Hawk Hood Hold Down

[DEEPNHOCK]

Why hide it?

[64V-K7]

ARGHHHH!

Did he bolt the stud to the radiator tank?


Bob Johnstone

https://www.studebaker-info.org

64 GT Hawk
55 President State Sedan
70 Avanti (R3)

[JRoberts]

I guess that is one way to do it. I wonder if a single hood pin assembly will be adequate at higher speeds. In most racing applications I believe two are required.

The other question, that has already been asked, what is the pin attached to?

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

[Studeous]

The pin is attached to the radiator cap.

[j.byrd]

We were so sick after our Sky Hawk hood flew up and bent, that we put a bicycle lock cable around the lower parts. Never left it off even after the car was finished and "showable". Peace of mind drives folks to odd fixes sometimes. I would open the hood, lock it back, and leave it over the catch even at the few shows we went to, folks asked some funny questions about what that loose cable was doing Ha!! John

[bondobilly]

There was/is a simpler safety catch that requires about 8 minutes to install and prevents any Hawk hood from flying up. All you need is the "backwards J hook" that was used between 1947 to 1953. The mounting hole is already on your car. The J sits in frond of the spring loaded latch and when the hood is closed it locks into the square opening in the cross bar that the tow side grilles attach to.

In the event of a hood popping the J is sprung so it grabs on to the cross bar.

What makes this fix so wild is that once the spring latch releases from the main catch the rear part cathes the little hook in the rear, and the big J grabs the cross member.

To open the hood you will need to both push the rear spring loaded catch backwards and pull the J to you.

To see the Backwards J look in a 56 Service Manual under body work and you will see the J on a Hawk hood. Sadly it is not listed in the 56 parts manuals but is listed in the 55's.

In the 23 years we have driven our Hawk the hood has popped twice and at 65-75 mph, and it lifted no higher than 3/4 of an inch.

If you need photos, let me know by E-mail