I set the hood on, got it lined up exactly how I wanted it, and attached the hinges to the hood first. Then I lined up the brackets for the latch. The gas struts will be the next thing. Can you send me a picture of your mounting area for the struts? I planned to raise them a bit, and weld in a piece of metal as a new mount support.

The hood is a bit shaky when lifted, but I don't plan on lifting it often (fingers crossed)