I’ve owned my ‘87 since new. The driver's side hood release cable is shot. I cannot open the hood. Should have replaced it long ago. But I didn't. (Passenger side cable is ok.)
Does anybody know....or know of....or know somebody who might know off...an emergency way to get it open.
I swear when/if I do, I will replace it. So far, I've taken off the battery access panel, the left front wheel, removed the wheel well cover, gone in and taken out the battery (had to remove the battery shelf to do it), and, finally can see some of the cable but not enough to get a grip and specifically not enough to know of its split, frayed, or what up where it meets the "latch".
Any hope I can get this unstuck/open?

Jim

 

haven't had to buy one yet but I believe that EKLERS has a bent rod that you hook in from above the hood in front of the windshield to release the hood latch so the cable can be replaced. I've heard of others coming up from underneith but not sure how.. hope this helps.

 

I bought a hood release tool from E-Bay for $10.00. It's what 884jani said, A bent rod that you insert between the door hinge area and the side of the hood. If you buy one try to look at a car with the hood up and the door open and you will see how it works. It sounds confusing as all get out until you get to see it with the hood open.

 

Thanks to you both. That sounds encouraging. And there's another C4 in the subdivision though I don't know the owner. But on the theory that us Corvette folks stick together, I'll go over and ask to see under the hood. (Of course, it's not like I haven't looked under my own hood 10,000 times but....).
Thanks very much.

Jim

 

Let us know what happens

 

Gentlemen:

Well, just yesterday I finally got the hood open. I'd ordered the tool from Eckler's, then got a look at a neighbor's 84. Seemed strightforward enough. The tool arrived and I got nowhere with it. Seems I was going in too much to the side (scratched the heck out of the hood). So I got another look at the mechanism, this time on an aboslutely gorgeous silver '96. That helped and I took some digital pictures. Still, I couldn't get the Eckler's tool to work. So I designed one of my own. Keep in mind, I had the battery and battery holder out as well as the wheel well and had a fair amount of access from underneath. But my finger's weren't quite long enough to get the latch. So I worked a piece of flat metal into a "l" shape with a half inch downward flange on one end to work up and over and grab the latch. (Having the hood open now, I think it could have worked but I never placed it quite right apparently.) Anyway, I didn't get it with that. And I tried somemore with the Eckler's tool but got nowhere until I pulled out all the foam barriers and made sure it went down the inside of the bed the latch mechanism sits in - not outside it. Still nothing and I said to my wife "I give up". I hate those words and gave one more rather frustrated twist to the tool and -- voila! Up she popped.
Believe me, the first thing I did was rig up a wire from the latch and out toward the windshield just in case.
Thanks for your help, guys.