Front Hood won't open
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- 356 Fan
- Posts: 446
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:42 am
Re: Front Hood won't open
Up under the instrument panel in the interior of the car, remove the bolts securing the hood hinges.
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- 356 Fan
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2010 11:37 am
Re: Front Hood won't open
For all that offered suggestions on my dilemma "front hood won"t open" I thank you. I solved the problem by fashioning a very flat (1/16th" thick 2"wide and 12" long) hook out of metal, sliding it between the hood and nose (after taping the edges of surrounding area), hooking the post (male part of latch) and gently prying it forward. With seemingly little effort the hood popped open. A big sigh of relief. No paint damage, etc.
- John Brooks
- 356 Fan
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- Location: Whidbey Island WA.
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Re: Front Hood won't open
Robert
Now take the flex cable out of a Bicycle Brake and attach it to the Hood Release and route it out into the drivers fender well. Bore a couple #30 holes up high, by the tube. Feed the end of the cable out and back in the other hole and secure the bitter end inside the trunk. Cover it with undercoating. Next time you can find it with a screwdriver and pop the hood.
Now take the flex cable out of a Bicycle Brake and attach it to the Hood Release and route it out into the drivers fender well. Bore a couple #30 holes up high, by the tube. Feed the end of the cable out and back in the other hole and secure the bitter end inside the trunk. Cover it with undercoating. Next time you can find it with a screwdriver and pop the hood.
John Brooks
62 Roadster
66 912
84 Cab
getting pushed around in porsches since 1965
62 Roadster
66 912
84 Cab
getting pushed around in porsches since 1965
- Martin Benade
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 12392
- Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 10:52 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Front Hood won't open
A backup cable is nice, but will not help with this type of adjustment problem. Robert, you done good! A clever solution once the suggestions pointed you in the right direction.
Cleveland Ohio
62 Cabriolet
56 VW
02 IS 300
04 Sienna
62 Cabriolet
56 VW
02 IS 300
04 Sienna
- Ron LaDow
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 8100
- Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:45 am
- Location: San Francisco
Re: Front Hood won't open
WHOA!Robert Janusz wrote:For all that offered suggestions on my dilemma "front hood won"t open" I thank you. I solved the problem by fashioning a very flat (1/16th" thick 2"wide and 12" long) hook out of metal, sliding it between the hood and nose (after taping the edges of surrounding area), hooking the post (male part of latch) and gently prying it forward. With seemingly little effort the hood popped open. A big sigh of relief. No paint damage, etc.
We got the 'open the stuck hood' gold metal CHAMP right here!
Spectacular! When someone posts regarding this issue in the future, I hope you chime in. And can you post a photo of the magical tool? Inquiring minds...
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz
www.precisionmatters.biz
- Sebastian Gaeta
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 3060
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:50 pm
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Re: Front Hood won't open
Bob asked me to post this image for him. This is some good old fashioned ingenuity right there, nice work Bob!
I am glad it is here for anyone to see that may have this same issue in the future.
I am glad it is here for anyone to see that may have this same issue in the future.
Sebastian Gaeta
www.arbormotion.com
Registry #8339
'65 C coupe
'64 C cab
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2014 Boxster 981
2005 997 C2 Cab
1967 Karmann Ghia Convertible
1966 VW Single Cab
1966 Ducati Cafe Racer
1964 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1963 Beetle
www.arbormotion.com
Registry #8339
'65 C coupe
'64 C cab
-------
2014 Boxster 981
2005 997 C2 Cab
1967 Karmann Ghia Convertible
1966 VW Single Cab
1966 Ducati Cafe Racer
1964 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1963 Beetle
- Ron LaDow
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 8100
- Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:45 am
- Location: San Francisco
Re: Front Hood won't open
Thanks, Sebastian. Hope one of us remembers this thread nest time it happens.
Really neat!
Really neat!
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz
www.precisionmatters.biz
- Sebastian Gaeta
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 3060
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:50 pm
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Re: Front Hood won't open
The thread title is pretty searchable and the good thing about the younger generation is that they are pre-programmed to search a site for information, not like us old guys who frequently ask the same questions on a regular basis!Ron LaDow wrote:Thanks, Sebastian. Hope one of us remembers this thread nest time it happens.
Really neat!
