Hot Rods 32 trunk lid will not stay latched

Have a 5 window. It’s built from several cars. Most all the handles a such are real. So I added a real trunk handle and latch. Cannot keep from working open. Other latch was repop and I hacked on it till it finally worked. Don’t want to hack this real one. Ideas?
Thanks

 

Original mounting opening for the latch? Original mounting holes for the catch? Maybe your pieces are not aligned so the latch isn’t fully closing. Maybe scoot the bottom catch over one way or the other.

 

I’ll try a hammer

 

Does your latch housing have that piece of spring steel that the latch bar has to compress as it passes
over it to get to the closed position ? Maybe that piece is weak and flattened out or missing.

 

Trying to understand your latch issue.The 5W coupe latch has a swing out hook that when the handle is turned it grabs the bar that is attached to the body or a slot in the piece for a rumble seat car. It is not a spring loaded striker. Post a pic .

 

UPAC 32-5 window body which supposedly replicates the Henry Ford stuff. Bob Drake latch and striker plate. The striker plate needed to be "tickled" and have a 1/4" packer under its mounting area for the whole assembly to work correctly. I know, repro body and repro parts but we never got 32-5 windows here in Australia.