[NeighborsComplaint]

I had made an appointment for today to have the body shop repair my radiator core support. I bought new bushings and the reinforcement plates to do this and planned on getting done last year but the shop took forever and I ran out of time and had to get car in storage for the winter or forfeit my spot. The nose of the car settled some last year, I noticed my door gaps getting tighter at the bottom and got in as soon as possible. I decided also to have the underside of the hood media blasted and painted while it was there. I had installed an insulation pad to hide the mess from the prior owner (undercoat over rust) and thought a clean start would be good.

I always check the hood, grabbing both scoops and giving a heave to make sure it is closed and lock engaged. I had been driving it around with no issues other than it was taking 2 men and a boy to open the hood since the core support dropped some. I had opened the hood since last drive but I think you can guess where this is going ... carnage.

Hard 1-2 shift, top of 2nd and the hood springs up like a jack-in-the-box. I laid on the binders in hopes of inertia throwing the hood down, but no such luck. I heard both hinges snap and I'm looking through the little viewport GM provided me under the open hood.

Hood is buckled on both sides at the hinges, both back corners peeled up like a ski-slope and a huge oil can in the middle of the hood. No fender, cowl or windshield damage other than 2 small paint chips. Body shop says no bueno on repairing the hood, so I have to look for a replacement. No steel replacements available and body shop says VFN (8-10 weeks lead time) or Glasstec only as a last resort, better off with a used hood. I see a couple in the classifieds and am chasing a couple others through the body shop's suppliers.