Yep, that'll do it. The lock lever needs to clear the hole completely, and I guess because it didn't at one time it got bent. Good Luck!
big hammer might straighten it out. But, will it make the metal weak and likely to bend again? Reckon, I should heat it up after I straighten it? (re-temper?) The lever and the latch are held together with rivets. Reckon, I have a chance of getting it back together if, I take it apart?
Rivets. Love em and hate em. Not the most fun to take apart and put back together to look factory. My vote... pull it apart, smash it flat and don't worry about the temper.
It worked for '56 years the first go around. If, I can get half of that with my repair Ill be happy I'm not worried about appearance, When the latch is in place the only way to look at it, is with a mirror or camera. I'm pretty good with a 2lb. maul. But I've got ZERO experience riveting.........
i had this problem on a 55 special, the lower latch was bent removed it and hammered it straight it gets bent when the hood doesn't come down straight.
I think i saw on some car they built for the Pan-american Race in th3 50's had a set neat looking leather straps holding the hood down.
My 55 special used to do this same thing! It used to scare the crap out of me driving! it was a few years ago so im not sure if i remember right but i think there was some bolts i loosened and the latch assembly slid up and that fixed it.
I found a latch. I'm waiting on delivery. I've not had much time lately to do anything toward. Today is the first day I've seen the Roadmaster in daylight since about three weeks ago.
yeah get that fixed. first time it happened to me was going 40 over a little bump, scared the daylights out of me. i just kept picture the hood coming thru my windshield. kept pulling over to close it again. made my drives not so fun....
It is MOST unnerving!! Chris Roesch has put a latch in the Post (mail) for me. (Thanks Chris!). I'm hoping installing Chris's latch will fix it!
IT's FiXED!! Chris Roesch's parts came in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I've been afraid to take the latch apart. Before. But, with the one Chris sent me I had a little more nerve to take it apart. I took the upper hood latch apart and really couldn't find anything wrong with it. I took both upper and lower and latch them together while off the car and tried to recreate the problem. It was holding very well and wouldn't release on it's own ( as it had driving down the road a, before) So, I put it all back together again and closed the hood .And lo and behold there was that second click that reassured me the hood was indeed closed. So, after all that; I guess it it was just a matter of adjustment. Having the extra part on hand gave me the confidence to go in and take the thing apart and to see what was what. Putting it back together I must have lucked out and got it back to the correct adjustment. While I was at it I greased the latch and hood hinges with white lithium grease up real good. I've always said it's better to be lucky than good. Thanks everyone for the advice and thanks Chris for finding and sending the latch :TU:
i know i'm a day late and a dollar short on this one... but this exact thing happened to me on my '55 special and all i did was screw in the bayonet a few turns and fixed it immeadiately. Any who..glad you'r all set!
Thanks! Yep. When all was said and done. That's all mine needed. was a little adjustment. and, I've got it it greased up real good. I posted the new pics for someone to look at. So, I could get a price on replating my spare latch.
THIS is what worked for mine !! Thanks Adam The cleaning, adjustment and lubrication are still keeping the hood closed four years later. Along with new springs on the lower latch
