Hood Latches - Differences?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 15
From: Lusby MD
Hood Latches - Differences?
I just tried bolting up the hood latches that came from my old 69 hood (it was damaged) onto my new hood. I think the new hood is a 70 or 71, but I know for a fact that is a real, original, older GM hood. The driver side latch bolted up with no problems. The passenger side was no so easy. The bolt holes don't quite line up and the latch doesn't sit flush because there's a raised bump just below the latch stud hole. I looked at my 71 coupe and saw that the passenger side latch is very different that my 69 latch. I was unaware of any changes in the hood latch design, but it appears there was some kind of change in the 69-71 timeframe.
Has anyone else seen this and does anyone have a spare 71-ish latch?
Has anyone else seen this and does anyone have a spare 71-ish latch?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,004
Likes: 16
From: Gainesville, Florida
Re: Hood Latches - Differences? (69L71)
Hmmmm....I had a similar problem with my original '70 latches on my Eckler's repro L88 hood. The driver side fits OK but the pass. side is off as 69L71 described. After many hours of trying to get the pass. side to work correctly, I finally removed the stud on the car-side bracket and now rely on the driver side latch only to hold the hood. Even that doesn't work as smoothly as when the original hood was on the car. I was going to leave it to the body man to fix both when I get the car re-painted.
Do I need '68-69 latches since the L88 option was offered only in those years? If so, its interesting that all the parts vendors list 68-76 female hood latches (inc. Dr. Rebuild NOS) as the same part #. :confused:
Mark
[Modified by mdsmith, 11:21 AM 8/20/2001]
Do I need '68-69 latches since the L88 option was offered only in those years? If so, its interesting that all the parts vendors list 68-76 female hood latches (inc. Dr. Rebuild NOS) as the same part #. :confused:
Mark
[Modified by mdsmith, 11:21 AM 8/20/2001]
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 15
From: Lusby MD
Re: Hood Latches - Differences? (mdsmith)
I can sympathize with your problem. I can't install the passenger side latch so I left it off and am relying on the driver side for now.
Sounds ike you and I need to swap latches! I have a 69 that I can't use, and you have a 70 that doesn't fit your hood.
Sounds ike you and I need to swap latches! I have a 69 that I can't use, and you have a 70 that doesn't fit your hood.
