Poll: Cracks in Hood

[okloneranger]

I don't really know how to set a poll up, or if anyone is even interested, so if anyone can help with it I would appreciate it.
I have read about how closing the hood on a first or second generation Viper the wrong way, or at least with the wrong technique will produce cracks in the hood. So, I've always been extra careful in that area. Well, this morning I go out to the garage and see a crack 3" above the left head light, running left to right with the same contour as the edge oh the hood where it meets the headlight,(and yes, I know "this post is worthless without pictures", but I'm very close to computer illiterate, and can't even figure out spellcheck for posting.) This, on an otherwise perfect hood with great factory paint-no orange peal or swirles. I'm sick. I guess as they say 'it goes with the territory'. I have no idea as to when it happened. I guess I need to count my lucky stars as my Viper is in a hell of a lot better shape than some of the "action videos" we've been seeing lately where the front of the Viper is driven into the rear end of another vehicle. Any way, I'm #1 for cracked.

 

[plumcrazy]

50k miles and no crack on the hood but have always been very careful on how i close it

 

[BlackSnake99]

no cracks here. Only 5800 miles though.

 

[Steve-Indy]

"the year matters"

Please read the thread linked below:

http://forums.viperclub.org/rt-10-gts-discussions/630196-cracks-hood.html#post2754846

 

[okloneranger]

Mine being an 02, all the early problems should have been worked out. Only 13k miles, but that side of the hood has poped open (up) before when everything looked shut. (I saw that after a drive.) Is it possible last time I shut it (I don't slam it but I don't baby it closed) that the bumper stop could have caused the crack?

 

[Rollin4]

I had problems with cracks on my hood for I assume improper closing. Had them fixed. I now close the hood all the way until it makes contact with the latch. I use both hands and push down gently untin the hood is secure. I don't know if this the proper way but it works for me....no cracks.

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

I had the same stress crack in the same area on my old 99 GTS. Body shop fixed it.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Hard to guess...BUT, I'll make the assumption that you bought the car new and that you KNOW that there has been no damage or repainting done to this area...and, that there was no undisclosed pre-delivery damage(a leap of faith here).

We've all seen hoods that are difficult to close...or to keep closed. This can(SHOULD BE !!) solved by careful adjustment of the latches and bumper stops. One does not want to set a bumper stop too high(usually done to keep hood leading edge off of the polycarbonate headlight covers...noting that I like to be able to slide a standard business card easily between the hood and the headlight) and have the latches set too low...thus stressing the hood itself.

As noted...just a hip shot set of guesses on my part.

 

[happy]

when my gts came up and was smashed the hood wouldnt open very well so i put a piece of 3x3 on the plenuim up to rest the hood on so i could check things over well bad idea it cracked the whole center of the hood little spider cracks that were everywhere, worst thing i hear ya can do is let anything rest on these hoods!

 

[jdeft1]

I suspect the stress crack issue with these hoods may be part of the reason behind moving away from the big clamshell design. (Just guessing of course). Two of mine developed similar paint cracks located over and just behind the front latch loops... seemingly following along the bracing edge on the underside. Obviously the hood is touchy and even slight misadjustment of the latches and maybe even driving over bumpy roads can cause enough flex to show in the paint eventually. It's disappointing but fixable I think.

 

[Dom426h]

Yes, closing/opening the hood improperly can cause stress cracks in the paint due to flexing the hood. But thats not all you have to worry about...

Look at any older fiberglass car with original paint. You will see many stress cracks in the paint, bubbles in the paint, craders in the fiberglass that look like they were painted over but in fact the fiberglass simply cured differently in that area and the paint contoured to it.
Looking at my nieghbors 70's TVR you can see the outline of the structure that the fiberglass is layed on in some areas. First time i noticed it he took me to school on how fiberglass cures and drys out over time changing shape ect... Now any time im looking at an older vette i find my self studying/critiquing the paint.
I can imagine what our hoods are gonna look like in 10-20 years...

The sad reality is that our Gen1/2 Vipers are destined for this... so embrace it.

So far my 97GTS has stresscracks on the doors and a few imperfections on the hood that i can see. No big deal considering 99.9% of people dont see these defects and i can only see them with the perfect lighting.

 

[Warfang]

Yes, closing/opening the hood improperly can cause stress cracks in the paint due to flexing the hood. But thats not all you have to worry about...

Look at any older fiberglass car with original paint. You will see many stress cracks in the paint, bubbles in the paint, craders in the fiberglass that look like they were painted over but in fact the fiberglass simply cured differently in that area and the paint contoured to it.
Looking at my nieghbors 70's TVR you can see the outline of the structure that the fiberglass is layed on in some areas. First time i noticed it he took me to school on how fiberglass cures and drys out over time changing shape ect... Now any time im looking at an older vette i find my self studying/critiquing the paint.
I can imagine what our hoods are gonna look like in 10-20 years...

The sad reality is that our Gen1/2 Vipers are destined for this... so embrace it.

So far my 97GTS has stresscracks on the doors and a few imperfections on the hood that i can see. No big deal considering 99.9% of people dont see these defects and i can only see them with the perfect lighting.

I was watching one of the car auction shows when a commentator talked about this phenomenon, especially with the older Vettes. He did however then say that the newer cars are not as prone to these problems as they age because of advances in paint and knowledge of working with fiberglass.

Then again, maybe he was making it up as he went.

 

[J&R3xV10]

glad to know I am not the only one that has had this problem. My 94 got a thin crack in the paint a few months ago when I closed it. It drives me crazy but nobody else even says they can see it till I point it out. It can realy only be seen under the right lighting angle but it stills makes me nuts.

 

[RTTTTed]

Hmm, really?

Old fiberglas was pretty simple, resin and a chopper gun and you were a fg expert! A tray to mix resin, a few yeard of cloth and a roller were all I used to free form build myself twin inversion hood scoops for my Stealth R/T TT. First project I did with fiberglass was a 72 Charger SE doubleloop front bumper. It looked great and the weight went for 300+ down to 45# for the entire front bumper assy.

Viper hoods are made totally high tech. Temperature, 2 piece moulds and 'blocks' of material. Pressure is also applied, hence the two moulds (upper and lower). Afraid I can't build any new tech like that. Can't see anyone trying to compare a Viper to an OLD VETTE. That's like comparing the best cooked steak to raw squirrel.

Although I have done fg work and even built parts, I'm waiting for an expert to tell me that my $30,000 Viper hood is close enough to "ordinary new age fiberglass" that I can start chopping holes into my 01 hood to build Gen 4 scoops. I know one thread has pics of a guy bonding some Gen 4 hood over a Gen 2 ... I don't remeber if he built more, if it worked out as good as it looked in the finished pics. I'm wondering about cracks in his heavyweight.

Ted

 

[okloneranger]

I'm no painter so I don't know, but I have heard that a 'flex agent', or what ever they call it, is added to the paint that is used on the front facia and other areas of the body that are made of the same flexable material. What is the reason it is not used (maybe a smaller %) on other areas of the body that are likely to have a "flex crack" problems?

 

[RTTTTed]

It's called Flexative and No you would never add it to your fiberglass. It'sfor plastic, like the front bumper cover when it's NOT on the car. The flexative will allow the Unsupported front bumper cover some bending before the paint cracks. I was advised against adding to my paint if the flexible parts are bolted to the car.

Ted

 

[2MANYTOYS]

7000 here and no cracks. Man I hope I don't get any either. I'm always careful when I shut the hood.

 

[GTS Jeff]

I had the same crack, but it was above the drivers head light. I took my car to Meridian Automotive in Sterling Heights Michigan where they used to make the viper hood (they are no longer there). They said it was delamination in that area because of lack of pliogrip bonding agent in that area between the to halfs. There was actually a void where you could see the stuff missing and they worked some more in there and clamped it. They said without this if the repair was done topside it would most likely come back.

 

[okloneranger]

Thanks for the info guys, and Jeff, you made me feel some what better about this. I have been as careful with the hood as I could be and I couldn't figure for the life of me what I could have done wrong. The only good thing is that unless it gets bigger, you really have to look to find it. I'll just have to live with it for now. It takes someone who is really nit-picky about their cars looks for something like this to bother them, but it seems to me a majority of Viper owners fall into that catagory.

 

[plumcrazy]

how do you close your hood ?

hand location ?
do you slowly close the hood to latch it first ? then one slow deliberate push to close it completely ?

 

[okloneranger]

When I'm sure the rear of the hood is not only down but the "tabs" are in the "slots", I push the hood down (hands aft and to the sides of the trailing edge of the NACA scoop-fingers spread)until the hood leading edge is open about 2x the amount it is open when the first latch is tripped. Then I "shove it down" briskly. The left side sometimes doesn't latch so I push down gently at the fender(fingers spread to the outside of the fender vent-one hand & other hand just in front of the fender vent toward the center of the hood). I've been doing this for years. Right or wrong?

 

[plumcrazy]

are the cracks more on the left side of your hood ?

not how i wast told when i first got mine at woodhouse and later told by tator. it sounds like your hands are too far forward putting more pressure on the hood

i was told (this from memory, not looking at the car right now) to lower the hood, let the tabs get in the back slots, push lightly till the front catches the first part of the latch, place hands shoulder width apart or so, about 6 - 8" above the naca (between the fender vents cause there is a support in the hood there), push it down softly about halfway to closed(maybe 2 inches from closed) then firmly shut the hood in one slow deliberate push. go to each side near the front of each fender and pull UP on the leading edge to make sure it is latched correctly.

not sure that makes any sense the way i type....lol

 

[RTTTTed]

The left side sometimes doesn't latch Right or wrong?

Wrong, the left side of the hood is supposed to latch each and every time you close it. Adjust it.

Ted

 

[okloneranger]

Crack is left side only,3" back from headlight and center of headlight, running contour of hood edge. I don't think it's from the way I close the hood, possibly from checking to see side is closed-but-my hands are up near the fender vent when pushing to close side. I did have the hood open for almost 2 weeks with the hood traling edge brought down to where the hood was parallel to when it is closed, only it is up maybe 6-8" and supported only by the front hinges. Bad thing to do?
As far as adjusting that left sides stop, please advise and thanks.