# Hood adjustment questions on my 72!



## Gary Kornahrens (May 4, 2016)

Hi,
Just bought a really nice 72 GTO and as with most cars, a couple things need adjustment or minor fixing. This was a frame off restoration 7 years ago. With that said, the hood has a real hard time opening even when I pull the lever all the way out. It is a long pull. Sometimes it lets go and sometimes not. Then when closing it, I have to slam the hood and push down very hard several times. Obviously something is adjusted wrong. Can anybody advise on how to adjust it? Also, this one has added Ram air duct. The hood will not stay open on its own. Do I need new hinges or springs? Thanks for helping a new owner out! Gary


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

First off, Welcome to the forums!! :cheers
If the hood won't stay open, it might have weak or the wrong springs. After you get it to latch down, how does it line up on all 4 corners?


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Welcome! Original '71-72 GTO/T41 endura nose Pontiac Abodys had heavier duty hood springs, same springs as used on '69-70 Cat/Exec/Bonneville. 
With standard A body springs and hinges, the long and heavy '71 GTO hood will not want to stay up. On the hood latch alignment, could be a whole host of things, I would start with looking at the coresupport bushings and see if they are shot.


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## rickmpontiac (Jul 31, 2015)

I agree with all the comments about having the correct springs. It's also good to keep those hinges lubricated since GTO hoods are prone to bending at the front edge of the hinges if you put too much pressure on them while pulling against the tension of the springs plus a tight or rusty hinge mechanism. Alignment is unfortunately a trial and error situation, but care must be taken not to get it too tight against one fender or the other, specifically at the front corners. A little care here can eliminate a lot of grief over chipped paint. When I bought my car, the hood would pop open to the safety catch occasionally which was a little scary to see. Fortunately it typically happened at slow speeds on bumpy pavement. I had to move the pin (with the cone shaped end on it) on the hood about a 1/4 inch closer to the sliding catch to make sure it had a good hold of the hood pin while closed. A few minutes and drive testing confirmed all was good. I couldn't believe the previous owner hadn't corrected this issue, but on the other hand a lot of the tweaking I have done has just be paying a little attention to the details like this. I wonder if there is an issue with your sliding catch not moving back into place as the pin comes in contact with it causing the hood to jump back up on the spring tensioner. You might check that movement to make sure it works freely. Good luck with your issue.


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## Gary Kornahrens (May 4, 2016)

*Thanks!*

Thanks! The hood seems to line up well but with the added weight of the Ram Air shield, I'm guessing it maybe has stock springs. Will add that to my list. My hood doesn't have a pin to adjust on the hood itself like some of the older models. I lubricated the latch well and adjusted the rubber bumpers down a bit. I am at least able to open and close it now although some more adjustment may be required. Thanks so much to all who answered! I'm sure I will have more questions.....


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