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One of the frustrating things about being a newbie Packard owner is understanding how things work (or don't work)!
Since buying this vintage Packard Six, I have been perplexed at how to fix the 4-piece hood misalignment and getting it to fit correctly.
I have been told that you're not supposed to open both sides of the hood at the same time, which sounds odd if you want to work on the engine.
In any case, I did, and it's been a challenge to get it fitting and latched down correctly. When I bought the car, the owner said that the hood handles
had to be in the "up position" to lock it down, but since then I've noticed that other cars of this make, and model clearly show the hood handles
"straight across" in the locked down position.
Please see my attached photos and I would be so thankful for some guidance with this problem.

Also, there doesn't seem to be any devices to hold up the side hood sections when I do open them, which makes it cumbersome to work and keep from adding more scratches!

Thanks to any and all advice, its most appreciated.
Steve Weaver

To answer one part of your question… If set up correctly, the handles will be horizontal when the hood is locked/latched. Perhaps the previous owner meant something a little different when he said the handles must be up to “lock it down”. He could have meant that the handles need to be up when you close the hood so that you can lock it down.

Anyway horizontal = latched. Up=unlatched.

As far as opening both sides at once….In theory you should be able to do that to work on the engine as you mentioned. But, it’s an 88 year old car and parts have worn and don’t fit as snuggly as they originally did. So, opening both sides at once can often cause the hinge pin to pop loose from either the front or rear center retainer…typically the rear.

If doing a lot of engine work, I would recommend getting a friend to help you lift the hood off and set it aside. Then, put it back on when you’re done with the engine work. It’s a bit of a hassle, but can save you additional wear and tear on 88 year old parts.

If the hood was aligned well and latching well before and isn’t now, the first thing I would check is the front and rear catches for the hing pint. Make sure the pin is seated completely in both. If they aren’t the hood will be at slight angle and things won’t line up and the hood won’t latch properly.

If the hood is sliding around that much, it's likely that your hood end anchors are worn out - one on the radiator support and the other on the cowl. I had the same problem on my 115. The San Diego Packard club has newly manufactured replacements. That fixed the issue on my 115 before I sold it.

As far as hood props, there are a couple of options. The hood is supposed to have rubber hood corners that rivet on to protect the paint. There are aftermarket hood catches that bolt to the firewall. Several people have made a stick that clips to the two core support rods and props open both sides of the hood at the same time.

Beautiful car - I love the maroon on the '37s. Good luck!

Open one side or the other, never both. With the handle up, close the hood carefully, avoiding the headlight, and with a gentle pressure toward the middle of the car, move the handle to horizontal. Don't force it. Putting a small amount of grease on the metal tabs that the hood latches to will make things work easier. A small amount of oil on the various moving parts of the hood latch mechanism will make it work better. There are many adjustment points that affect the hood fit. If the hood lacing is missing or worn, replacing it will help with alignment. When accessing the engine, you can raise either side of the hood and fold it and gently lay it all the way over. Don't do that outdoors on a windy day. Pictures or video of a person opening and closing the hood would be helpful.

Opening both sides of the hood at once is not recommended as it starts to bend the center hood hinge and hood end anchors. That hood hinge design was not one of Packards best efforts.

1937 had no factory-installed hood catches; people just folded it over, which led to scratching and even more stress on the center hood hinge.

The San Diego Packard Club also sells aftermarket hood catches, which addresses the issue. They bolt onto the firewall and give the hood a place to sit when up.

All of San Diego's Projects are also available from eBay, as they are sellers there. I have pictures of those various parts on my project blog as well.

Could you post a link
Love to take a look at this
W

Here is the ebay link for the hood catches form the San Diego Packard Club
Hood catches

And here is the link to the hood anchors mentioned by Ken.
Hood anchors

Please look at "Re: Butterfly Hood Support" thred on this forum
It has photos of a simple add on for the 1937 that was not delivered with a interrior hook that was part of other models.
Larry

Thanks Don.