Crazy Hood Latch Ideas (or not so crazy) 1998 v70

[MrAl]

I put a little piece of wire with a doohickey on it so I can reach up and find the latch from underneath. it's a little tighter in my case because I have an oil catch can there between the battery and the latch. But I still have 0 trouble opening the hood this way. I wrapped the " tab " on the latch with tape so it was more comfortable to push. If you play with that tab you will see that it operates both latches. IMG_20210423_164125922_HDR.jpgIMG_20210423_163855587.jpg

Looks good. Can you tell me or show me exactly where you connect the other end of the wire to the latch mechanism on both sides of the car? This will really help a lot.
Also, can you pull DOWN on the wire or do you have to pull it sideways?

[MrAl]

Here is a crazy idea that might actually work: Drive the car 40 - 50 mph. The wind will catch and push up on the hood. Reach down and pull the latch. The hood catch should keep the hood from flying all the open. How stop and finish opening the hood.

Yeah that is a very interesting idea. I could go out when traffic is light and once it opens i can drive home slowly and then i'd be home again with the hood unlatched.

However, i would also like a 'fix all' solution. Steve suggested that i take out the corner lights but i dont know if i could do that or want to do that i might break it badly. The best i found so far is two wires hangin down and just pull on the wires to open the stuck or non functional latch.
That would work in nearly all cases without having to wreck anything just to get the hood open.
Thanks for that idea too yes it sounds crazy but i could see it working ok.

[MrAl]

Here is a crazy idea that might actually work: Drive the car 40 - 50 mph. The wind will catch and push up on the hood. Reach down and pull the latch. The hood catch should keep the hood from flying all the open. How stop and finish opening the hood.

Yes that sounds good, i just need to know exactly where to connect the end of the wire to the latch lever.

[abscate]

Another plus for climate change. Soon you can just point the hood into the weekly 50 mph gale rather than drive. Saves gas!

[erikv11]

I put a little piece of wire with a doohickey on it so I can reach up and find the latch from underneath. it's a little tighter in my case because I have an oil catch can there between the battery and the latch. But I still have 0 trouble opening the hood this way. I wrapped the " tab " on the latch with tape so it was more comfortable to push. If you play with that tab you will see that it operates both latches. IMG_20210423_164125922_HDR.jpgIMG_20210423_163855587.jpg

Looks good. Can you tell me or show me exactly where you connect the other end of the wire to the latch mechanism on both sides of the car? This will really help a lot.
Also, can you pull DOWN on the wire or do you have to pull it sideways?

Yes, you pull down.

Use longer wires, bicycle brake cable works well, then you don't have to learn how/where to reach up. Use a length so the wires are easily visible under the front of the car. The wires would connect to the little loop on the end of each hood release latch/lever. There's one latch on each side. Go take a look at your car, the loops are unmistakeable, really you can do this without more pics. Sveedy's pics already show the location, but there is black tape over the loop in that pic.

Remember, you're basically never going to need to use these wires anyway, you're just doing it because it's something to do. Get them installed and you can move on.

[scot850]

DON'T drive with the hood on the safety latch! I have seen several where this did not hold and the hood ended up bent over the roof and damage to the hood, roof and hood mounts.

Neil.

[abscate]

If you break off the latch on the corner lights, which might be broken already, you can secure them with a rubber band. Keep spares in the glove box.

Now you can easily pop them out to pop the latch.

[RickHaleParker]

DON'T drive with the hood on the safety latch! I have seen several where this did not hold and the hood ended up bent over the roof and damage to the hood, roof and hood mounts.

That would be a permanent solution. Thereafter one would have no problem getting the hood open.

[Sveedy]

DON'T drive with the hood on the safety latch! I have seen several where this did not hold and the hood ended up bent over the roof and damage to the hood, roof and hood mounts.

Neil.

Or worse;
Many years ago, I was driving down the highway in San Diego in my '69 MGB. Beautiful sunny day ( of course ), top down ( of course ), when all of a sudden everything went black. A second later, and my thought was that someone had dropped a trash can off an overpass on me. It was then that I realized that the hood had come loose and popped open, bending back over the windshield, and then, thankfully, hitting the roll bar. Not quite what the bar was intended for, but it did save my ....hat.
I pulled over on the shoulder, collected my wits, and proceeded to jump on the hood enough so that I could tie it down and get home.
From them on, even after replacing the hood and latches, I had I safety chain under there as well.

[MrAl]

I put a little piece of wire with a doohickey on it so I can reach up and find the latch from underneath. it's a little tighter in my case because I have an oil catch can there between the battery and the latch. But I still have 0 trouble opening the hood this way. I wrapped the " tab " on the latch with tape so it was more comfortable to push. If you play with that tab you will see that it operates both latches. IMG_20210423_164125922_HDR.jpgIMG_20210423_163855587.jpg

Looks good. Can you tell me or show me exactly where you connect the other end of the wire to the latch mechanism on both sides of the car? This will really help a lot.
Also, can you pull DOWN on the wire or do you have to pull it sideways?

Yes, you pull down.

Use longer wires, bicycle brake cable works well, then you don't have to learn how/where to reach up. Use a length so the wires are easily visible under the front of the car. The wires would connect to the little loop on the end of each hood release latch/lever. There's one latch on each side. Go take a look at your car, the loops are unmistakeable, really you can do this without more pics. Sveedy's pics already show the location, but there is black tape over the loop in that pic.

Remember, you're basically never going to need to use these wires anyway, you're just doing it because it's something to do. Get them installed and you can move on.

Hello again,

Here are three pics of what i think you are talking about.
Is this the hole where the green arrows point?
One pic is from the side, another pic from the front, another pic a blow up of the front view.
The front is when standing outside the vehicle close to where the steering wheel is, looking down into the engine compartment toward the headlight on the drivers side.
This is the drivers side latch.