How to open hood

[ojxxx]

Sooner or later it was bound to happen, the hood pull rod has become disconnected inside the hood release.
I managed to unbolt the hood from the hinges but it won't wiggle around enough to release.
I have the dash loose enough to send a heavy gauge wire with hook into the housing for the hood release but cannot feel and mechanisms. The original hood pull rod is still in place, I can't pull it out, maybe the jam nut is still on it.
Feeling around with the wire (it has a tight hook on the end) I can't feel anything inside the mechanism housing, it bumps into walls but I can't feel any features in there.
I believe the car to be a '64, there is no 'safety catch' to it, if I can hook into and give a tug on the one mechanism it'll pop open.
If I recall right I can't even access anything if I were to drill a hole thru the hood. That release mechanism has its own little house inside the cowl, totally seperate.
Any secret tricks? No there has been no rust pockets and removable repairs above the blower housing.
Thanks, Oj

 

[hottigr]

hmmm

Having thankfully never had this happen, I am not the voice of experience. If the hinges are loose enough in the front I believe you can slide some wire or heavy duty fishing line from the front around the catch and hopefully grab it from the other side so you can pull on the catch and pop the hood open. If that is not the correct method, or there is a better way, I'm sure some experience will show up shortly with another answer. Kirk

 

[Warren]

Every car I've had

I have had a stuck Hood.
Depending upon the condition of your paint will determine how you get the thing open also if it's a steel hood or LAT hood.

If your paint is nice be sure to try to protect it with several layers of blue tape, and possibly some of the the thin cardboard something like a cereal box.
There are multiple methods but it kind of helps to use a fishing line who is a couple of wooden dowels on either end and have two people to work it from the screen back towards the front bumper .
Hopefully you can catch the latch bring it back. One thing I've noticed is that uncut unmessed cars have got a really large and rather pronounced area for the hook on the released to engage upon. Most all have been cut down to an acceptable size helping to prove prevent stuck hoods.


I wish there was an easier way but it's going to take a lot of patience and pulling out a few hairs.

 

[ojxxx]

A happy ending! There is a 2nd hole for the hood rod to pass thru to get into the mechanism, once I discovered that I remade the hook so it'd pass thru and grabbed the latch to release the hood.
The first pic shows the dash loosened up so you could get to the holes, you can see my wire. Its longer than you think.
The 2nd pic you can see the 2nd hole and my wire passing thru to grab the latch.

 

[Doug C]

Glad that you got it opened. Is that a black dash car? If so what number is it? I have #99

 

[ojxxx]

Glad that you got it opened. Is that a black dash car? If so what number is it? I have #99

I do the work on the car and don't know what the number is, I told the owner I started this thread so perhaps he'll look in and answer your question. One thing, I envy all you Tiger owners, they are just badassed little cars. Sitting beside it in the shop is a '67 GT500, 427 Motor car and I'd take the Tiger over it in a millisecond.

 

[67 Tiger]

Thats Cool

I vaguely remember reading a post similar to this a few years back. I dont think that owner opened his hood as simply as you did. Im sure there a lot of Tigers with "aging" cables. This will help.

 

[65beam]

hood

The cotter pin and washer are missing

 

[ojxxx]

The cotter pin and washer are missing

Good eye. An enthusiast decided to make an adjustment on the latch. He pulled the pin, washer and tension spring to disconnect the handle from the release arm then closed the hood to check alignment.
It was after that i got a call.
We've all done stupid shit, best to laugh it off and move on.

 

[Warren]

Motion

The pull of the mechanism combined with the length of both the hook on the arm and the length of the catch is a big problem. I'll take a picture of several cut top latch bits that go on the hood under the spring. Pulling the handle is often not enough to disengage the latch with the uncut catch under spring.

Both pictured have been cut at least 1/4 to 3/8 roughly.