Greetings all,

I just purchased a real nice 56 Merc but the damned hood will not stay open. The hood springs are there and appeared to be properly installed but don't seem to be up to the job. Does anyone know where I can get replacement hood springs ? I imagine (but don't know for certian) that they are probably the same as springs used on a 56 Ford.

Pete

Pete:

I don't have a Merc parts book, but Ford springs could be different, Merc hoods may be heavier than Ford.  Which brings another thought to mind.  Has someone doused the underside of the hood with a thick, heavy coat of undercoating?  They used to do that for noise dampening before the factories started suing fiberglass mats for that purpose.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

John,

The hood has nothing on the underside except paint and I find no evidence of excessive (or any) body filler on top. The springs actually appear to be new and are most likely wrong for this hood. So the million dollar question is where can I find heavier springs ?

Pete

I found hood springs and they are on the way . The springs on the car appear to have been powder coated. I am thinking the heat from baking the powder coat destroyed the strength of the springs, we'll see.