TheSamba.com :: View topic - One-Piece hood front hinge??

Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:48 pm

Hi, this is my third attempt at posting and getting answers. Each time I get redirected to another forum... (sigh)...

I've been digging around for a project to turn into a baja. I think I found my car, but... some questions linger.

The majority of the body looks to be in good shape, previous owner to the current owner did lots of work. The problem is the front. Looks like they krinkled the front, took off the stock hoot/skirt, fenders and fitted a one-piece on there. It's garbage, and the current owner has another one that's in decent shape. Question is how to mount it. I've been looking around for hinges, etc, but I"m not seeing anything. Picture shows the mount, plus the klunky hood. Additional front has similar setup.

Is it a complete fabrication? In another forum someone suggested I put some fiberglass on a piece of wood and bolt it on to the front, mount the one-piece hood to that. "You are the engineer" but it seems odd that there are lots of one-piece hoods, but no hinged mounting options. Unless it's a complete lift off type of thing.

I haven't purchased the car yet, waiting on the current owner to send me a vid of the engine actually running. Looks fairly clean. Has a Dellorto 40 IDF 2bbl on it.

Thu Dec 24, 2020 9:39 pm

I cant answer your question. But the "hing" you have pictured is basically what I have seen. And the fiberglass a piece of wood to the hood is a trick I have seen to take up a big gap as well.

Fri Dec 25, 2020 6:32 pm

Those bumper hinges for 1-piece front clip is common.

They are intended to attach to the top flat surface of the license plate recess, or to the back flat panel of the recess. That one there looks like it was intended to attach to the top panel, but was attached to the back panel.

Some of them are not well made. And some are not well mounted. There should be no need for wood. Fender washers on the fiberglass side of the bolts will help keep the bolts from pulling through.

I have 2 of those bumpers with hinge in my back yard with no plans for them.

They can become a problem if nobody ever lubricates the hinge.

Here is how I mounted my hood:

Latching the hood is via hood pins at the cowl and these latches at the bottom corner made from old ski boot latches. McMaster Carr may have similar latches.

I set the hinge further forward to improve the clearance as it opens.

Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:22 pm

Im not the original poster, but dusty thanks for that picture. I like they way it lifts and pivots.

Sun Jan 03, 2021 5:51 am

I would think about an easily removable pivot shaft so the whole front end would lift off just by pulling a hairpin clip and sliding the pivot shaft out. With some thought you could have saddles that the hood framework sits on when closed that aligns the pivot shaft bores.

Extra time spent on the design phase is well spent if you design in ease of maintenance. The whole engine enclosure of my bug will be relatively easy to R&R both for ease of engine R&R , maintenance and different looks [ stock, rat rod, baja all with the same car ]. I will do the same with the front end.

Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:32 pm

I like it rayjay!