Just when you think things are going good, something is going to happen,and it did.

Found out later the guy who did my wheel alignment on my 55 today wanted to look at the engine compartment, then took it for a little ride. I was not there.Well it seems he was so gentle with the hood that it didn't get latched completely When I got it out on the main road and hit 55 MPH it then blew open and wrapped it's self over the windshield. Total blindness ,just missed a road sign, slammed in to the gutter on my right not knowing if I had on coming traffic in front of me or if there was room on the left for them to scoot by.

Damn near sh$% my nickers, then I wanted to cry, my poor baby all bent and twisted looking like a destruction derby candidate.It took me a while to figure what had caused this because the car hadn't been out of my sight other than when I had the the wheels aligned and I always double check the hood making sure everything is tight before getting in the car. I called the shop and asked if he had opened the hood and he admitted he had and explained how he closed it and expressed remorse and apologized for fu%^ my car up .

More to come tomorrow insurance agents, body shops and parts search for a hood. God ain't life good?....Tedd

 

Tedd:
Ohh no no no! I hope that the hood is the only thing hurt!

I had a hood blow back on me once - smashed the windscreen. I just held it straight and said oh s---. But that was in a wreck of a car to begin with. Nothing like yours.

At least you are OK and did not hit anyone.



Peter

 

Sunuvabeech.

I'm really sorry to hear it. I hope his policy makes good.

I myself am driving around with a twisted-up hood, after I decided it wasn't worth my trouble to fix a bad hood latch on my BMW.
Bad idea.

And I'm not fixing it until I find a hood the same color, either.

- Eric

 

if your ok..you did good..its just money and metal....you'll get over that..at least youre able to talk about it, it could have been much much worse..

 

Bummer Tedd. But Mark is right, the important thing is no one got hurt.


I had a hood come up on me once, it was a 50 Series Chevy grain truck. I lucked out on that one.

 

Yes, glad your OK. The local Craigslist has someone selling 1955 body parts. If you need to chase parts I can look at what he has for you. John

 

Thanks for the lead 2blu442 but if it was in Medford starman63 beat you to the lead and someone beat me to the hood, it was gone. I have a few leads on a couple parts cars that I will follow up on today in the Chico area but it's been a while since they were up for sale, we'll see something will come up.....Tedd

 

Damn Tedd, that is bad news. Glad your ok. Good luck in finding a hood.

The guy who did not close your hood should have his ***** in a vice

 

Yeah.... what Citcapp said!!! What a shame, but glad it wasn't worse!

 

Tedd - So sorry about your car; gave me goose bumps just reading about it - glad it / you wasn't worse.

I see a '55 hood on evil bay right now local pick up in CA - not sure where in relation to you, but I pretty much ignore "local Pick ups" since there's typically a continent between me and it.

Hope you find what you need.

 

I'm going to sound unsympathetic to a degree and also sound like I'm taking sides in the matter in question, but so be it.

It is normal procedure for the hood of a car being subject to a wheel alignment for the hood to be raised. Actually an alignment cannot be accomplished without raising the hood. It is also not so unusual for an alignment technician to road test a vehicle after an alignment to insure customer satisfaction.

The bottom line on this is a hood not properly seated is a bit hard to go unnoticed from behind the wheel given the rise of the front of the hood in comparison to the fenders. Of course it goes without saying the hoods on GM cars of the 1950s were unbelievably weak, lightweight, lacking adequate strength bracing, were poorly hinged, and easily distorted from underneath airflow if not firmly seated in the hood latch.

Thankfully no one was hurt from the oversight.

 

Had it happen to me last spring on my 92 S-10 Blazer!
Checked the oil, closed the hood, and was not aware the safety was stuck open!
At 50 mph, took out the hood, cowl panel, windshield and major dents in the roof!!
Not to mention I was on a 2 lane highway with lots of trucks!
It can be real scary!!

 

Tedd - Sorry to hear about your car. I can only imagine what you were thinking until you got stopped. Glad you are ok.

Rick

 

I totaly understand what you are saying but the hood did appear flush with the fenders, the problem developed when he with respect to my paint job gently pushed the hood till it appeared closed to him , in fact the hook was probably just putting enough pressure on the notch holding the hood down till vibration wiggled it free and then up. A little pull on the hood orniment or a push down would have prevented this mishap. Anyway, life goes on, no one was hurt and some day she will look as good as new...If I find a hood, and I will...Tedd

 

As a proud owner of a 56 and a former alignment tech, my 2 cents...

On 55-56 Olds the caster-camber adjustment is done with an eccentric pivot pin connecting the upper control arm to the steering knuckle support. (Think of the location of an upper ball joint on a newer car.) You access this under the fender by turning the wheel and reaching around behind it. There is nothing alignment related under the hood and no reason for an alignment guy to get under the hood.

I can picture an alignment guy looking under the hood for a more typical adjustment on the upper control arm shaft and scratching his head because you can't get to that part from under the hood either.