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Any tips on installing the rear stainless trim on an OAI hood. Just got the car back from paint. They said it was very difficult to take off and they don't want to put it back on for risk of damage.
I have also taken a thin large plastic bondo spreader. two may work better, as you can keep moving them as you go around.You will need help to do this, as you have to start one end, and slowly go around, and pull the spreader out each time, and work your way around, tapping it with a rubber hammer with your helper holding it parallel to the hood edge, so it does not bend.
Look closely at the underside of your hood....where this stainless piece installs. You will notice a few "domes" or "bumps" in the underside metal skin of the hood along the rear length/edge. These are what I call "retention bumps"....the stainless has to open up and slip over and past those "bumps"....once past those bumps the stainless will close back up and the clamping force of the stainless will hold it in place.
Just so you are aware that the "retention bumps" are there and will create resistance when tapping the trim into place.
These bumps are about every 9-10" along the rear underside of the hood. PICS BELOW.
NOTE: In the second pic below.....you can see where the factory stainless trim scraped the retention bump surface as it was pushed/tapped into place.
Last edited by 70Post; November 16th, 2023 at 03:58 PM.
Also - be VERY CAREFUL when attempting to "spread out" the rear hood stainless. If you open it up too far you'll be screwed as you probably WON'T be able to get it to close back up tight once you've stretched it open too far. The factory made this a fairly tight fit for a reason.....good retention of the trim piece once installed.
If your body shop loaded up the upper fiberglass surface (the "ledge" that the stainless trim covers when installed) with lots of primer, etc and didn't knock it back down thin then that might increase the odds of flaking/scraping of the paint. One of those "gotchas" that they may not have thought about when doing the priming, etc on the hood.
November 16th, 2023, 01:57 PM
