Oooh, white! Easiest color to match.
Bending a folded hood back for short term use?
- Thread starter PandaBear
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That's sarcasm, right? I've heard white is the most difficult! Hmmm..30 year old white? Try Benjamin Moore eggshell.
Solid white is easiest to match. By far.
Now pearl, or cream, or metalic - harder but not the hardest.
Solid colors way easier than metallic or pearls. Light colors easier than darks. Makes White easiest.
Also easiest for the factory to keep consistent. If he can find a good used white hood I bet it matches pretty well.
I have a bra that can cover up the bumper that I got back then for free, that would come in handy. As for the hood, I don't mind going black and I found one about 3 hours away used for $100 in someone's backyard. At this age I don't mind going rice as long as it doesn't look trashy ghetto like bent red hood on green body or something weird like that.
This car has like "Frost White" "Taffeta White" "Champion White". I had a 2nd hand rear bumper that's Taffeta on my Frost body and after fading in the sun for a few years they sorta blend in. I also had a fender that was repainted back in 2000 from a fender bender and that extra thick layer of paint becomes the nicest on the whole car and fade the least, so now that actually stands out more white than the other panels.
And no, I am not paying a body shop to paint the whole car at this point. It is either a used hood that is close enough or a black one that looks rice.
Since it's older you'd be surprised what a rattle can job can do. I mean the rest of the paint ain't showroom so a poor DIY paint job will look period correct.
My first choice would be Rustoleum if you can find a shade that's close. Failing that there's probably some of the Duplicolor stuff
Duplicolor has the exact color code, about $20 a can. I was going to paint the mirror housing that has peeled (it was a cheap black paint that peel but the primer stays so it looks beige).
I guess I can buy about $100 worth of rattle can to paint it, but then again, if I can wait, I will wait for a white hood or just drive with a dent hood.
I guess I can buy about $100 worth of rattle can to paint it, but then again, if I can wait, I will wait for a white hood or just drive with a dent hood.
I once drove around without a hood for a couple of days while I procured a new hood. Car worked fine, even on the highway. Didn't have any weather issues at that time though. Hope that helps!
Obligatory:
However, I own and would recommend a paint gun. Paint Society has a lot of good videos.
However, I own and would recommend a paint gun. Paint Society has a lot of good videos.
You can also get custom nozzles for certain rattle cans like Rustoleum. Graffiti supply places are great. Art Primo is one.
I virtually never use the provided Rustoleum nozzle as it's terrible
I always treat under the hood as "outdoor" of the car and the water usually go through, but it is really the police that I'm concerned about driving without a hood here.
Why would the police care?
My kid bopped his Camry a few years ago doing the same thing, he was hard on the brake and rear ended someone so he pushed his top radiator support in. The bumper and frame horns were fine because they didn't take the blow.
He bent his radiator a little and his condenser more than a little. We just left them both alone. Still cools fine and the AC still works.
Tied straps to the rad support and tied to a tree, then backed up to give things a tug. Gave several tugs and went too far. Had to cut a notch to allow me to bend it back to straight and by that point I weakened it, so I welded some L-channel on, LOL. Works great, looks awful.
IDK what "structural integrity" you expect from your hood, it's not really a load bearing part. In fact you'll notice "give points" where they're designed to fold on purpose. You can and should remove the hood from the car. Flip it over and put it on a moving blanket on sand and try to bend it straight. The hood latch should come off the rad support and you can figure out how to shim it to get it to grab the hood's hook. If it engages, the hood will stay latched, it's not complicated.
He bent his radiator a little and his condenser more than a little. We just left them both alone. Still cools fine and the AC still works.
Tied straps to the rad support and tied to a tree, then backed up to give things a tug. Gave several tugs and went too far. Had to cut a notch to allow me to bend it back to straight and by that point I weakened it, so I welded some L-channel on, LOL. Works great, looks awful.
IDK what "structural integrity" you expect from your hood, it's not really a load bearing part. In fact you'll notice "give points" where they're designed to fold on purpose. You can and should remove the hood from the car. Flip it over and put it on a moving blanket on sand and try to bend it straight. The hood latch should come off the rad support and you can figure out how to shim it to get it to grab the hood's hook. If it engages, the hood will stay latched, it's not complicated.
I think most states would want cars with hoods on the road. Or give you a fix it ticket.
Not legally required in your state.
That doesn't mean that an officer won't give you grief in some fashion anyway.
Driving without a hood is legal in almost all states. I would be more concerned with battery theft than a ticket.
Yep. I think safety is paramount on the roads but with a 300k mile 30 year old car you can just be as safe as possible. The hood being bent and then unbent or not is not really going to matter in a larger accident where a newer vehicle with better design and more advanced safety features will deliver more safety regardless.
Leave it the way it is or unbend it - whatever floats your boat. And drive safe!
I've seen requirements for pedestrian safety that the drive belts be shielded. So you'll see VW dune buggies for example with a cage around the belt. This could be a very vaguely worded law that's "interpreted" by the courts.
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