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V8 Plymouth Arrow Hood Modification

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  • V8 Plymouth Arrow Hood Modification


    One of my former classmates from high school caught up with me a few months back, and had some work he wanted done on a hood for his Tubbed V8 Plymouth Arrow. Still has the same car from HS almost 4 decades later.. He said he wanted a more professional job over what was done back then..





    He had bought an NOS hood for it some years back, so at least he has something solid to work with.. He said the metal flopped a bit around the opening he cut, so I thought we'd add a wire edge around the opening and make some new bracing on the underside while we were at it. Here's the phenolic dies made for the Lennox to form the new bracing..





    Here's a test sample run...





    ...and a test fit





    Next, the bracing we wanted to install needed to go around the bigass hole, and some of the existing brace needed removing.








    Our new brace designed to go around the hole... cut in the flat and run through our dies..











    And here's about where it will sit....



    Robert



    Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


    MP&C Youtube Channel

  • #2

    Rather than screw up one of the last remaining NOS Plymouth Arrow hoods in existence, let's do a test sample first.. To strengthen the opening, we'll add a 1/8 wire edge protruding upward, which will also help to keep things out.....somewhat. Here's our new dies for the 1/8 wire... This is the "inlet" side...





    Side view shows the ramps that will add the joggle





    We're using a 22 x 22 piece of 19 gauge for our sample, and folding a 5/16 flange, which needs a bit of stretching to keep things flat. so a rounded hammer on the top of the stump adds a bit of stretch, then a linear stretch hammer and dolly to stretch further and fold things over..





    with the flange folded, the sample is run through our dies to form the joggle





    1/8 stainless is rolled in our tubing bender/straightener, sized, and TIG welded to form a continuous ring. Then it gets laid in the channel and the flange staked over in various spots to hold it in place using the linear stretch hammer..





    Hammering process to fold the flange over. Linear stretch hammer used to add a bit more stretch and to minimize marks left behind..


    Using a linear stretch hammer to fold over the flange for closing off our 1/8 wire edge. The flange needs to stretch as it wraps around the wire so using th...



    Finished sample...





    ….and checked to the brace



    Robert



    Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


    MP&C Youtube Channel

    Comment


    • #3

      With the practice behind us, lets see what we can do to this hood. The outer circle is the mark for our fold, or opening size. The inner circle is the cut for our flange that will wrap around the 1/8 wire..





      Getting our tin snips started...





      Hole cut with no filing, no sanding, and absolutely no metal "splinters".





      If you have issues with tin snips AT ALL, I recommend Bill Gibson's tin snip video... One of the best training/refresher videos on tin snips..


      A demonstration of the basics of using Aviation Tin Snips.



      Next, on to the underside. We have four places where these areas of the old structure was cut out that need to go. Opening the hood to see these remnants would just kill the look, so let's see if we can mimic a factory look here.





      A piece of 16 gauge was used as a heat shield and using the Meco torch and the barrel end hammer, reshaped the offset back to match the adjacent contour...








      That'll do pig, that'll do.



      Robert



      Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


      MP&C Youtube Channel

      Comment


      • #4
        With the hole cut now we need to fold a flange to wrap around the 1/8 wire. The linear stretch hammer and a heel dolly is used to stretch the flange that will be folded down, then a tipping tool takes the flange down about halfway. Then I needed to get in the thick of things, further stretching and hammering over to a 90* flange, all while checking the crown around the hole to ensure consistent stretch of the flange.








        Once the flange is folded, the Lennox is used to add the joggle for our wired edge..





        Bottom side....








        Top side....








        Our 1/8 stainless wire "ring" was formed using our tubing roller, the tool shown here in the vise when we were bending fuel line a few months back....





        The ring was then sized to fit, ends TIG welded together, filed, and media blasted for paint adhesion. The channel and surrounding area was abraded with some 120 grit and some SPI epoxy brushed into the channel. The wire gets laid into the channel and another brush coat on any bare spots. Then the flange is staked down using the linear stretch hammer to hold the wire in position...





        Then the flange is hammered over as we did previously with our test sample.





        After our initial coat of primer had dried, we brushed around the perimeter to seal the wire and flange.





        Next on the list will be adding our new structural member to the bottom side...


        .
        Robert



        Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


        MP&C Youtube Channel

        Comment


        • #5
          As usual, my jaw has dropped!

          Dan

          Comment


          • #6
            ive done similar to every hood ive cut--though mine looks nowhere near as nice.
            in fact my stuff looks more like stevie wonder did it while having an epileptic fit...

            amazing quality of work there.

            Comment


            • #7
              I agree. Looks like something I would end up saying, I could do that, then three days later and a pile of scrap metal next to me I would go off to a different project.

              Comment


              • #8
                Thanks for the comments guys!


                Looking at the bottom side of the hood, all of the structure uses a radius where the parts intersect, so we may as well follow suit.. Holes were cut in some 19 Gauge and corners cut out..





                Corners TIG welded and welds dressed..





                The area our brace will cover is abraded so we can get it covered with epoxy primer before installing the brace.





                Brace is media blasted to prep for epoxy primer, and test fit to the hood.. Once the epoxy sets up a couple days we'll get the brace welded in..














                Here are some older pictures of the car just to show what we're working on...




















                Robert



                Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


                MP&C Youtube Channel

                Comment


                • #9
                  Epic !
                  Previously HoosierL98GTA

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    having done a V8 vega and a V8 opel GT
                    i can personally vouch for the speed-and
                    squirrelyness- of a small RWD import and
                    a raunchy V8....

                    i bet that little b@st@rd HONKS when you
                    stomp it. is it a 340? 360? whatever hes
                    running i bet it will put the fear of g@d in
                    you when it gets angry...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      318 with 360 heads..
                      Robert



                      Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


                      MP&C Youtube Channel

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by MP&C View Post
                        318 with 360 heads..
                        since the mopar "recipes" have darts and dusters going 12s
                        with 'only' a 318, im sure in that little arrow its plenty.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Prior to welding the brace in, we used some 3M NVH dampening material and added a few dabs on the inner hood skin where the brace's flanges would rest (Thanks to Chris Hamilton for the recommendation).




                          16 gauge cold rolled steel was used under the brace as a heat block for welding. The brace Is clamped, then tacked in place using the TIG.








                          TIG welded in short beads and checked the outside hood skin for heat, let cool and continued in that fashion.





                          Welds on the flat area of the flanges were dressed smooth. Remaining portion of the weld will likely be covered in a slight amount of filler to mimic the radius elsewhere under the hood.








                          Video of underside:


                          After removing the factory brace to make room for a breather hole, a new brace gets welded in place to add support.



                          Topside with some epoxy on the bare parts....


                          Robert



                          Instagram @ mccartney_paint_and_custom


                          MP&C Youtube Channel

                          Comment

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