How did you guys put back the hood spring after painting your car? It seems it would be hard not to scratch-or worse- the paint on the area where it's supposed to lock into; is there a particular trick to do it correctly? Thank you, guys

Aw, guys. Don' t tell me that you painted your cars without removing the hood spring! Or maybe this involves some secret technique traded only from father to son? I bet I will eventually find the solution, So I will keep trying, anyway thanks for those who at least read my question. Ciao

Just go slow and deliberate, I used a little silicone spray to aid in getting the spring into place. I have no idea if the lube helped or not but I didnt get any scratches or gouges.

Good Luck!

Put one end of the spring over a solid peg and use a bar in the other end to stretch the spring then place tapered wood shims in the gap between the coils...this will lengthen the spring enough to where it will install with little effort. Once the springs are installed, close the hood slightly to allow the shims to be removed.

Agreed, Although I usually use large diameter (matching the spring outside diameter) hard nylon/plastic washers between the windings/gaps on a stretched spring (add just enough washers in the stretched windings so the spring is long enough to comfortably fit on the raised hood hinge), hood hinge fully up, then fully close the hood, most if not all the plastic washers will drop out with the hood closed/spring fully stretched

Thank you guys for your answers, but now I realize that I did not explain well my problem; I meant not the 2 springs that hold the hood open, but only the small one that pops the hood when you release the latch. The one that sits in front of the radiator, to be sure. Sorry for the misunderstanding......

Insert leg on spring into tab hole. Rotate spring clockwise so lower ring slides under tab on opposite side.

Thats the spring I referred to.

Ive done three this way.