Should I paint my hood hinges?

Hey guys, I'm allergic to body work so I thought I'd ask for some opinions from strangers on the internet. I took my hood off the other day to cut gigantic holes in it for fun, and I'm wondering if I should prep/paint the mating surface for the hinge/hood connection before re-attaching since it seems it's just bare metal? There's no rust or anything, but now that I've removed the hood I'm going to assume that I've violated the factory seal and have introduced a vector for corrosion. Thoughts?

TheBoogieman said:

Definitely yes.
p.s. Nice cutting job. I want to install a PS hood louver. Can I send you the hood to cut for me?

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Thanks! This was my first time cutting anything with the angle grinder (except for a hitch lock pin but that doesn't count). TBH, I didn't really get a feel for it until the very end, and I went back in with the die grinder and cleaned up all the edges. I think I went through about a dozen abrasive pads.

If you feel like making the drive you're welcome to come by and we can gaffe your hood together, lol.

Viking Jeeper said:

If I ever install my louver I think I will leave it attached with lots of plastic and tarps underneath to catch the shavings.

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You could rig up a system of bungies and pulleys to suspend yourself above the hood! lol

In all seriousness, taking the hood off is NBD, and you'll be much more comfortable when making the cuts. Less chance for a slip up.