Fox Hood flew up while driving.

[93CalypsoConvert]

Driving the other day and my hood flew up. Screwed up the cowl area pretty bad... Hood is toast and my hinges are all beat up. I was quoted $1150 for full repair of just the metal... Don't really want to pay that much for such a small area of damage. Has anyone fix this themselves or have any ideas?

 

[Hoytster]

Ouch, that sucks. You're def. not the first person to have that happen to them though. Do a search on this site, there are a couple posts that I can remember guys having the same thing happen and going through the repair process. I know some have had some luck with the football method.

 

[Olivethefet]

Any idea why it opened while driving? I got lucky once and noticed the hood "moving" more than normal. I pulled over and discovered that the primary latch had not engaged and the only thing holding it was the secondary one. Now every time I close the hood I make sure to pull on it a few good times to make sure it is latched.

 

[93CalypsoConvert]

Any idea why it opened while driving? I got lucky once and noticed the hood "moving" more than normal. I pulled over and discovered that the primary latch had not engaged and the only thing holding it was the secondary one. Now every time I close the hood I make sure to pull on it a few good times to make sure it is latched.

Primary latch must've not been latched all the way. The hood doesn't have a secondary latch.

 

[90sickfox]

They aren't terrible to fix. You need to remove the hood hinges and the wiper motor and linkage. Whatever you do do not use a dent puller.

The hardest part to fix is the drivers side. There's a brace that runs below the top piece of metal. The trick is to gently message it back into shape. People use foot balls ( deflated and air up inside cowl ). A hydraulic dent repair kit from harbor freight will get under there too. You don't want to push up on it with anything with a sharp edge or it'll put point marks in it. You can use plywood to brace above a pry bar to leverage on. Multiple side share blocks of wood help. When flexing up tap around it with a flat end metal hammer or lightly whack with a small rubber mallet.

I've fixed a couple. ( I'm not a body man ). I try to straighten the metal around the holes first. It's got a small 90 in it and reinforces the panel. Then I work the dent from the furthest point away towards the center once the edge is straight the dent almost just pops right out.

 

[General karthief]

That's got some gnarly creases, mine did not do that much damage so I was able to use a small hydraulic scissors thingy and a block of wood, got it good enough for my junk, that brace on the drivers side is a btch.
If it were me I would have to have it replaced but that involves pulling the wind screen, dash and dropping the the wiring and fenders, if you do most of the grunt work a good shop will charge less to do it right. That ride deserves to be done right.
I wonder if @Davedacarpainter is awake?

 

[mikestang63]

been there done that 5 years ago when I forgot to put my hood pins in. You can trip the football method and a small hand jack to bend it back up. I ended up cutting out and replacing the entire cowl section as it turned out there was rust all throughout the cowl and windshield.

 

[Habu135]

That's got some gnarly creases, mine did not do that much damage so I was able to use a small hydraulic scissors thingy and a block of wood, got it good enough for my junk, that brace on the drivers side is a btch.
If it were me I would have to have it replaced but that involves pulling the wind screen, dash and dropping the the wiring and fenders, if you do most of the grunt work a good shop will charge less to do it right. That ride deserves to be done right.
I wonder if @Davedacarpainter is awake?

"Junk"? But you're the General.

 

[91TwighlightGT]

That sucks.

I guess having been around so long and having seen so many of these threads over the years, I just wouldn't run without the secondary safety catch. I'm paranoid enough with it installed

 

[Habu135]

That sucks.

I guess having been around so long and having seen so many of these threads over the years, I just wouldn't run without the secondary safety catch. I'm paranoid enough with it installed

I habitually pull up on my hood after I close it. Yeesh

 

[nickyb]

If you do remove the cowl I be live some company out there sells a fiberglass replacement, not what you had in mind but may s faster/easier?

 

[ChaseRoads]

deflate football, insert football, inflate football.

 

[93CalypsoConvert]

Football worked pretty well. I got the driver side piece pretty flat. I got the center piece bent back good enough for the cowl vent and wipers to fit/work. Passenger side is going to need more work. I can get the dent to pop out, but it pops right back in. I will have to work with it more.

I'm busy for the next week or so. I'll update when I work on it again.

 

[ChaseRoads]

Football worked pretty well. I got the driver side piece pretty flat. I got the center piece bent back good enough for the cowl vent and wipers to fit/work. Passeneger side is going to need more work. I can get the dent to pop out, but it pops right back in. I will have to work with it more.

gonna need pictures

 

[Monkeybutt2000]

Football worked pretty well. I got the driver side piece pretty flat. I got the center piece bent back good enough for the cowl vent and wipers to fit/work. Passenger side is going to need more work. I can get the dent to pop out, but it pops right back in. I will have to work with it more.

I'm busy for the next week or so. I'll update when I work on it again.

If it's tin canning you might be out of luck.

 

[General karthief]

Pump up the football again a little past where it needs to be then tap around the edge of the dent with a flat face body hammer. It may need to be shrunk with a hammer/dolly routine.

 

[90sickfox]

It's what they call oil canning. The Thief is right. Tap it with the hammer face flat and it won't leave pock marks.

 

[flynndawg]

that happened to me a few years ago before i knew the football trick, i straightened it back as best i could and smeared a thin coat of bondo, mine happened a week after i had painted it, (i hadnt secured the hood after paint)... hagerty paid me a check, i luckily had a hood from my old girl, i fixed it, and put a few bux in the bank, all is well...

 

[Bree]

Yes, what he said! This is why we have safety latches!!!

That sucks.

I guess having been around so long and having seen so many of these threads over the years, I just wouldn't run without the secondary safety catch. I'm paranoid enough with it installed