Customs Ladies & Gentlemen... Latch Your Hoods!

Had a buddy in high school whose dad had a thing for VWs. Had about 15 in various stages. He had just finished a very nice baja and was out of town - so Shane shows up at my house in the baja to take me to school with a grin on his face because he was not supposed to TOUCH his dad's cars. You guessed it - hood flys up on the highway, freaks us out, then 10 seconds later it flys off and over the car.

Needlees to say no one saw Shane for about a week after that.

 

Ouuuch. I hate to see that.

It wasn't latched or the latch failed?
I actually had a car with hood pins (yea I know different kind of car) that the latch turned loose @ 130+ once. I closed the hood and forgot the pins. I wasn't very pleased with myself and it got worse when the fella pitted next to me walked over and handed me the bobby pins.

That didn't make you feel any better did it? It was supposed to make you feel better.

You got a line on a hood yet? do we need to start looking for you?

Sorry you have to miss the show.

 

Wow what a bummer! Glad you got a new hood already... When I first got my old 65 the same thing happened to me some scary stuff when all you can see is hood,luckily I was just around the corner from the house on a side road not on the freeway.. the hood latch was kinda sticky I guess and not hooking all the way, so it was being held with the secondary safety hook hit a pretty deep pot hole and up it came:

I found out the hard way that it is good to double check that it is latched properly...also planning on a extra cable type locking device on my new 66 truck... Best of luck to you glad your ok!

 

Notice my car does not have a hood, same thing happened.... sucks!

 

I'm still looking for a chain or cable with protective coating that is only 1-2 feet long. Please share any suggestions folks might have. I have a lot of ideas on the eye bolts or brackets that won't be a problem.

We were already planning to repaint the hood since it has some imperfections but now I will have to most likely repaint the whole fender.

 

I was in an OT jeep and for some reason people like to un hook the hood latches on the sides of the hood i was always having to re attach them one time I did not notice and it flipped up on me out of pure instinct I reached up to protect my face and my hand hit the hood as it hit the windshield, ruined the hood the windshield and frame and broke a few bones in my hand. It looked like a purple baseball mit. It sucks it flipped up but glad you are okay

 

My buddy just suggested I get some cable from Ace hardware they will cut it to size, and he said it's coated. They have some sort of collar to make a loop. Sounds like I'll go this route.

Looking at your pics I feel bad, my damage is pretty subtle.

 

John Im so sorry to hear your hood blew open! Your car is so nice

I do have the new hood on and in primer, just needs to be finished. I also need to fix al lthe paint chips on the fenders and roof that it caused. I have a thick rubber strap holding it down now, but i am going to figure out a better, stronger method before I drive to San Fransisco next week. (This car is my only means of transportation!)

The hood was latched, the latch just failed. Its the type where a shaft (haha) with a spring on it slides into a hole (haha) and catches on a spring loaded tab, kinda flimsy, and I still have anxiety when I drive on the freeway or in high winds. I adjusted the spring, so it seems more secure, but I no longer trust it.

Im constantly worrying about it blowing up now when I drive.. I even caught myself worrying about it driving my girlfriend's newer Volvo.. its a phobia!

 

Heres a picture of how she sits as of today...

 

My eyes teared up when I saw that picture! Thats something I think we have all come close to doing or have done but were saved by a safety catch

 

Hood flew up on my '51 a few years back just as I was getting on the freeway, scary, but not as much damage as yours. I double check the latch every time I shut the hood nowadays.

 

Had that happen to me at 60MPH in peak hour traffic, while driving an MGB. Bent the bonnet so far over the windscreen, there was an impression of the top of my head in the front of the bonnet.

definitely a brown pants event. Don't want to do that again.

 

I was talking to a body shop friend on Friday, and he suggested something like this, he gave it to me. It's a safety latch off a ~2000 CJ Jeep:



I'm going to give it a shot.

Really my damage is pretty minor, but I'm guessing a lot of us need to add something like this.

 

Had that happen on a jag, but it wasnt that bad, bacause they are forward hinged it slowly came up at about 50, due to the low pressure at the windshield lol..

 

I'd be interested in seeing some more info on that Jeep system. Post some pics when you get it installed, its hard to tell how it will work based on that picture.

 

Car STILL looks killer! Glad its coming back together for you. When I saw your picks it made sick.

 

The lever on the left you lift it up, and the hooked section then is moved a bit, and then hook part clears.

I'm going to act on this soonish, I'm uncomfortable taking my car on the highway now.

 

Mine is missing this safety latch:




I'm looking for one now. For some reason whoever did the metal work on my car filled the slot in.

How is your car set up, it's a 1951 Chevy or Pontiac? Thought about shaving that big metal part off the center, that would make it look even more custom?

 

The large piece of stainless that goes down the center is a thorn in my side.

I don't have the skills to fill it in, and also, its what separates the car from being just another Chevy, rather than a Pontiac. It doesn't look too bad once its polished and painted.


HOWEVER, I know that if I want a 'true' era correct custom, it would need to go. It will probably stay though. The center strips on it will be painted the same dark green as the body, and that will make it not look so monstruous.


I am looking for a bull nose moulding that will get rid of the hood ornament though, its just a smooth chrome piece that covers up the mounting holes. Ill keep the hood ornament though and swap them out every once in a while, cause an Indian chief with a light up face is pretty cool

 

Great looking ride. Looks to be an easy salvage tho on the hood, the glass not so much.

 

I saw this picture.. and its my only hope that its 'okay' for me to keep the trim..

look in the lower left corner. hahaha

 

im sure you know already that mac and shoebox ford sell these hook catch latches. the merc and shoebox use the same one. are you going to cut and redo it? my shoe box hood popped open on the freeway too, i didnt own it at the time my buddy did, and yea he fucked it up real good!

 

I feel your pain i did the same with my 55 Cad

 

bc, did not know that thanks!

Pic from Shoebox Fords:

 

Ouch that blows! it does look bad but at the same time looks fixable
Sorry

 

Mac's is way cheaper for some reason, guess I'll try Mac's:

http://macsautoparts.com/search.asp?sb=0&ls=y&camid=F50&year=0&make=&ss=8M-16897-B.&x=14&y=7

 

Mine got off easier than OP, I think it's because I had my buddy weld in these massive braces into the hood and it's so heavy I think it would barely fly up...





starting to bend up:

 

Here is an article for Studebaker C/Ks which I'm sure can be adapted to other makes, and models.

I decided to re-visit the hood latch post. The idea that caught my attention was the one using a lynch-pin through the latch post. Out to the garage I go to install said lynch-pin, but how does one install this pin with the hood closed? The only way I could do this was by getting on my back…something I have no interest in doing every time I need to open the hood. FWIW, this is a simple solution I came up with. This really works for me because 1) it’s CASO style, requiring only a Ford F-150 tailgate cable, a bolt, a lynch-pin and a coupling nut 2) I can lift the hood about 1 foot and remove/install the lynch-pin without having to get on my back or knees, and 3)no cutting-up the car, this system can be removed in minutes to return the car back to stock.




via: http://www.studebaker-info.org/tech/Body/sdc33611.html