SOOOO...tonight I decided to install my MMD hood strut kit that I bought from American Muscle. It was supposed to be an easy, quick install, and I started by removing the two nuts on the passenger side hood support. The studs and nuts that are installed in the hood were coated in paint from the factory, and the upper nut came off after some wrenching. I then went to loosen the lower nut about 1/4" per the instructions, and SNAP! The ****ing nut plate that is bedded in the fiberglass of the hood broke itself off inside the hood after loosening the nut about 1/8". So now I'm ****ed on the passenger side. I went ahead and sprayed paint stripper on the driver side hood support hardware to make sure all the paint was off those studs to help with removal, and they were still a pain. Had to go super slow with each nut to make sure I didn't snap those nut plates out as well. So, I think I only have two options now: Option A, cut the stud out with a hacksaw, and take it to a body shop to have them cut the fiberglass and re-bed the nut plate, or Option B, buy a new hood. By the way, since the stud is still stuck in the nut plate, I cannot remove it from the hood. I've even used vise-grips on the smooth part of the stud shank, and there's so much damn caked up paint in that nut that it won't budge, and I've already rounded some threads off of the stud doing that, so I know I'm going to have to cut it out. I'm not even sure if I can even order the stud separately, it's most likely part of the hood itself... This Cobra is pissing me off. First, I'm having to rebuild the entire differential, and now this shit!
End rant...
So, what do you guys think?
End rant...
So, what do you guys think?