Upgrading a Batten Headed 455 originally built by Joe Mondello 20+ years ago

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Old Jul 18, 2022 | 10:16 AM
  #321  
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Originally Posted by Bernhard
The VFN parts are race car glass.
Does anyone else make a glass hood for the car? The reason I ask is you can spend a huge amount of time and product trying to make the hood look good. If there is one that is more refined it could be well worth the money. The hood is very important to get right as it is a large panel that gets a lot of attention.

Yep, I fully agree on the race car glass vs a higher quality example. I am amazed that they make a bolt on hood of such low quality levels… I could see that in a pin-on hood, but not a bolt on.

No other company makes a 4” cowl hood for a 1967 that I can find. We definitely need the 4” cowl for the height of the intake and air cleaner.

I looked at glasstek, hairy glass, harwood, and only VFN seems to support much for the ‘67…..

Looks like it will be elbow grease and time going into the VFN.
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 12:15 PM
  #322  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
Yep, I fully agree on the race car glass vs a higher quality example. I am amazed that they make a bolt on hood of such low quality levels… I could see that in a pin-on hood, but not a bolt on.

No other company makes a 4” cowl hood for a 1967 that I can find. We definitely need the 4” cowl for the height of the intake and air cleaner.

I looked at glasstek, hairy glass, harwood, and only VFN seems to support much for the ‘67…..

Looks like it will be elbow grease and time going into the VFN.
Yep we do need a quality 4"hood.

Me with my car.
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 12:29 PM
  #323  
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Originally Posted by wr1970
Yep we do need a quality 4"hood.

Me with my car.
Thanks for sharing! That is a nice looking car though.

I like the color also….

Is that the bolt on or pin on one?



Old Jul 18, 2022 | 12:43 PM
  #324  
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How old is the hood?
The reason I ask is glass moves a lot as it cures some in the trade claim a year. I would put it out in the sun and ensure that it fully cures before I would start straightening the hood out. If it is still curing you could be chasing a wave.
If you don't have a long board like the one pictured I would recommend one
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 02:01 PM
  #325  
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Originally Posted by Bernhard
How old is the hood?
The reason I ask is glass moves a lot as it cures some in the trade claim a year. I would put it out in the sun and ensure that it fully cures before I would start straightening the hood out. If it is still curing you could be chasing a wave.
If you don't have a long board like the one pictured I would recommend one

It was purchased 5 years ago, so it is fully cured unfortunately.

It was crooked when we got it and they didn’t have another made for 2 years and the lady I spoke to said it seemed to have the same problems that mine had, so I couldn’t exchange it. Imagine that, just keep on making the same inferior/defective product instead of fixing the problem…..

We sat supports underneath the center with the hood upside down, and put weights on all four corners to take some of the arch out of it and put it out in the sunroom…. For a year!

Now it still has some arch, but not as bad.

Dave actually loaned me an 18 inch pneumatic block sander and we bought a manual one as well like you pictured above. I have been using them, a lot.

It is arched above the fenders along the sides, and dippy and low in the back corners.

I may have to slice some of the side supports along each side and put wedges wood to fiberglass in them to help flatten it out.

This is about to get ugly….

Last edited by Battenrunner; Jul 18, 2022 at 03:18 PM.
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 02:40 PM
  #326  
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Originally Posted by wr1970
Yep we do need a quality 4"hood.

Me with my car.
The man and his machine...............
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 05:16 PM
  #327  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
It was purchased 5 years ago, so it is fully cured unfortunately.

It was crooked when we got it and they didn’t have another made for 2 years and the lady I spoke to said it seemed to have the same problems that mine had, so I couldn’t exchange it. Imagine that, just keep on making the same inferior/defective product instead of fixing the problem…..

We sat supports underneath the center with the hood upside down, and put weights on all four corners to take some of the arch out of it and put it out in the sunroom…. For a year!

Now it still has some arch, but not as bad.

Dave actually loaned me an 18 inch pneumatic block sander and we bought a manual one as well like you pictured above. I have been using them, a lot.

It is arched above the fenders along the sides, and dippy and low in the back corners.

I may have to slice some of the side supports along each side and put wedges wood to fiberglass in them to help flatten it out.

This is about to get ugly….
Good luck with the surgery

Last edited by Bernhard; Jul 18, 2022 at 06:34 PM.
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 06:41 PM
  #328  
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Originally Posted by VORTECPRO
The man and his machine...............
I am not afraid to show who I am or my cars. What about you?
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 06:43 PM
  #329  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
Thanks for sharing! That is a nice looking car though.

I like the color also….

Is that the bolt on or pin on one?
It's a steel hood with a grafted hood scoop. So yeah a bolt on factory.

Last edited by wr1970; Jul 18, 2022 at 06:46 PM.
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 07:12 PM
  #330  
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Originally Posted by wr1970
It's a steel hood with a grafted hood scoop. So yeah a bolt on factory.

