I bought a set of reproduction hood hinges for my 62. I compared them to my old ones and they look spot on. I'm going to use my original hood springs as they were fine, besides I've heard bad reviews about repo hood springs. My question is this...on the new ones I had one hell of a time trying to open them up. I finally got them extended, bolted one on , minus the spring, and I could not push the hinge down to the position it would be in if the hood was closed. anyone know if they should be this tight. Do I just need the leverage of the hood to collapse them. Thanks in advance.
1962 Hood Question
- Thread starter john wise
- Start date
I would secure those in a vise and see if you can oil the rivets and get the hinges to open and close freely by hand without the springs attached of course. Maybe you could attach a leverage bar to mounting bracket to help moving them and working the oil in them. I have no experience with repops but I know all of the original hinges I have cleaned and painted work freely without springs on them. Other might have more advice on repops.
Thanks, I will give it a try
My personal experience with reproduction hood hinges on the '62 I had a couple of years ago was that they do not work. You are much better off with an original set and springs. Only the originals will hold the hood up at any position. I bought a restored set from Paul (PVS) after wasting time and money on the reproduction crap.
Sounds like the springs are the problem. If the hinge is the same ,it's the spring that is the problem. Since he is using original springs ( if they were ok) then they should work if getting hinges loosenen up.
Reproduction 62 hood hinges( the ones that look like the originals ) are junk, from my experience. At least twice I have had friends return the repro hinges because they do not hold the hood up. I have seen other comments that the repro hinges are not good including that the hood will not adjust to fit correctly with repro hinges.
I started restoring original hood hinges by having “the original rivets replaced with new factory style new rivets”. Then the bead blasted original 62 ( and 61 hinges) gold zinc plated by a local zinc plating company. I restore the original hood hinges springs by bead blasted and re- painting the hood hinges in black ( Verne Frantz long time Chevrolet expert informed me many years ago that the original hood hinge springs were painted black in 1961 & 1962 )
I reinstall the orginal restored hood springs with a brake tool on the zinc plated hinges that have all new rivets. Others here have made tools to reinstall the hood hinge springs.
I have rebuilt/restored and sold about 25+ sets of 61, 62 and some 63-64 factory hinges. I had a set of my 57 Chevy hinges rebuilt with new rivets.
Most original hinges have worn rivets ( I test the rivets without the hood hinge springs installed ) . The worn rivets cause adjustment problems and they also can not hold the hood up. I find over 85% of original hinges have one or more bad original rivets.
I have the original rivets replaced by Wilson in Virginia ( after bead blasting the original hinges) “that are not pitted or rusted”.
I would be careful about greasing the rivets, too much grease or oil will cause the same problems with not holding the hood up. I recommend minimal or no grease or oil on restored with new rivets hood hinges.
I carefully open up my hinges the have new rivets “in a vice and with a towel” ( to not damage the zinc plating )
Restored 62 hinges with new rivets are like NOS GM hinges that have never been on a car ( having found a few NOS GM sets of hood hinges “never installed on a car“ ) for some of my 62 frame off restorations.
Paul
I started restoring original hood hinges by having “the original rivets replaced with new factory style new rivets”. Then the bead blasted original 62 ( and 61 hinges) gold zinc plated by a local zinc plating company. I restore the original hood hinges springs by bead blasted and re- painting the hood hinges in black ( Verne Frantz long time Chevrolet expert informed me many years ago that the original hood hinge springs were painted black in 1961 & 1962 )
I reinstall the orginal restored hood springs with a brake tool on the zinc plated hinges that have all new rivets. Others here have made tools to reinstall the hood hinge springs.
I have rebuilt/restored and sold about 25+ sets of 61, 62 and some 63-64 factory hinges. I had a set of my 57 Chevy hinges rebuilt with new rivets.
Most original hinges have worn rivets ( I test the rivets without the hood hinge springs installed ) . The worn rivets cause adjustment problems and they also can not hold the hood up. I find over 85% of original hinges have one or more bad original rivets.
I have the original rivets replaced by Wilson in Virginia ( after bead blasting the original hinges) “that are not pitted or rusted”.
I would be careful about greasing the rivets, too much grease or oil will cause the same problems with not holding the hood up. I recommend minimal or no grease or oil on restored with new rivets hood hinges.
I carefully open up my hinges the have new rivets “in a vice and with a towel” ( to not damage the zinc plating )
Restored 62 hinges with new rivets are like NOS GM hinges that have never been on a car ( having found a few NOS GM sets of hood hinges “never installed on a car“ ) for some of my 62 frame off restorations.
Paul
Well it's been my experience that you can oil hood hinges with no issues. My 63 ss I bought that needed complete restoration when I went to look at it opening hood had a tough time closing it. When I got it home I lubed the hinges then it was easy to close and the springs do the job of holding hood up. I have two 1966 Chevy pickups I lubed the hinges and they work perfectly opening and holding hood up. Hinges without springs basically have nothing to do with holding hood up. When I painted my hinges with no springs on them so I could paint all areas, they folded easily back and forth as they should.
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By the way I have seen bent hoods on Chevy's were they where not lubricated on hinges to close easily.
Guide to your New Chevrolet" ~ in the glove compartment ~ says to "Apply light engine oil" to the hinges and to the latch mechanism.
So, according to Chevrolet (at least in 1956) you should lubricate the hinges regularly.
Just what they mean by light engine oil and regularly is a guess and how much to apply is also up to the owner.
Vaughn
'56 Del Ray
So, according to Chevrolet (at least in 1956) you should lubricate the hinges regularly.
Just what they mean by light engine oil and regularly is a guess and how much to apply is also up to the owner.
Vaughn
'56 Del Ray