1951 Ford hood blew up while driving!

My '49 sedan has '51 front end treatment and somehow the hood blew up while driving and is now junk. Quite a shame since it was a really nice hood but I was unscathed and so was the car except for a dent in the left fender and another in the cowl.

Any how-tos on how to secure the hood with a safety latch? I guess this is a common problem on these cars... Also, anyone want to part with a '51 hood, or even a '49 or '50 within a reasonable drive of western Pennsylvania?

Thanks,

Eric

 

This is a common thing with these shoeboxes and almost ready for the road, it troubles me. That style of latch was used on many cars right up onto the 80's without the common thing with the shoeboxes. The only thing i can come up with is the rediculous center rad cradle mount that ford carried over from previous years that rocks the front sheetmetal back and forth from road force. I tied my cradle with 2 mounts but not sure if this is the ticket. I hope it doesn't play hell with my gap alignment but stressing the front but i don't think so. Guess i'll find out. At any rate i'm adding a strap under neath just in case. I'm using a 50 meteor hood which is real hard to find. Especially a usable one.

 

Fords from '49 to '56 were infamous for pop-up hoods. Why do you think the '57-'59's had the front hinges?

 

Strap, or chain, or well designed modern latch hook modified to fit your car.

 

I've used aftermarket latches and just adapted them.

 

This happened to me about 6 years ago and had a hard time finding a decent hood. The Hamb site should help in your search.

 

I frequently hear about those hoods opening but I have two mild customs from Missouri that dont have latches, only the safety catch and they never flew open. We got one of these cars in 1967. Keep your damaged hood, someone will need it and it can be straightened

 

How about a chain and snap hook so you can open your hood 4-6", reach in and unhook? Put it somewhere that won't allow it to get in the fan!

 

Maybe it can be fixed? Happened to be about 10 years ago and I fixed it. It stretched and tore and created dents on both sides of the hood. Some cutting,welding,bending and heating fixed it. If its already trash it might be worth the try

 

The hood on my '51 flew up on the previous owner. I've been trying to find a decent hood to replace it, but I'm having no luck. I'll more than likely straighten the bent up one.

 

I reworked a 70s mopar on my 52

 

Happened to me ,at about 60 mph.I put a safty chain on the replacement hood

 

WOW!!! I thought I was the only one. My 51 came up, just glad the driver window was down or my head might have broke it. Have'nt found a decent hood yet.

 

Use a couple of Chevy U-joints and a plastic coated wire cable (available at your local hardware store)...put a loop in both ends and secure them with "cable stops". Slip one end over one U-joint and bolt that to your car's hood brace. Do the same on the lower pan or somewhere under the hood. Then go find a padlock. Lower the hood, slip the loop and the padlock onto the U-joint and secure with the padlock...it won't ever come up at any speed again.

Will cost you less than $10.00 and keeps unwanted fingers out of your engine department...

NEVER trust the stock secondary latch when you're moving at 70 mph...

R-

 

I have a chain that's secured to the hood and latches into a steel loop bolted to the center support. Scary stuff when the hood flies up.

 

Really? This is the #1 most common problem with shoeboxes.

 

On mine there is a cable actuated latch and a spring loaded safety hook, both from the factory. I have had the cable latch come loose a few times if I didn't slam it good but the hook has always caught it. Does the hook normally fail too? Have I just been lucky?

 

Well, it looks like I am going to have to fix the one I have got. I found some for around $1000 shipped, I don't feel like spending that much dough! Thanks for the ideas. I think I'll just drive it without a hood for awhile.

 

Go to shoeboxford.com . There has been quite a few posts about the hood latch and solutions to cure it.

 

when they come up they can also do more than ruin the hood. like dent the front of the roof and take out the windshield.

 

The hood on my brothers '68 Impala blew up, back in the day. A rubber wrapped bicycle chain and a small lock cured that. Secure and theft proof.

 

Here is mine

 

Only took me 5 years to come up with a solution for mine. Street rod hood pins go down through the valance in front of the rad, had to build small brackets to get them located where I wanted them.They're just mocked up in this pic, I mounted them with bolts and lock washers etc, painted the brackets so now they're secure and not really noticeable...





Works like a charm (although some future owner or a mechanic might take a crowbar to the hood trying to get it open if they don't realize there are pins hidden behind the grille...

 

I adapted a Cadillac trunk latch.
Pulls it down tight.

 

"Big A" - I didn't know how much I liked the Dodge grilles until I saw yours.

 

This was common on these cars even back in the day. Was in a friends 49 bombing down Hwy 99 at about 70 when his hood blew up--quite a thrill! Dented the top and broke one of the windshields. I have never owned one but am sure getting interested in a 49-50 coupe!!

 

Evidently this was a problem on Mopar products as well. My hood has damage consistent with having opened at speed. A previous owner had replaced the Dodge letters on the hood with ten chrome "bullets". I drilled small holes through the end ones and ran cables and clips from under the hood for added security.

 

Count me in. I had the hood fly up on a 49 sedan I had. I don't feel as bad about it now that I see its so common.

 

This happened to me years ago, Nash Metropolitan going down a long hill near home, 55 mph all at once I'm blind!
Lucky I made it to shoulder, closed hood and limped it home. Luckily I was having it painted anyway, body shop fixed the dented cowl. I fabricated a latch mechanism so you pop the good and it goes up about 2", you press a spring loaded bracket to open rest of way.

Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk... Gary from Virginia

 

Not a shoebox, but my 49 COE hood was popping open. That hood would be near impossible to find if it had gotten messed up. I put a piece of chain with a spring clip, open the hood about 5 inches and reach in to undo the chain. Now even if it pops open, it will not go far enough to damage anything. Still requires a stop to put the hood back down and relatch it. But better than the hood blocking your view and potential damage to it or other parts.