Why it's very important that your hood latch works well

Ok...here's the story. Last summer I was heading to my oldest sons Grade 8 Grad in my 52 Poncho 2 door sedan because he wanted to show up in style. I was about 4 1/2 hours into my trek when "BOOM"....my hood latch failed at 120 km/hr while I was passing a mini van. Thank God it was on a divided highway and I had my windows open. Had to pull a quick Ace Ventura move. Anyway, after strapping the hood down and removing my visor which to my amazement wasn't damaged a whole lot, I carried on. Blah, blah , blah, I got her back home and decided to get her fixed...I was shocked when I was told it wasn't going to be written off because she was in such nice shape.

So, after getting her fixed, new windshields, all the body work done and new paint, I decided it was time to show it off to my fellow club members, who were helping our Prez build a new shop. Just so happened, there was a parts car at his place that had the last remaining clip that I needed to install my windshield stainless...so at this point, I didn't have my freshly painted visor installed.....Thank God once again.

Anyways, a fellow clubber needed a ride home which was on the way to a local campsite where my girlfriend was hanging out with friends, so "sure" no problem. On the way, he figured my timing was out, so we stopped on the highway, he got out, opened the hood, adjusted the timing and SLAM...closed the hood....all good, the car ran like a top. Hit 120 in no time and "BOOM"...up came the hood....AGAIN. I think he sh!t himself...I on the other hand, pulled the Ace move again and brought her to a stop. I almost cried....out of the shop less than a week and here we are again....apparently, when he closed the hood, the safety latch folded over and broke. Shoulda checked it myself I guess.

So, once again, she's fixed...new hood again, new windshields, and hood pins......not going to happen again.

Pics to come soon

 

I would never let someone else open or close my hood.

I think I will be putting a cable on my hood as extra precation when the time comes.

 

Back in the day, my brother used a small length of chain and a padlock on his Impala. It never flew open and he never had his battery stolen. Simple and safe. Same thing happened on a friends shoebox, last year. I have never trusted them. Especially on older cars.

Glad no one was hurt.

 

misery loves company::

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=282168

 

Chain and a caribeener.

 

every time I start driving above 90 I always look at the hood on my 52 and think, "I wonder how good the latching mechanism is at holding that huge hood down" then I usually back out of it. I'm bummed your hood took flight...

 

My Sons have had two OT Fox Mustangs where the hoods flew open and smacked the roof at speed. Both cars got hood pins right after repairing the roof and cowl area.

Lots of years ago I had a 53 Studebaker with a lift off hood and 4 pins. I forgot to put the pull pins in one day and at about 60 mph I saw the hood begin to shake, Before I could get stopped it took off like a kite, I never new a hood could soar that high, must have been 50 feet in the air !! All I could do was watch in my rearview mirror as it gently came back down on the interstate, and then a trailer truck behind me ran right over it.

Good thing I had another 53 at home for parts and I never forgot the pins again.

Don

 

The Cadillac hood has two latches. I always make sure its down right, No one else shuts my hood.

Or opens the gas filler...Learned that lesson after 3 2 lenses.

 

Here are some pics....

 

Does your car not have a latch and a safety latch? HRP

 

Here are some more...

 

Has a latch, but like I mentioned, the safety folded over.....shitty thing is, I had my hood pins sitting in my truck at the time...was going to install them the next day

 

Im betting those hoods AND 2 piece WS are cheap to replace

Dang man, hope you get the bugs worked out!

 

Have come close a couple times with my 51 ford, been lucky. Shoeboxes seem to specially gifted this way.

 

Not real easy too find, but thankfully I've got good insurance on it....$200 deductible both times...

 

So there's a lesson you'll not soon forget. Letting someone else close your Hood rates right up there with letting someone else Hook up "Your" trailer on "Your" Truck that "Your" going to be towing. Never, never, never, never.
The Wizzard

 

Damn.. Thats a nice Pontiac too..

 

Lesson learned....the guy at the shop wouldn't let me take it the second time without the hood pins installed...

 

Thanx man....not too sure about the color though???

 

Why not replace the safety latch,,hood pins just ain't gonna look right sticking through the hood. HRP

 

+1
I use the plastic coated cable, fold the ends over and use the designed crimp and tool from the local hardware store. Run it through the hood brace and dangle down to the front bumper bracket and a weatherproof pad lock. I do this on every Hamb car I own that doesnt have an internal release and modern style latch. Safety and security.

 

Can't see the hood pins...I mounted them from the bottom side of the hood down through the rad cradle....can't even tell they exist.

 

OK,that works for me. HRP

 

Never, never trust the secondary latch...

Happened to my brother and his '47 Chevy...now we use two Chevy U-joints, bolt one on the hood, the other on the pan, a length of steel cable (the kind with the plastic around it) and a padlock... no more hoods flying up...ever...besides, it'll keep unwanted fingers out from under the hood...!!!

R-

 

Thanx....got the memo

 

You might want to invest in some hood pins with the oversize cotter pins like the '71 'Cudas had!

 

Kinda what I put in her....I use little caribeeners as hooks...kinda looks like ass, but you can't see them anyway.

 

I'm currently working on a 1947 Cadillac in which the same thing happen to the previous owner. The hood came up smashed the windshield, caved in the cowl, then went off sideways into the passenger door. The previous owner took the car apart and had the hood and front fenders dripped and repaired by a bodyshop (although I'll redo the hood) before giving up on the restoration.

It did messed up some of the trim around the windshield and on the hood, but that may be saved. The hood hinges and under cross support are bent & twisted up real bad, and the latch mechanism is missing. So I will have to fabricate something new...

Here are some pics of the cowl damage.

 

Looks familiar....messed up my cowl and destroyed my hinges as well...Thankfully my hood came straight up, and not to the side. Second time it came up, it put a tiny scratch in the roof....considering the Poncho hood ornaments, it could have punched right through..

 

First time I've seen the pics...nasty!
Btw...I like the new colour scheme.