Wifey got some car toys for Xmas (stereo and iPhone/TomTom integration thingy) and I went to install them this weekend. Step #1, disconnect negative battery terminal. Simple right? Wrong. The hood release cable had rusted and disconnected itself from the latch. OK, so now what?
After two hours of what amounted to endoscopic surgery, I was able to remove the three bolts holding the latch to the car. Doh! Thank goodness for the Gear Wrench and skins ability to grow back.
Oh, I thought this was about a TVR...
pinchvalve wrote: After two hours of what amounted to endoscopic surgery...
So you went in thru the tailpipe?
I have had that happen exactly once. Next time it's either the saws-all or sell the car.
neon4891 wrote: Oh, I thought this was about a TVR...
Grrrr. 
Ugh... my g/f's '03 MINI is starting to be like this... it seems the cable stretched just enough... very annoying.
I've had to do that a bunch of times, but the car's usually on fire.
Happend on the Capri. I was able to pop it with a screwdriver and a hammer once I thought about how it worked. Luckily the grill comes out with just screws in the front. Love old cars for stuff like that.
That happened to a Cavalier I was driving. I was able to use a long pole to whack the hood release lever from under the car. YMMV based on the layout of your engine compartment.
On the firetrucks, we carry a simple T handled hood tool. It's basically a piece of 1/2" rod with a 1" deep slot cut into the end. You slide it in through the grill, grab the cable in the slot and twist.
The GTO does this especially in cold weather and I have to get my wife to hold the handle while I pull up on the hood. I guess that I need to crawl under the dash and tighten up the cable.
Buy hood pins. /thread
I usually bust the handles off inside the car- so I just carry a set of vice grips in those lovely machines.
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