Back when I had no grill I could take out the bolts that held the hood to
the hinges up front. The hood would lift at the front just enough to see
the latch in back, and play with it. Grills cost too much nowadays to
justify ruining one to get the hood open
Also, when I got the latch to work, I tied a 1/8 inch nylon rope to the
latch mechanism, ran it over the top of the brake and clutch cylinder
bodies, and tied it to the frame next to the starter. If the latch cable
breaks or rusts, or if you need extra force to pull open the latch, just tug
on the nylon rope. For $100 plus expenses I will drive to your house and
install the "Cost Hood Lock Bypass" to your vehicle. The last time this
thread ran on the net someone mentioned taking off the fresh air grill and
punching a hole through to the locking mechanism, where it wouldn't show and
could be resealed. Then you could pry on the locking mechanism with various
tools. I took my hood loose at the front because the cone-shaped locking
pin that attaches to the hood was misaligned and jammed into the lock. The
lever worked just fine, but the pin caught in the mechanism.
Only two more Saturdays until the mini-meet in New Braunfels. Come by on
September 8th and visit a while. It's less than a two day drive for most of
the TDROC members. Those of you close to the borders may take a little
longer. See you there.
Leisure Suit Terry
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