Beautiful car George. I love the B/W 97 RTs. Looks like the front latches are pretty tight. You might be able to drop the rear hood guides down a bit to take up the gap, but not much else can be done. A body shop might be able to add some material to take up the gap, but really not worth the effort. I don't think it looks that bad.
can the bumper be slightly rotated to take up for that? it looks like the rear of the bumper would only need to come up a little to assist on the hood gap. nice car.
That's was I was doing the other day when I posted my crappy threads in the frame fix. Your car makes me feel good about mine lol. I've actually got one side that's too close and there a small paint chip in the gap. I mean un-gap.
I may have a suggestion that can work, but need you to check something. Open the hood and right inside the edge of the front bumper cover (where it meets the hood in the center between the headlights, where the latches are) look and see if the bumper cover is shimmed up anywhere where the black plastic button head fasteners are. This will be noticeable by either the gap, or you may even see the shims. Look all along that edge in there.
Bottom line is that is fixable. Are you a tool guy or tool stupid? Just a question, don't take it as insulting lol.
There are a lot of things that can be moved, but it can require some tool time that either your self or someone else will have to do. I do have plenty of pics of how all that goes together. Plus some 'sperience.
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coiner of biggest, sprinkler boy coiner of ~TommyWesterner~ discoverer that the 2 button rep system has too many options
That's was I was doing the other day when I posted my crappy threads in the frame fix. Your car makes me feel good about mine lol. I've actually got one side that's too close and there a small paint chip in the gap. I mean un-gap.
I may have a suggestion that can work, but need you to check something. Open the hood and right inside the edge of the front bumper cover (where it meets the hood in the center between the headlights, where the latches are) look and see if the bumper cover is shimmed up anywhere where the black plastic button head fasteners are. This will be noticeable by either the gap, or you may even see the shims. Look all along that edge in there.
Bottom line is that is fixable. Are you a tool guy or tool stupid? Just a question, don't take it as insulting lol.
There are a lot of things that can be moved, but it can require some tool time that either your self or someone else will have to do. I do have plenty of pics of how all that goes together. Plus some 'sperience.
Will look tonight, i am a tool guy so will be no probs. I will try and lower the tracks on the car or hood, if that doesent work sounds like i might have to play with the bumper
Before you go adjusting the latches by the doors and the guides by the sills...
-> The ratio of moving the end by the door down, and getting a result up there by the headlights, may be no better than 4 to 1. In other words, 1/2" down at the door area is 1/8" at the headlights. You need more than that.
-> Of even greater consideration is the alignment of the hood at the door. Right by the rear view mirrors. If that tip of the hood is good with the door, do you want to lose that fit to gain a fit elsewhere with a 4 to 1 reward?
-> Both the latches by the doors and the guides by the sills must be evaluated if you decide to proceed.
My opinion is there is a much better way unless the hood to door fit is high too. Then you can kill two with one.
Post a pic of the fit by the mirrors. Tried to see in your pic but hard to tell.
i noteced that the front of the hood sits a bit low compared to front bumper, but when you adjust the shims at the front too high the hood wont close properly. I say this becuase it looks like the utmost front of the bonnet looks too low and may be forcing those ends to lift. Let me know what you think.
Thanks for that pic. Check those shims I asked about on the front nose. And what shims are you talking about up front that if adjusted they won't let the hood close properly? You talking about the threaded round rubber bumpers?
Thanks for that pic. Check those shims I asked about on the front nose. And what shims are you talking about up front that if adjusted they won't let the hood close properly? You talking about the threaded round rubber bumpers?
yes im talking about the threaed rubber bumpers. I'll check the shims tonight, thanks!!
Yes if you run the bumpers up too high the latches won't work. There is a process to this and the rubber stops (bumpers) are in the mix. You need more than they offer to start with.
This may sound odd but I know I have a similar gap issue. But mine is due to the hood not being shut completely. All I do is push down on that section and it locks down. Perfect alignment every time.
Aside from the rear corners near the side mirrors, there isn't a whole lot of adjustability available for the hood. The key is to start with the door gaps nice and even by adjusting the catches on the footbox sides, and the guides at the rocker sills. The front latches and bumpers do not provide very much useful adjustment. Then, you get down to business on the front fascia to match it to the hood.
The subject car is so far out of whack that I suggest removing the headlights completely while making the following adjustments:
To control the fit at the very front of the hood, move the fascia in or out via shims at the front of the frame, or move up/down or left/right via the slotted holes and plates at the front frame rail plates.
To coarse-adjust the outer corners, there are shims under the radiator core support/front splash shield where it rests on the lower frame rails that raise the headlight buckets up closer to the hood. Inside the wheel wells near the front, the little sheet metal brackets are slotted to allow fore/aft movement of the corners.
At the outer corners, you adjust the gap via the tubular strut rods that anchor to the frame rails. There are two bolts at the outer corner that fine-tune the fore/aft position of the fascia corners. Rotating them at the frame will raise/lower the corners. These are very fine-tune adjustments to get the corners just right.
Finally, you can raise the hood and install one headlight at a time. The combination of shim packs and slotted mounting holes under the studs should allow perfect alignment of the light pods to the fascia and hood interface. When you have everything perfectly aligned, it's time to get out your 4 or 5mm socket and perfectly aim your headlight beams.
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96 GTS - some brake and handling mods.
Last edited by GTS Dean; February 26th, 2013 at 09:50 AM.
The hood can be lowered along the front edge and the fascia to match if the fascia is shimmed at the hood gap line. Otherwise you'd have to lower the rebar to get the edge of the fascia down to match the hood. If there is no shimming on the fascia that easy fix is out.
Adjusting the tubular braces and sheet metal brackets at the wheel openings does not do much. I just tried that on my car as I was messing around with stuff. The core support is really not meant to be tweaked and held. It's more of a rigid structure that needs to be positioned and braced.
Also, the hinges at the hood can be shimmed up or down. If yours are shimmed up, you can remove the shims and lower the front of the hood. You'll then need to lower the fascia between the headlights by removing its shims, or dropping the rebar as that's what it's setting on. Then the headlights can be lowered to match by pulling shims under them.
The latches also move up and down in slotted holes. You can lower the hood that way if you can pull shims on the fascia. No, not talking about the rubber stops. The latches.
There are also rubber shims behind the fascia at the top corner of the wheel well openings that usually get lost during a repaint.
Your best bet is to inventory where everything is shimmed or not.
Headlights underneath them.
Fascia inside top edge.
Hood hinges on top of frame.
Core support on top of lower frame horns.
Core support at front of upper frame rails.
From there a plan can be developed as to what can move to where. I have pics of a lot of this stuff (if not all) if you need assistance figuring out what I just said.
It's a weekend's worth of work once you have the plan figured out.
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