fiberglass clip mounting

[thunderkiss65]

How do you guys mount yalls fiberglass front clips. I just picked up a 65 chevy with a fiberglass tilt front clip from US body. I also have the hinge kit but I'm not sure how to mount the clip or how to latch it. Any help would be great. thanks guys

[66shortstep]

I had a u.s. body tilt front clip at one time on my 66 and I think the hinges are supposed to be welded to the frame. I bolted mine instead and glad I did because I ended up selling it in favor of new sheetmetal. As far as the latch goes I never did figure one out. Mine was a split fender tilt so for the short time I had it I used clamps to clamp it to the fenders.

[jonzcustomshop]

any sort of latch would work, you would just have to fab something up, 60's lincoln continentals have a reverse open hood, usually with a latch on each side. hood pins would work too ...
most people hinge it off the front frame rails, you would just have to fab up a hinge and support structure.
again it could be as simple as just sliding on and off, all the way to fully automatic with hydraulics, or linear actuators

[thunderkiss65]

I have the hinge kit from US body. I'm wondering if other people have the same setup and, if so, how they made it work

[66shortstep]

The front clip should have a steel brace glassed into the bottom where it meets the frame. Your hinges should slide together/apart also. Of the 2 halves of the hinges I believe the open end gets welded to the brace and the halves with the pins (should be "L" shaped) get welded/bolted to the frame. Make sure the pins are pointed in the same direction so that when the clip is flipped up it can be removed by slidding off the pins. When flipped up mine was removable by slidding towards the passenger side. I also had to trim the fiberglass where the hinges mounted or else the clip sat up too high in the front. Just compare where to trim with the original sheetmetal.

[scotts62]

I cut a piece of 2x3 to fit between the frame rails and welded it in on myold frame and used the hinges it came with to mount my hood.

[scotts62]

Originally Posted by thunderkiss65

How do you guys mount yalls fiberglass front clips. I just picked up a 65 chevy with a fiberglass tilt front clip from US body. I also have the hinge kit but I'm not sure how to mount the clip or how to latch it. Any help would be great. thanks guys

Did you buy one with a cowl hood?

[thunderkiss65]

well, I didnt buy the clip. It came with the truck and its got a cowl induction hood. I think I lucked out though because the guy I bought the truck from threw in all the fiberglass parts for free. Any of you guys have any pics of this completed?

[scotts62]

Not an upgraded pic the only one i have is a film picture and i dont have a scanner to show you, but am going to try and work on front end this week and i may get front clip mounted and ill post some pics if i do.

[thunderkiss65]

thanks. btw, what are you doing about inner fenders and such? Are you going with the stock inners and radiator support or what?

[scotts62]

Originally Posted by thunderkiss65

thanks. btw, what are you doing about inner fenders and such? Are you going with the stock inners and radiator support or what?

No im just running that and thats all, it will make it a pain in the arse for cleaning the engine from all the road grime but oh well, then i get to cruise it to the car wash
Im building the radiator support with the front of the frame like its built in.

[thunderkiss65]

scotts, I'm liking the radiator idea. How did you mount the lower fender sections for the tilt front clip?

[michael bagby]

Originally Posted by thunderkiss65

well, I didnt buy the clip. It came with the truck and its got a cowl induction hood. I think I lucked out though because the guy I bought the truck from threw in all the fiberglass parts for free. Any of you guys have any pics of this completed?

look @ scotts62 build thread its like one of the last ones hes got a nice truck going also follow ??? myself

[scotts62]

Originally Posted by thunderkiss65

scotts, I'm liking the radiator idea. How did you mount the lower fender sections for the tilt front clip?

Thanks man, they mount just like the original fenders do with two bolts under the panel with the emblem and the one on the backside of the lower.

[thunderkiss65]

Originally Posted by scotts62

Thanks man, they mount just like the original fenders do with two bolts under the panel with the emblem and the one on the backside of the lower.

Thanks so much for the help. I'm new and clueless to fiberglass.

[scotts62]

Haha yeah its not so bad once you have worked with it a little.