I sure regret not doing that with our original hood, which was very straight and perfect….

we gave it to a friend who had a pretty rough 67

Last edited by Battenrunner; Jul 18, 2022 at 08:00 PM.
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 07:14 PM
  #331  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
I sure regret not doing that with our original hood, which was very straight and perfect….
I will take a picture of the bottom opening for you.
My only complaint is not getting it to close good on driver's side at windshield.
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 08:01 PM
  #332  
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Originally Posted by wr1970
I will take a picture of the bottom opening for you.
My only complaint is not getting it to close good on driver's side at windshield.
Sounds good for posterity, but we gave our hood to a car friend when we left Texas, so all we had was/is the fiberglass hood.
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 08:45 PM
  #333  
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Originally Posted by wr1970
I am not afraid to show who I am or my cars. What about you?
Are you sure you want to see that?
Old Jul 18, 2022 | 09:08 PM
  #334  
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Originally Posted by VORTECPRO
Are you sure you want to see that?
Why not! What you got to hide?

Last edited by wr1970; Jul 18, 2022 at 09:35 PM.
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 04:48 AM
  #335  
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Originally Posted by wr1970
Why not! What you got to hide?
Ok here you go......

Old Jul 19, 2022 | 05:12 AM
  #336  
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Maybe you could learn how to spell and speak proper English while you’re on your laptop. Nah, that would be asking too much I’m sure.
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 05:25 AM
  #337  
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Originally Posted by cutlassefi
Maybe you could learn how to spell and speak proper English while you’re on your laptop. Nah, that would be asking too much I’m sure.
AhhhhLOL I'm to busy monitoring your dyno data for that. I think I'm going to refer to you as "Pan Print" from now on. LOL

Last edited by VORTECPRO; Jul 19, 2022 at 05:48 AM.
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 05:59 AM
  #338  
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Originally Posted by VORTECPRO
Ok here you go......
Gee what a old fart!😂
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 06:06 AM
  #339  
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Sorry about bad lighting. But here is the bottom opening.
This hood is with the grafting older than 15 yrs no cracks yet.

Last edited by wr1970; Jul 19, 2022 at 06:09 AM.
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 08:44 AM
  #340  
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Originally Posted by cutlassefi
Maybe you could learn how to spell and speak proper English while you’re on your laptop. Nah, that would be asking too much I’m sure.
Here we go again!
As always.... F------ up a good thread .
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 08:53 AM
  #341  
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Originally Posted by wr1970
It's a steel hood with a grafted hood scoop. So yeah a bolt on factory.

Have you experienced any stress cracking between the two different materials. I have seen problems in the past with the different expansion rates.
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 08:57 AM
  #342  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
I sure regret not doing that with our original hood, which was very straight and perfect….

we gave it to a friend who had a pretty rough 67
Have you thought about using a factory frame and bonding the hood to that?
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 09:37 AM
  #343  
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Originally Posted by Bernhard
Have you experienced any stress cracking between the two different materials. I have seen problems in the past with the different expansion rates.
Absolutely I have seen cracking before I worked on aircraft old and new. Whomever grafted this hood scoop had a good process and used a great bonding material. No stress cracking.
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 10:22 AM
  #344  
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Originally Posted by wr1970
Absolutely I have seen cracking before I worked on aircraft old and new. Whomever grafted this hood scoop had a good process and used a great bonding material. No stress cracking.
Thanks for the reply. I'm glad you have one that was well done. There is some very good panel bonding adhesives out there today as well as plastic filler, primer and top coats. Like you said process.is the key.
I know shops that would not touch this type of work because how hard it is to get right that said products have come a long way since then.
Cool car!
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 10:47 AM
  #345  
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Thanks for the kind words.
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 03:14 PM
  #346  
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Anyone know of an affordable chrome shop for the bumpers and pot metal?

Old Jul 19, 2022 | 03:39 PM
  #347  
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Originally Posted by wr1970
Thanks for the kind words.
That does look very well done, and I will be doing the best I can to get ours anywhere near as nice.

