1959 hood latch repair

[Nick K.]

My '59 hood latch's just won't hold the hood down. Common problem for '58 and '59 I've heard and read. It appears that the female latches may be reproductions as they look too good to be originals. The male latch pins look original and have the grooves. There just doesn't appear to be enough friction created for the latches to hold. I had thought about taking a die grinder to the I.D. of the female latches in an attempt to sharpen the inside edges of the hole so that they will grab the pins better. Anyone been able to fix these to work properly? Thanks in advance for any input.

[Pat H.]

Re: 1959 hood latch repair

I had the same problem with my 59, the latches wouldn't hold. In my despration I ordered a set from Paragon, but never installed them as I found a decent set at Carlisle. I think the Paragon ones should work as the metal on the latches seems to wear down from opening and closing. Another option is to install a 60 latch which has a much more positive hold.

[Bill M.]

Re: 1959 hood latch repair

Here's the list of issues my father had on his brand new '59. This list went to the dealer in June 1959. The hood still never held. I took it to the dealer in 1964 to try again. Nope. Hope you do better....

[Nick K.]

Re: 1959 hood latch repair

Thanks Pat and Bill. A fellow Chapter member recommended to replace the female latch plate with a Paragon replacement ($19.00 each) That plate that the male latch pin goes into seems to experience most of the wear. I tried to sharpen the inner edge of the plate with a die grinder, and it did help a little, but the hole was already worn and became too big. I am hopeful that this will correct the problem. If not I'll go with the '60 latch design and take the point deduction.

[Richard M.]

Re: 1959 hood latch repair

Nick,

There is some adjustment in the hood male assembly plate. If you loosen the 3 bolts on the plate, you should be able to get the male pin closer to the latch plate. It may take several attempts to get it tighter.

[Steven B.]

Re: 1959 hood latch repair

Nick,

There is some adjustment in the hood male assembly plate. If you loosen the 3 bolts on the plate, you should be able to get the male pin closer to the latch plate. It may take several attempts to get it tighter.

Nick, I would try Rich's suggestion. My '57, and many of the pre-'63's, have the same problem. In my case I adjusted the hood at the hinge location a very small amount and that changed the angle of the male. It worked.

Good luck,

Steve