66 Front Header Panel Adjustment?
 

Hey guys, is there an adjustment for raising the nose header panel in relation to the fenders?

It's been one year since completion on the 66, and in that time I have tweaked various panel/fender/door alignments to near perfection with the exception of the header panel-to-hood gap. So now I would like to correct this as well.
When I reassembled the car, I don't recall any way to adust the header panel, doesn't it simply bolt to the core support?

Here's a pic showing the header panel in relation to the fender extension piece; they should be even across the top, like the pic of the red car below.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1404156101

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1404156184

The only way I know of is to loosen the end bolts, raise it up, and tighten them when you have it aligned as you want. Make sure they're the first bolts to install it and then install the bottom bolts to the fender extension under the headlights. Don't install the top bolts along the header panel until last. Might take an extra set of hands tho to hold the ends in place while you tighten the bolts. If I can do it any one can. ;)

It takes a bit of finagling and time but it's doable. I got my header panel aligned with no problems twice. First time when I tried to repair it, and the second time after the body shop repaired what I messed up.

Thanks, I'll swing the bumper down tomorrow and see what I can do. By "end bolts", do you mean the bolts that attach the header panel to the fender extensions under the headlights?

Yep, them is the ones. If the holes in the header panel ends [top and bottom] are the problem, you could elongate them so the panel lines up better. Don't make them larger just elongated so the panel can move in the direction you want it to. I don't think you need to but something isn't lining up as it should.

Even the hood is sitting back too far to match the fender. That's what makes me think something else is lined up as it should be. Possibly the core support?????

I caught that too. Any chance it's a reproduction hood? I ask because it looks like it needs to go forward and up, but that would throw off something else.

No, not repro, everything is original to the car, hood, fenders, header, core support.
I had everything apart for paint, so probably just need a little tweaking here and there.

Got it looking better. Moved the hood forward a little, and raised the header some.
Loosening the header panel bolts and pushing up didn't do much; I ended up just bending the header up with brute force with my hands. The header panel was sandblasted prior to paint, so maybe it warped a little :noidea:.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1404235435

Header panel looks better but the hood should not be like that. I still say there's something put together wrong. The hood definitely has to come forward more. Not much by the looks but it has to come forward.

Did you install reproduction hood hinges? That could possibly be part of the trouble.... but I'm not sure as I've never seen or used a set of repros.

The hood can move forward more, but that opens the gap between the rear of hood and the cowl.
How much gap at the cowl is normal? I'm at about 1/4"-5/16" now.

According to the Pontiac quality guide hood to vent grille as they call it should be .12 and the hood surface should be .03 under the vent grille. So hood to cowl should be about and 1/8"

I can't download the photos I took of the rear hood gap, but it is 1/8". The hood front is an even curve to the header panel with 1/4" gap between the two. Maybe it should be closer but I'd rather leave it a 1/4" from the outermost edges of each at the curve. It all lines up very good.

Edit:
Remember, not all cars had the same gap between panels. Nothing was perfect back then... as Charles(Old Goat 67) has said many times. Do the best you can.

But the front of your hood does need to come forward a bit more so it doesn't look odd. Yeah, everyone will pick up on it first thing and bug ya to death about it. Unless.... it's something you alone can live with. ;)

My original 66 header panel was not in great shape so decided to buy a reproduction. Now, too much of a gap between bottom of the hood and top of the header panel with the reproduction. Lucky to find a good original that I have stored in the basement to use at a later date.

The repo header panels are crap. I had one and returned it seeing it was damaged to begin with. Found an original and it works just as good as the original to my 66. Now the original to the car is my spare.

X2, and that applies to '67 as well.

There's your problem Singleton.... that repo header panel.

I don't have any repo pieces GT. Header, fenders, hood, cowl, doors, all original pieces.

I have everything kosher now. Moved the fenders back about .100, until the tops nearly touch the windshield pillar covers, which allowed the hood to be moved forward without opening up a large gap between hood/cowl. Header panel just needed to be twisted up a little. The sandblasting probably altered the shape slightly.


Moved fenders rearward until nearly touching pillar cover
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1404586927