that bolts in. This is a temporary fix until the front clip comes off the car. I will post some picture when I get it a little further.
 
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