A scare today

[Tired iron]

I was adjusting the hood and the hood latch on my 50 dodge when...yep, i couldn't get it to unlatch!  After much struggle, I got it, but, it got me to thinking: what do you do if you cant get it to open?  I don't see how you can really access the striker plate etc., unless you rip out the front chrome trim.

 

Anyone been in that situation, and what did you do?

[FarmerJon]

It happens on my '48 fustratingly often. I was able to remove the pans that go from bumper to nose, and reach up in the gap with a flathead screwdriver. I think I have it adjusted to not stick now, but it still doesn't latch consistently, and I bet it will stick again at the worst possible time.

[rcl700]

Ive been able to reach through the grill with long rod and push on the latch where the cable connects to get the hood on my 48' open. My cable is currently broken so I don't close the hood. Cars not operational so it's a project for another day. 

[DonaldSmith]

Taxicab hood release:   We know the story of a New York dealer who modified long wheelbase DeSotos for service as taxicabs. 

 

At the 2003 National DeSoto Convention, I saw a New York taxi that the owner was going to take back to France with him.   I noticed that the hood had an external latch, so that a mechanic could open the hood without getting inside the car.  The adjacent trim was reworked to allow for the dimensions of the latch. 

 

(Incidentally, the exposed edges of the back door window glass had a metal edge, and the door gap was wider to accommodate it.  This was presumably to protect against an idiot hanging out the window, breaking the glass and cutting himself.)

 

o 

[Sam Buchanan]

One a somewhat related note, we can have a bad day if the hood release cable breaks leaving us with no easy way to release the latch. Some have used a long bar to reach up behind the grill to bump the latch enough to free the hood but this is difficult for someone in a hurry or who has never used this trick.

 

I attached a second cable to the latch and ran it out into the fender well so I could release the hood by reaching behind the front wheel. This is an easy mod and a broken release cable will never be a concern. I got this idea after modifying my Triumph TR6....that hood is hinged on the leading edge and a broken release cable is a BAD deal with that car!

 

 

 

 

 

[Tired iron]

Now that's pretty smart,  Sam. I'm gonna do that as a back up.

 

Unfortunately,  my stuck hood wasn't due to the release lever--that worked fine. It was that I had been adjusting my hood which changed the way the Christmas tree shaped bolt goes down into the ...I'll call it a striker plate. The lip edge of the tree got caught up under the edge if the striker plate hole. Coulda been bad news.

 

On better news, I finally got the dodge outta the shop, where she's been all winter, and into the light of day.

Basically,  the car is finished and, wow, does that feel good. It has been quite the project.

Edited February 19, 2024 by Tired iron