Re: Hood latch reliability?
What's funny is I seriously doubt anyone out ripping off car stuff is into these trucks and they don't even know that the hood latch has no inside cable release! Hell, I could leave the keys in the ignition of my Rambler and being no one has a clue what a three on the tree is they can't even drive it! And that is no joke, they literally wouldn't know what to do!
Honestly, if the stock hood latch allowed the hood to open, then it was broken and should have been caught! I see WAY more of a possibility someone modifying my swapping in a latch from some other car failing because of a mistake in that modification than the stock one failing.
It's like any other mod, I love mods! I love hot rods, I love customs, chopping the top swapping in a v8 and five speed, hell yeah! What I hate are the mods people THINK it needs to be "driven on modern highways" and stupid crap like that.
These latches are safe, they have a safety back up that WORKS they don't wear out, they work forever. The door latches, that is a bit different, they suck. They can work, I will have NOS ones on my truck, but yes years ago a door swung open because of the crappy latch that doesn't have the "second latch" modern latches have. But the hood, that sucker is as solid as can be.
I have removed and installed 157,241,268 latches in my 40 years in the autobody industry, pulling them out of smashed up cars where I can't even get them open, aligning them after replacing the rad support, installing them on used hoods, reproduction hoods, new hoods, new latches, used latches, 157,241,268 times! They are so simple it's crazy, you can see them working. But swapping one over from another car, that is a whole different thing. Yes I can do that too, but after 157,241,268 things come easy.
I just don't see a need to get the word out that this needs to be done, it's not a big deal leaving the stock latch.
Brian
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1948 Chevy pickup
Chopped, Sectioned, 1953 Corvette 235 powered. Once was even 401 Buick mid engined with the carburetor right between the seats!
Bought with paper route money in 1973 when I was 15.
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"
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