Pool noodles on; check, removed 4 bolts; check. Bushings apparently stuck!!!
cannot get hood, umm, I’m I man bonnet off 
Try loosening up the hinge mounting bolts on just one hinge, by a turn or so. It can’t affect alignment. When it goes back together you just tighten the large hinge bolt to suck it against the other hinge, then tighten the hinge bolts again, et voila.
A pipe wrench is a good motivational tool to get the metal bushing started, then try and get a thin putty type blade under the rim and pry gently while rotating. The weight needs to be taken off the bonnet as you do this, especially since it will want to drop once removed.
At least this is how I remember it, been a while.
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I have had mine off and on several times this past month aligning the bonnet and getting the car ready for paint. With three people it is pretty easy. Two holding the bonnet and one to remove the two hinge pivot bolts. Then lift the bonnet off. I don’t know why the manual says to remove the hinge mounting bolts. I would be concerned when removing the hinge bolts this will lead to alignment problems when putting the bonnet back on.
Because there is often a fair amount of friction. I trashed a brand new nylon bushing once trying to slip the still tightened hinges back over. You don’t need to remove the hinge, just loosen a bit so it can wiggle.
So long as shims aren’t displaced and your assembly sequence is correct, the alignment will be dead on. The remaining hinge is the reference point. You tighten the pivot bolt to pull the hinge into place against the reference hinge, then tighten the bonnet against the hinge. Take up all the bolts gradually.
Unless I am missing something you should only need to remove 2 bolts to remove the bonnet. Are you attempting to remove the 4 bolts that hold one of the hinges to the bonnet and remove the bonnet that way as described in the manual? If so that is not the way to do it. You just need to remove the 2 bolts that hold the bushings in place and slide the bushings out while the bonnet is supported carefully.
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Yellow arrows indicate the bolts that were removed. I taped the hinges back and put protective noodle foam to hopefully prevent (more) paint damage.
The bushings aren’t budging, or we just didn’t hold our tongues just right.
We gave up and are back home. Will wait for Paul’s arrival this weekend to direct us on best approach. 
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Ok. That makes sense.
Like this?
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While you have the hammer there you should probably do a wheel alignment too!
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That I can do……. Apparently many jag projects I cannot!
We can run through some fun BJJ/MMA drills while you’re here. 
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The luck these poor people of been having, I’ll have to use that 8 pound sledge to get the knockoffs off…!
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Maybe soak the bushings with penetratiing oil befotre Paul gets there to give it the best chance so you won’t need to use heat to get them out.
Some people remove the four bolts out of a hinge to remove the bonnet because that’s what the manual says.
But that only applied to the first 500 cars and never got changed but that is something one should never do on later cars because now the bonnet will need to be realigned, risking chipped paint etc.
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How to take your bonnet off by yourself.
I suspect that it’s just a matter of wiggling the bonnet so there’s no side force on the bush locking it in place.
I simply put some sponge or soft carpet on the floor (don’t jack the car up) then continue to tip the bonnet forward, it’ll pivot on the bumper overriders on the floor & pull the hinges forward off the frame. I did it close to my closed garage door, put some noodle protection along the top edge & let it lean against the door. One man job, no assistance. Refitting is a reverse of the above procedure & it worked.
That is what we did previously. We might be removing radiator D/T new leak 
so that was the reason for complete removal.
The pool noodle thins is SO cheap and effective. Made a Dollar General run and picked up a few for $1 each.
We will surely have a good game plan upon genius Sir P. Wiggles arrival. 
Wait…genius?
I had NO IDEA that would be a requirement.
We may hafta rethink my visit…
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I had that bushing stuck in place the first time I removed the bonnet. Penetrant, heat, nothing would move it.
Finally used a really big pipe wrench… something’s gotta give!
Something gave. The end piece that the bushing goes into broke from the cross tube.
After that I removed the hinge and got the bushing out with a 20 ton press. The end fitting on the cross tube got brazed back on and painted.
I had no problem aligning the bonnet upon reassembly.
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A hacksaw through the bushing where it meets the frame is simple…then bonnet straight off…then you have clear access to remove the stuck piece in the end of the frame…Steve
I doubt hers is so stuck as I think it was off recently.
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Put the car up on jack stands, remove the gas strut and tilt the bonnet 90°. Just put some pads on the floor under the bumper over riders. I read about doing that on this site and it was a snap. I had no trouble removing and replacing the radiator with the bonnet fully opened. I just had did it again when I was replacing my front engine seal last month. It’s wasn’t absolutely necessary but it only takes a few minutes and it makes working on the car a lot easier.
Dave
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