Today I went to have a look at a 1980 400 carb'ed version, automatic. It was in a very good condition. However, I did notice cracks in the 4 corners of the body where the bonnet fits in, all about 1 inch long. Surely the paint was cracked, but I believe the body work as well. Is this a known weak spot of the body and something you would see more often ? Is it something to be concerned about?
My understanding is that this is very common w/400s, stress fractures, and I wonder how many people take the initiative to weld a backing plate at these point before their repaint jobs.
Yes its a known problem - but as far as I am aware its the paint only. This is because they are quite large panels and some are quite 'flat' and therefore normal stress conditions cause the paint to crack. As far as the metal cracking I doubt it . It could be due to rust causing weakness after the paint has cracked. Not a big deal as, if Im correct, the chasis and frames that gives the car its load and stress bearing strength. Hope this helps Andrew
