Once you get the hood hinge and spring mechanicals figured out you're going to have to struggle with the hood fitment. It's not just a matter of tightening the bolts down and having the hood lay flat against the cowl. I've used the following technique on a number of troublesome hood/cowl installations and it works every time. (assuming that the hood or hinges aren't damaged)
First of all, raise the front of the hood up about 3-4" and add a block of wood to hold it up.
It's easiest if you have 3 sets of hands. One person inside the cab to tighten the inside nuts on each side and 2 more positioned up close to the windshield on both the driver's and passenger's side. Each of these helpers puts one hand on TOP of the hood (no gloves) and one hand on the SIDE of the hood.....both about 4" in front of the back edge.
With the front blocked up, the 2 helpers on the opposite side push BACK with one hand and DOWN with the other....forcing the back of the hood down onto the cowl, while the inside man snugs down the nuts on the inside of the cab.
Raise the hood gently and snug the remaining bolts in the engine bay. Carefully close the hood and check to make sure you've got adequate hood edge to fender clearance.
Once you've got the hood correctly positioned on the cowl you can shim the fenders at the core support for a perfect fit.
Dave
