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Hood lock location

Douggtcs

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2004
Messages
5
Greetings everyone. My twin brother and I each own California Specials. They are both in the process of restoration. His car is in Germany. Mine is in Florida. My car has not been on the road in over 23 years. My question is: What is the correct hood lock placement?
My hood was missing.
P. Nerwitt's book gives the measuremnt from the side - (5 inches). However, to line up with the retainers on my car, I need to drill the holes at 5-1/2. No measurement is given from the front. My brother's is 7 1/2 inches from the front line. Is it ok to drill at 5-1/2 or should I move the retainers to line up wirh the side measurement prtovided in Newitt's book on page 44?
 

-=MUSTANG=-

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2002
Messages
118
Douggtcs,

Production tolerances can easily explain your 1/2 in difference, even new cars engineered on computers still have a tolerance of 12mm cross car (12mm is about 1/4 inch). You would be very surprised to see how new cars are built and how all these various tolerances stack up when you add them up over the length of the car. When you car was built stamping tools where made off clay mock-ups that were created from engineering drawings, when you think about how much 1/2 inch is compared to entire length or width of the car it might help put the tolerance in perspective. I would just line up the holes to the mounts on the radiator support and be done with it.

As far as your brothers car goes 2 extra inches on either side goes beyond what a manufacturer would allow for a cross car tolerance. If his car was sold new in Germany there may have been some vehicle law in Germany that prevented the hood locks from being installed in their US location. Another explanation is crash damage, and a repair done by someone who didn't really care about the correct location, I'm guessing the latter took place.

Good luck with the restorations.
 
OP
OP
D

Douggtcs

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2004
Messages
5
The 7 1/2 inch stated was from the front of the hood back for correct drilling- ie; 5 inches from the side 7.5 from the front of the hood. Is this measurement correct?

His car was taken to Germany about 15 yeasrs ago. My brother works for NATO. His is all origional lime gold with upper and lower consoles, 4 speed, 302 4b. My car was actually a second car he owned and it was stored in Oklahoma for about 10 years. He got tired of paying storage fees ,so he gave the car to me. The car has been completely disassembled and I am in the process of putting it back together. There is no rust anywhere in my car.
 

PB gtcs

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2003
Messages
161
For what it is worth, we drilled our hood holes this weekend. The old hood is rusted out. We measured very carefully. Center of the hole was 5.125 from the edge and 7.125 from the front. On the inside hole, we elongated it towards the firewall. wanted to make certain it would fit the bottom latches when we set it for good.

Brian
 
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