Sebastian Gaeta
www.arbormotion.com
Registry #8339
'65 C coupe
'64 C cab
-------
2014 Boxster 981
2005 997 C2 Cab
1967 Karmann Ghia Convertible
1966 VW Single Cab
1966 Ducati Cafe Racer
1964 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1963 Beetle
www.arbormotion.com
Registry #8339
'65 C coupe
'64 C cab
-------
2014 Boxster 981
2005 997 C2 Cab
1967 Karmann Ghia Convertible
1966 VW Single Cab
1966 Ducati Cafe Racer
1964 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1963 Beetle
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- 356 Fan
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:37 pm
- Location: Raleigh, NC
Re: Front Hood won't open
After a couple of days and many hours of attempting to snag the stuck hood latch on my '63 T6 I went out and bought a Harbor Freight inspection camera ($75.00). I drilled a half inch hole in the driver side inner fender to provide access to the frunk. I then attached a hook fashioned from an 18" aluminum rod to the endoscope. After a couple of tries I bent the rod in an arc allowing me to maneuver around the spare tire. Within 10 minutes I had the hood open. The relief that came from hearing the hood pop open was well worth the $75. In any case, I figure I will more than make that amount back with what I save in doctor fees by performing self-administered colonoscopies in the future...
Last edited by Thomas Stukel on Wed Aug 15, 2018 1:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tom
'63 356B Coupe
'85 911 Coupe
Raleigh, NC
'63 356B Coupe
'85 911 Coupe
Raleigh, NC
- Phil Planck
- 356 Fan
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- Location: NE Michigan, lower penn.
- Martin Benade
- 356 Fan
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- Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 10:52 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Front Hood won't open
Thomas, I think you are now guilty of a HIPA violation of your own medical records.
Cleveland Ohio
62 Cabriolet
56 VW
02 IS 300
04 Sienna
62 Cabriolet
56 VW
02 IS 300
04 Sienna
- Jon Schmid
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 1801
- Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:32 pm
- Location: La Mirada, CA
Re: Front Hood won't open
Bumping this thread. I got to use my emergency release cable under real circumstances earlier today. Somehow the hood latch release hung up and the main cable wouldn't open the hood. I had to pull my backup cable as far out as it would go before the hood popped open. While probing around checking to see if the main cable broke (it didn't), the latch release suddenly popped and sprang back into place. I sprayed some lubricant on the latch release pivot points and all is now working well. That backup cable sure came in handy. I always close my hood by lowering it carefully onto the latch and then pushing on the hood handle to close it--I do not "drop" the hood closed, so I don't know why this happened unless it was because the assembly just needed some lube.
- Jim Alton
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 1772
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:11 pm
- Location: Los Angeles County
Re: Front Hood won't open
Since the tangential issue of emergency hood releases is already part of this discussion, here are the instructions from the 356A driver's manual:
Some 356Bs and Cs seem to have come from the factory with a pre-installed emergency release, usually (if I recall correctly) a wire/cable with a white & tan striped fabric sheath. I've seen that same cable in a few cars.
I keep meaning to install one in my 356A.
Some 356Bs and Cs seem to have come from the factory with a pre-installed emergency release, usually (if I recall correctly) a wire/cable with a white & tan striped fabric sheath. I've seen that same cable in a few cars.
I keep meaning to install one in my 356A.
Jim Alton
Los Angeles County, CA
1958 Porsche 356A Cabriolet
1965 Porsche 911 Coupé
1966 Volkswagen Type 2
2003 Porsche 986 Boxster
- Jon Schmid
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 1801
- Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:32 pm
- Location: La Mirada, CA
Re: Front Hood won't open
My Roadster never had a factory installed emergency release cable, which is why I installed one. My C has the automatic catch release so I don't need a backup cable.
- Mike Wilson
- Classifieds Monitor
- Posts: 11637
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:37 pm
- Location: SW Los Angeles
Re: Front Hood won't open
The B's came with an emergency release cord that turned yellow with age. It was essentially thin German clothes line with string, not wire, inner core. I had just the end of the original one on my car when I purchased it. I read that the roadsters came with a green cord much like electrical wire. The C cars did not need the emergency release cord because if the cable breaks, the latch automatically opens.
If you Google the topic, Roy Lock (RIP) researched and wrote an article on it.
Mike
If you Google the topic, Roy Lock (RIP) researched and wrote an article on it.
Mike
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe