i am trying to remove the under hood brace from my hood to clean all the rust and repair the skin. i need to know the best way to free the skin from the epoxy foam glue stuff that they use. i have all welds drilled and most spots cut free but the back edge of the hood is glued continuiously from left side to right. and its an area that i can not get anything into to cut it will a torch melt it enough with out getting the metal to hot and warp. it is a one year only hood so replacement is not an option no aftermarket support either. the hood is off a 67 pontiac catalina

Well the good news is a 67 Catalina hood shouldn't be to hard to find not too many people restoring them. here is one

http://www.ctcautoranch.com/Parts%20Car ... 01%201.JPG

http://www.ctcautoranch.com/index.html

If your committed to doing it and it sounds like you are, I would use a Heat gun too separate the Two sides by using a Heat gun go slow with the heat gun and just add enough heat to the metal till the glue/foam smokes. then Use wire like they use to remove windshields and saw at the glue/foam should pass right threw top and bottom if you got it hot enough. wont do much for middle of the mess just top and bottom against the metal skin.

Heat is only a problem if it is concentrated. If you can find a rust stripper they may have a oven they use for stripping paint and sealants, and it is very safe. They take the temp up to around 800 degrees, but its the whole part and its taken up to temp slowly, and returned to room temp slowly. They are likely to do a better job of rust removal also.

Thanks for the help i did finally get them seperated. torch and hacksaw blade took about 4 hours to do. i seen that hood you linked and was too afraid that it would be warped due to the front end damage on that car. ya they are out there but either worse shape than mine or its a complete car thats in too good of shape to rob

musclecar76 wrote:in too good of shape to rob

I bought a Parts car for a Project ended up parting out my car and started building the Parts car LOL true story.

Never seen some ones Parts car to clean to pull parts off of.
If its being parted out its being parted out and the rest goes to the Crusher.

Doright wrote:

musclecar76 wrote:in too good of shape to rob

I bought a Parts car for a Project ended up parting out my car and started building the Parts car LOL true story.

Never seen some ones Parts car to clean to pull parts off of.
If its being parted out its being parted out and the rest goes to the Crusher.

ya thats how these are running driving good paint/interior with a 10k-20k price tag. i would be better route and cheaper to just buy one in that shape but this was my first car i bought when i was 14 and im now 30 so had it over half my life and too much sentimental value for me. even told the wifey when we got married if its ever between her and the car the car always wins haha. i got it all sandblasted yesterday no going to repair some areas on the frame then the skin and hopefully get it back together in the next week.

That took some Patients