Thank you for sharing the picture of it!
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 03:49 PM
  #348  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
Anyone know of an affordable chrome shop for the bumpers and pot metal?
Good luck with that. The only pot metal shop I heard of is in Colorado.
Old Jul 19, 2022 | 09:50 PM
  #349  
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Yeah, apparently Ajax plating will do pot metal pieces. They are only open Wed-Fri, so I haven’t gotten to try them yet. I will go by or at least give them a call tomorrow hopefully.
Old Jul 20, 2022 | 04:13 AM
  #350  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
Anyone know of an affordable chrome shop for the bumpers and pot metal?
I had researched this out for myself years ago and talked to a host of my car friends. The conclusion I came to was that CO no longer offered anywhere to get bumpers re-chromed or plated due to the environmentalists. I was referred to several places in CA for bumpers and such. If you find somewhere locally....let me know. This question comes up allot. Thanks!
Old Jul 20, 2022 | 06:02 AM
  #351  
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Originally Posted by 442Dude
I had researched this out for myself years ago and talked to a host of my car friends. The conclusion I came to was that CO no longer offered anywhere to get bumpers re-chromed or plated due to the environmentalists. I was referred to several places in CA for bumpers and such. If you find somewhere locally....let me know. This question comes up allot. Thanks!
Texas I think Huston you can get bumpers replated. But they don't do pot metal. Superior I think is the company name.
Old Jul 20, 2022 | 01:13 PM
  #352  
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Custom Chrome Plating in Grafton, Ohio does pot metal. Show quality work but bend over and grab your ankles...
Old Jul 20, 2022 | 01:16 PM
  #353  
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Originally Posted by chadman
Custom Chrome Plating in Grafton, Ohio does pot metal. Show quality work but bend over and grab your ankles...
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I bet.
Old Jul 20, 2022 | 01:55 PM
  #354  
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Apparently, no one in Denver does pot metal repair and re-plating anymore.


Smitty’s Chrome in Oshkosh Nebraska was friendly when I just called him, and he offered to do bumpers for $1400 each, the tail light Bezels for $250-$300 for the pair, and $500-$600 to re-plate the Oldsmobile script large trunk trim piece.

His prices weren’t out of line with other places I have tried, I was just hoping for a break I guess.

This is getting quite disheartening…. And we won’t be able to have these pieces done at that cost.

It doesn’t seem to matter where these shops are located anymore…. In states that it is cheap to live, and there aren’t chemical restrictions or zero permits/very low costs, they are all about the same, and very expensive.

I put in a call to Superior in Houston, just in case…
Old Jul 20, 2022 | 02:19 PM
  #355  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
Apparently, no one in Denver does pot metal repair and re-plating anymore.


Smitty’s Chrome in Oshkosh Nebraska was friendly when I just called him, and he offered to do bumpers for $1400 each, the tail light Bezels for $250-$300 for the pair, and $500-$600 to re-plate the Oldsmobile script large trunk trim piece.

His prices weren’t out of line with other places I have tried, I was just hoping for a break I guess.

This is getting quite disheartening…. And we won’t be able to have these pieces done at that cost.

It doesn’t seem to matter where these shops are located anymore…. In states that it is cheap to live, and there aren’t chemical restrictions or zero permits/very low costs, they are all about the same, and very expensive.

I put in a call to Superior in Houston, just in case…
There was some bumpers on ebay awhile back thought they said new. How bad are your light bezels and show the trunk trim please.
Old Jul 22, 2022 | 03:38 PM
  #356  
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The dark spots are low places in the hood.

There was a huge dark spot for 10+ inches in each back corner over the hinge mounts, but I had already roughed it up with the DA sander to get it to take filler when this pic was taken.

I have started using Dynatron Dyna Glass filler on the hood since the pic, and working the low spots to build and level them.

We are also going to build a welded skeleton support frame of aluminum strap and rod that we will be bonding and glassing into the bottom of the hood to keep it from flexing and vibrating so much while driving.

I will post pics as things progress. I had another minor surgery today, so that is slowing me down again.


On the bumper rechrome side, Superior in Houston is very fair and we will hopefully get to send the bumpers to them. He quoted me approximately $800 each for a triple plate lifetime warranty chrome job. This is 2/3 to 1/2 price of what I got quoted at other shops all around the country.

I am also awaiting a call back from another shop…




Last edited by Battenrunner; Jul 22, 2022 at 03:43 PM.
Old Jul 22, 2022 | 04:47 PM
  #357  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
The dark spots are low places in the hood.

There was a huge dark spot for 10+ inches in each back corner over the hinge mounts, but I had already roughed it up with the DA sander to get it to take filler when this pic was taken.

I have started using Dynatron Dyna Glass filler on the hood since the pic, and working the low spots to build and level them.

We are also going to build a welded skeleton support frame of aluminum strap and rod that we will be bonding and glassing into the bottom of the hood to keep it from flexing and vibrating so much while driving.

I will post pics as things progress. I had another minor surgery today, so that is slowing me down again.


On the bumper rechrome side, Superior in Houston is very fair and we will hopefully get to send the bumpers to them. He quoted me approximately $800 each for a triple plate lifetime warranty chrome job. This is 2/3 to 1/2 price of what I got quoted at other shops all around the country.

I am also awaiting a call back from another shop…


Have you thought about bonding the hood to a factory hood brace?
Old Jul 22, 2022 | 05:09 PM
  #358  
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Originally Posted by Bernhard
Have you thought about bonding the hood to a factory hood brace?

I have thought the same, but there are no factory hoods nearby to do that….
Old Jul 23, 2022 | 03:16 PM
  #359  
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Originally Posted by Battenrunner
I have thought the same, but there are no factory hoods nearby to do that….
To bad, It would have given the support required at the same time you gain that factory look to the under side of the hood.
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