Superbird Hood Pic Request

[CornDogsCharger]

I need a good closeup picture of the hood from the underside.  I just need the front corner of the hood.  I just installed a new steel hood extension on the Superbird I am working on and trying to figuie out how it should look.  I folded te front edge over and welded the side.  What does the corner look like?  Thanks!

Justin
"CornDog"

[62 Max]

[62 Max]

[moparstuart]

 

[hotrod98]

Altering the hood is the most difficult part of building a bird clone in my opinion. It's hard to get a hood to look right.

I've been told that you have to completely remove the reinforcement to alter a bird hood correctly. Is this true?

Looks like it would be the only way to bend the 90 degree flap.

[moparstuart]

Altering the hood is the most difficult part of building a bird clone in my opinion. It's hard to get a hood to look right.

I've been told that you have to completely remove the reinforcement to alter a bird hood correctly. Is this true?

Looks like it would be the only way to bend the 90 degree flap.

  good question is ?  who did the original mods on the factory ones and how did they do it  ?

  A buddy of mine tom in alaska makes a nice reproduction one !!!     He has the black superbird with the air grabber hood .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlivrldMMxU

[hotrod98]

Stuart, Is that a real superbird? Is that the same one that got stuck in the snowbank?

Here's how don currie converts his steel coronet hoods. This is the way that I will convert mine as well. I don't have to remove the reinforcement this way, it's much stronger than adding the repro hood extension and it's a lot cheaper.

[moparstuart]

  yes it's the same car , He's from alaska

looks like a good way to modify it , I was just wondering how the factory did it . You know they were in a hurry to design and get these cars out .

 

[CornDogsCharger]

62 Max, that is is exactly what I was looking for!  Thanks a bunch for all the pictures.  As for how it was originally done... here's my take on it.  Creative Industries got a bunch of hood skins and a bunch of hood frames for a '70 Coronet.  They would cut the notches in the sides of the framing and fold them in.  They would then cut the front off the skin, fold a 90 in it, and then spot weld the hood extension on.  Then they would join the skin to the framing and spot weld it. 

When installing the replacement hood extension you don't absolutely have to remove the whole skin from the frame.  Below are pictures how I did it.  I just cut out the front section of the framing to access the pinchweld on the underside of the skin.  I found this to be MUCH easier than removing the whole skin.  Plus, when you're finished, you still have all of your factory welds. 

Justin
"CornDog"

[hotrod98]

Makes sense to me. 

[moparstuart]

  nice job and thanks for explaining the factory assemble

[62 Max]

One thing I did notice is that the underside skin is all one piece.They cut  and folded down a small piece to allow for clearance where the extension is attached to the top panel.

[oldcarnut]

Im getting ready to cut my Coronet hood for the extension  .  For reference can somebody post the lengths of what the side lengths of the cut hood should be and the total length with extension and maybe the ridge line length in the center please?

[DAY CLONA]

Im getting ready to cut my Coronet hood for the extension  .  For reference can somebody post the lengths of what the side lengths of the cut hood should be and the total length with extension and maybe the ridge line length in the center please?

The sides are APPROX 44 7/8" and the center 42 7/16" from the back edges to the seam of the front extension, don't paint yourself in a corner with these dimensions as the hood is not "square" in shape, always best to fit the hood to the car, along with the extension, and have the nose at least mocked/fitted up for this trial fit, as repro and original front extensions can vary in width, just look at the varying hood to cone gaps on original or cloned birds, best to obtain and tweak the dimensions that best fit your car, measure twice cut once! remember to leave enough to fold down the front of the cut hood to create a 90 degree edge to join the extension to the hood at least 1"

Mike

[oldcarnut]

Thanks  .  Rick sent me some photos and dimensions on his too so I think I have enough to work with.

[superbirdtom]

Stuart, Is that a real superbird? Is that the same one that got stuck in the snowbank?

Here's how don currie converts his steel coronet hoods. This is the way that I will convert mine as well. I don't have to remove the reinforcement this way, it's much stronger than adding the repro hood extension and it's a lot cheaper.

Larry, That's a good one.  Somewhere on this site I thought you or stuart posted how I did the conversion on the hood I sent with your superbird.  I did it different than don currie as he did it like they did on graveyard cars which is not the way to do it ONLY in the aspect of the sides of the hood do not go into the separate hood extention.  Instead of flanging the top sheetmetal piece to mate it up to the extension. I glued in a piece of aluminum L channel.  I can't find any pics of my process or I would post them.   it was with a janak piece like in graveyard cars recent episode.  youd be hard pressed to tell it was not original by looking at it.  Ive looked on this site as my conversion pics were on here maybe someone took it down. ??

[oldcarnut]

 Ive looked on this site as my conversion pics were on here maybe someone took it down. ??

Here they are.  I saved the link for my future use.  What did you do to alleviate the sharp edge where the hood edge and angle were bonded together?
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,51140.0.html

[superbirdtom]

the sharp edge  Arris which I after bonding just sanded down with a DA with some 120 grit to make it like a 45 degree sheetmetal bend to match the same contour as the janak part. then after epoxy and some high fill primer you can sand it and make both mating halves look very close to factory.  thanks.