Cracked fiberglass 1959 Hood Hinge receiver - loose plate

[Ian G.]

I'm hoping for some advise on how to tell if my 1959 hood hinge receiver plates in the hood are "OK". One is immobile and the other floats. The floating one, I can tell the fiberglass is cracked so was worried the plate underneath might be damaged. I found two very nice threads on the topic, and I feel confident I can fix the crack.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/forum/te...epair-question
https://www.forums.ncrs.org/forum/te...repair-c1-1957

...but I'm wondering:

1. Should the receiver plates float? After reading the threads, it seems they should, as there is a hidden u-bracket to constrain its movement.
   • How much should they float, so I can tell if the U-brackets are "good"?
2. If they should float, should I worry that one is frozen and try to free it up?

IMG_6357.jpg IMG_6356.jpg

[Richard M.]

Ian

Yes they should float. The bracket that "keeps" the plates, allows about 3/8" to 1/2" movement in all directions.

For the one that appears stuck, I'd put 2 bolts in the plate and tap them sideways to see if you can free it from the keeper bracket.

You may have to use a hook tool to wiggle and bend the keeper to help free up the plate.

Here's that info I posted in that top link...
17579872634595315556990470149568.jpg

Rich