How to open hood on 51 chev COE

I just picked up a 1951 Chev COE and trying to poen the hood .Other than the obvious outside flippers is there any other latches I am missing . Dont feel like tearing the front off only to find there is a trick somewhere .

 

there is a release and then the safety catch just like most 50's cars

 

Where is the release ? I cant seem to see anything that looks like a release other than the outside flippers .

 

look up inside over the top grille bar,,maybe you can feel it up above the opening... R.H side

 

I have a bone stock 52 coe 5700 there are NO other latches. Other than the 2 flippers. Unless somebody did something funny.

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If you have flipped up the two latches that backyardbeliever mentioned it may either just be stuck from sitting or someone has added another latch. Maybe a pull cable latch/lock.


On the regular AD trucks you stick your hand in just to the drivers side of center palm up and you should catch the hood release. Then reach in under the middle of the hood and catch the safety latch with your fingers. If it is like most AD trucks you have to slightly push the hood down to get the safety latch to release without smashing your fingers.

 

WRONG!!!...


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The latches are it - no safety catch - lift them up to release. You are going to have to be Houdini to get in. Might have to drill out the rivets if in fact the latches are not releasing.



Good looking snub nose.... I need to fix one of my latches too - one spring is out and it's like a horse-shoe puzzle to get it back together.

 

That's a lot of help. Now, would you like to tell all of us who own one how to open it?

 

EXACTLY

 

Get that top grill bar pulled back out. Mine was bound up because the latch had some pressure from the grill being pushed in.

 

I will try this again....from the factory there is only four things that attach this hood to the truck...2 hindges on the top of the cowl and two swing latches on the front...this peticular hood may be jammed up due to the damaged grill.....i will go out and take some pics. ....be back shortly

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That works as it seems there are currently no or not many photos of COE AD trucks on the internet with the hood open that show the area in question clearly. I just spent the past 18 minutes hunting for one and those trucks must not like to be photographed with their hoods up.

 

Question about the grill, is it the same grill (will interchange) as found on the 3100 or 3600 trucks?

 

I hope these pics help...even if the spring on the swing latch is broken i looks like it should function properly....the hood prop could be frozen?

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Sstock, to answer your specific question, yes, those grills are interchangeable.

 

If you are asking if a 3100 or3600 grill will fit a COE. It wont fit. The coe grill is taller

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Thanks for the effort ,I will get it in and cut the rivets and get it opened as it looks , you cant see much from under .

 

Might be that center support that holds the hood open is rusted stuck, and holding it closed.

 

Thank you sir.

 

That is what I meant thank you.

 

There are differences from what I hear from a guy that has owned about 30 Chevy/GMC COE's. But I have never compared the two side-by-side. Supports and the top bar for starters....

 

Any luck getting her open?

Just re-assembed my latch that was apart, after this thread gave me the gumption. I have the hood off working on getting her on the road again after 18 years dormant. Flipped the hood over on the saw-horses and it was a bit like a puzzle, but much easier than working upside-down. When I tried upside-down with the hood on the truck a few months ago, I was not successful.

 

I decided to drag it in and investigate .After carefully prying in different areas , I found alot of resistance in the drivers side flipper . Not wanting to distort the hood , I went ahead and drilled out the rivets and got it opened .

Then the fun started ,I went manic and started the dissmantling process. Took all the fender and skirting off and front grill , radiator and such . I am going to put it on a Isuzu NPR chassis with a 4 cyl. turbo diesel and use it as a hauler. I will show the project on the COE thread as I get going . I was going to put my 40 Chev COE that I extended 18 " on this originally , but after looking at the dimentions a little closer I decided this truck was a better fit . Looks like I will have to do more of a hot rod truck with a 9ft bed I have instead for the 40 .