Paint chipping on hood/fender?

[51Deluxe]

The paint on my '51 has been chipped on the fender where the very front bottom edge of the hood meets it. Based on the other cars I saw when visiting the museum in Ypsilanti last week, it's not an uncommon problem. The hood hinges seem tight and the hood seems to be lined up right. Any way to prevent this after I touch it up?

On a related note, I noticed one of my door handles  also comes too close to the paint and chips it.

[Gordie]

Don't slam he hood when it is all the way open.  Close it slowly and make sure that it is aligned properly and then close it all the way.  The owners manual does not mention this issue but it should have.  Your door handle could be loosened  and a shim placed under it to provide a little more clearance.

[51Deluxe]

Well, the Ebay listing photo from when I bought it does not show the chip, so I must have done it the first time I closed the hood. From now on I'll be careful.

[kfnut]

On the door handle issue I found a way to keep it from getting too close to your paint job . Pull the handle and look at the area where the handle meets the surface of the stationary piece . Cut a small piece of rubber from an old inner tube ( I used Firestone EPDM roofing rubber ) to fit in the area where the two pieces make contact . Using contact cement , place a small amount on the stationary surface and on the rubber piece . Let it cure . Using needle nose pliers , tweezers or whatever , place the rubber piece in and set it . You now have a good gap between the handle and your paint and you don't see it when completed . If you can get someone to help hold the handle out or prop it open somehow , it will leave both hands free to work .

[51Deluxe]

My idea was to put a dab of silicone rubber there. One or the other should work.

[dusty]

some of the handles have a hole in the handle part where it meets the stationary piece. If you are lucky to have such a handle ace hardware has nylon t plugs in their miscelanious screws etc. section. also the driver door handles received most wear in the pin area,try to locate back door handles and swap.

[joefrazer]

The hole Dusty mentions originally held a small rubber snubber that kept the handle end from hitting the door when it snapped back. They quickly fell apart and very few cars today have their originals in place. And, not all handles have the hole...that was a running change made probably due to complaints from owners.