[mr48chev]

I'd say that Joedoe' point of if you absolutely have to protect the finish on the truck and the hood having a couple of good helpers is a big plus.

Also having the hinges mounted on the cab is a necessity as far as I am concerned.

I've done the old towel on the cowl, set the hood up in place, lift it up in front and prop it up with a stick and put the bolts in on one side and the other by my self a number of times but that was with primer and not being worried about scratches that I could scuff out and spray more primer over.

For me a cherry picker engine hoist is that helper you don't have to buy Pepsi or beer for, mine gets used all the time to lift this, hold that and save on back strains. My chain hoist on the gantry also gets used just as much for similar things. Rigging a simple wood or even metal hood holding rack to lift and maneuver the hood sounds like a great idea.