Hi, I am not Timspeed. This is Mom, Timspeed has left the building. Prior to he & a buddy were attempting to place the hood back on my 87 vette and the buddy dropped the hood down on the vette and from what Timspeed told me the hood latch is stuck or jammed and in order to get the hood up the hood latch has to be wreckened with. So there it sets on jack stands still. Has been in this state for 6 years at least. Brand new tires, no functional problems other than the hood.
My question is:
How do I go about getting the hood up at this point? I have heard that I have to have the front passenger quarter panel removed and go up through there, then heard that I shoudl be able to release the hood latch from the very front underside of the hood. Keep in mnd please this is Mom and I am learning. I want to get the hood on the car so I can get to the battery and replace that and get the car off of jack stands and drive. Perhaps even sell.
On a side note Timspeed had put brand new corbeau race buckets in and I hate them. Never used them maybe one time he took it for a spin after the seats. I want to lose the race buckets and get some other perhaps stock seats. I do not know what to do with this vehicle and therefore turned to the only place I know he would have came to. I do hope that someone on here can assist me with this knowledge. I thank You all in advance.

 

Maybe this will help. You can buy or make the tool.

 

Thank You much for the reply. YOu have helped me immensly. Even someone as myself can understand this and I am sure when I hire someone to do the work they will have much more knowledge than myself and will find this response VERY HELPFUL. I can't thank you enough. I will attempt to find or make a tool as that. any ideas as to what the tool may be called? However, I have to get the hood up off of the vehicle first as the hood has been dropped in place and can not be moved at the time so to get to the area that the tool was accessing I assume I have to remove the front passenger quarter panel? Plus the hood? to get to the point where the pic shows the tool being used? I am new here and have limited knowledge of all of this and was left to tend to. I Thank You for any and all info you may supply all will be greatly appreciated. Thank You in advance.

 

You can get the tool from Mid America or Ecklers. The pic with the hood open is for reference. You actually use it when the hood is stuck is stuck shut . Open the door and push the tool under the hood. Use the pic as a guide.

 

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette...-1-66-948.html

If you search on here there was a thread a few months ago on how to insert this, and what you are trying to push, blindly.

 

I have not used the pictured tool, but understand it's purpose from the picture. You will have to feed it under the hood and into the latch area. Removing the quarter panel won't help get the tool in the position shown -- except the added visual you MIGHT gain.

The tip of the tool is sitting next to the hood release. It's L-shaped tips protrude down into the slot where the release "lives". The release is the darker 1" bar-looking piece immediately to the right. At the top of said bar, you'll see a cable coming from the right. When you pull the hood release that cable pulls the bar to the right (inward). On the passenger side, it'll be pulling to the left (mirror image).

You can "pop" each side independantly. In other words, do one side at a time.

Just below the circle in the picture, you'll see the rubber hood seal, You'll probably find it necessary to work the tool THRU the seal-to-hood contact point -- to get to the latch. (Think what it would be like to jam a coat-hanger thru the weatherstrip at the rear of your window to unlock your car. Same principle.

This difficulty is why people often install short loops of cable that are attached to that same release lever. When the main cable is broken, you just pull your emerency stub.

Depending on where the cable is broken, you might also be able to pull it from the windsheild wiper area. But, I'm guessing the tool is your best bet.

 

Here you go,
found it, with a video,

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-g...-this-one.html

 

The vid.

 

I have carried that hood latch release tool behind the passenger seat for >10yrs and it is VERY handy when needed...

Once you have the hood open back off the locking nut on the release cable, tighten the tensioning nut till the hood will NOT hold the hood down. Then back off till the latch just engages yet still releases. Once you have it set, tighten the locking nut and you are done.

Since it's been "sitting" (assume unstarted) for >6yrs you may need to have it hauled to a garage for fuel & fluid change before starting it up??

 

I remember Timspeed well from the old days here on the forum. I hope all is well?

 

Yes He is Fine just chose to take sometime off I suppose. At this time we are estranged and I am left with all of the vehicles to tend to and get out of my yard and back on the road. I most likely will keep the vette just havent really decided as yet. However I appreciate sooo much all of you and your assistance with this. I will be sharing this all with my mechanic and body person that will be doing the work for me. I know Tim enjoyed working on his vehicles and driving them, I just think he needed a break. You have to know with 4 or more cars needing work and they always will that it was probably a bit overwhelming. Perhaps he was a bit spoiled as well and has some oates to sow himself. I Thank You all so much and will be back. I would like to get the vette on the road and perhaps join all of you one day for a cruise as I have been on a couple along with Tim in the past and really enjoyed. Thank You

 

Thanks for the update. I was a little concerned when you said he'd "left the building".

 

Yep, good to read he's OK. Good luck on your Vette adventure. This place is full of great info

 

If the hood is misaligned the hood release tool may not help. The first thing I would do is: go to one hood corner and press down and hold, now have a helper pull and hold up the hood release control, then go to see if the latch released that corner. Repeat for opposite side. If the Vette has been sitting (outside) for a long period a generous amount penetrant/lube squirted past the hood seal might help.

If the hood alignment is off from removal, that tool might not help. As this member had to dismantle the inner finder, then the hood latch pin. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...ld-issues.html

 

once the hood is open,add emergency release cables that you can access under the wipers. much easier to use than the tool .

 

I'm Timspeed's "cuz" in the foothills (Sonora).
We met years ago when he was still driving the vette.
If I can be of assistance send me a PM here.

 

Timspeed sold the stock leather vette seats at one point a few years back and purchased corbeau race buckets. He used them maybeee... 2xs if that. I do not like the corbeau race seats I personally find them ugly and uncomfortable. I would really liketo sell those seats and find a set of leather stock seats with all working parts such as the bladder etc.. Anyone have any ideas here? I do not know who bought my stock leather seats Timspeed sold before.

 

Keep an eye on ebay, I have seen C4 seats on there many times.. You could also post a "Want To Buy" post in the for sale section , alot of times people have things laying around and don't think to post them for sale until someone asks....Good Luck...WW

 

Depending on interior color..

I have a pair of 92 Sport Seats.. Black and Red I will be selling.. everything works but the driver side needs the lumbar 'bag' if you will

lumbar pumps work as do the side controls, there are no seat rails though so you would need to locate those, although I have one manual rail set

if interested email me vettxtc @ gmail . com (just remove the spaces)

 

So yesterday some young men friends of my sons came by to help me out. They removed the passenger front wheel off as well as the "panel" (for lack of better term at time) they took out the screws holding that on & was able to get into where the latch is located. I coudl see their hand in there they claim that it feels as if the latch is stuck open & can be moved. The cable is fine & in place & tension on it is good so its not the cable. We were still unable to remove hood. The driver side pops up & down as should however you can not even hear the cable snap on passenger side when pulled.
So I know some other friends of mine took out some hood hinge bolts thinking they could remove hood that way. There is a few bolts left to remove from there but is that possible to remove the hinge bolts & lift the hood from that angle first? Freeing the front & driver side in order to free what is jammed or hung on passenger side? If so can someone send me a pic or have a link of hwo many bots & where they located in the hood hinges ?
Thank You all so much !!