[68gtoMN]

Sorry to hear about your frustration. This is a common complaint among 69-72 GTO owners. First, are you certain that this is due to a person leaning on the shroud? Have you checked to see if you have the proper hood?

There is a difference between 69-70 hoods and the 1968 GTO hood, even if they appear outwardly identical. That difference is in the under hood structure, which was changed for 69-70 hoods to accommodate the change to a one-piece shroud, which sits up higher and will interfere with the brace on a 1968 hood. With the hood open, look up at the underside, close to the "nose" section. You will see a shorter center brace that runs from near the hood point back toward the windshield. If it is a 1968-designed hood (all reproduction hoods are based on the 1968 mold), that center brace will not have any variation. If 69-70, there will be a section of the brace which has been relieved such that the closing of the hood will not interfere with the fan shroud. Essentially, they create more space there with a "divot". See pictures below.