Body / Glass: Hood on my '63 Avanti

[dleroux]

I had the hardware for the hood on my '63 Avanti powder coated, hood springs, the spring receptacles, hood latch mechanism, etc. All is fine & I like the look. Took a ton of pictures beforehand and installed everything just as it was. I'm a "little" gun shy about closing the hood all the way so that it's latched. If I've messed something up and if the hood won't pop up when un-latched, I'm in, as some would say, a "pickle". Everything lines up perfectly and it looks as though everything should work, but from my experience, if it works I'll keep working on it until it doesn't. The hood release cable functions normally so I think it should work. If it doesn't pop up, is there any "easy" way of un-latching the hood for a '63 Avanti. Should I just go for it, drop the hood, and hope for the best?
-thoughts?

[rbisacca]

No problem. Refer to page 3 in the body section of your Avanti Workshop Manual. (You do have one don't you?)
Look for and remove rubber plug in inner fender panel directly under hood lock assembly. Insert small screwdriver up through hole into small hole in lock operating lever. Press screwdriver towards center of vehicle 'til dove tail is released. Repeat on other side.

[dleroux]

I do have the both manuals, however the room that I have to work with in my garage is almost non-existent. & seeing as we're actually experiencing winter here in the NW, I won't be thinking about backing it out into the driveway maybe until April. I think I'll just take a "wait & see" approach.

[dleroux]

Sometimes Dagwood Bumstead does something right. I put everything back together and closed the hood to see if I might just be lucky. Everything was fine except the left side of the hood wouldn't latch. Right side, A-okay but no deal on the left side. Thinking that the latch wasn't catching enough of the compressed spring, I adjusted it to provide additional spring length. Again, it wouldn't latch. Thinking it over, I thought maybe I have it adjusted for too much and it's bottoming out. I adjusted in the other direction so that there would be less spring in the catch & BINGO, that was it. Everything fits perfectly, closes, and the latch release works better than it ever has. Had it out for the first time this year on Saturday. I was pleased with it, but most importantly, the Mrs. loved it.

[Mark L]

dleroux, thanks for asking the question, and rbisacca, thanks for the answer. This weekend I volunteered to get some photographs of a flock of Studebakers that will be sold soon. One is a 1963 Avanti. Unfortunately, the hood release is frozen solid with the hood latched down, but now, thanks to both of you, I know how to get it open.

This Forum is money.

Mark