build diary

April 18, 2006: The new hood is finished.
It took a few hours - I don't want to figure just how many - but it worked far better than the original one. I sucked it up and went at it by myself. Instead of 0.050" 5052 alloy, this one is 0.060" 3003 and it's much easier to work. It doesn't exactly fall in to place but I was able to shape it nicely. The 5052 needed to be over-bent and then sprung back while the 3003 is soft enough to simply push it into place. A comparison of the fit of the hoods shows a massive improvement over my original and I'm very happy with it. I used a Scotchbrite wheel to do some final shaping and the finish is smooth and even. Even better is the fact that the louvres are not embarassingly backwards. They're also higher quality than my last one. A win overall!

One thing I did change that made the fabrication easier had to do with the lower edge. Instead of folding it under, I cut it off level with the frame rail. I then riveted a piece of alumimum channel along the inner edge to act as a support. This channel was left over from my original windshield fabrication - it was the stuff that I couldn't bend without kinking. Now I don't want it to bend so it's perfect. I'm not crazy about the rivets along the edge of the hood but I'll live with that.

So, what's left before I leave? I'd like to replace that stone shield, I want to ensure the fuel pump is clean and I have to pack. And that's about it! Wow. I do have to thank my girlfriend Janel for keeping me alive during this thrash. If it wasn't for her dropping by the shop with food I'd probably have starved to death.

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