Car bonnets that try to kill you

Hungry Willys !!

 

Back in the early 80's, I was doing some motor work on the 327 in my 56. I had an undercoated hood on it at that time, so the springs were barely doing their job. I had a broom handle supporting it while I did the work. I busted a knuckle and jerked my arm out of the engine bay. In doing so, my elbow knocked the broom handle out of the way and the hood came down on my head. Through the impressive field of stars, I could see my buddies laughing.

 

My bonnet opens properly and stays open, but am sick to death of bashing my head on the latch which I always manage to do.

 

Guys, these injuries you are all receiving are filling my heart with gladness. For a while there I thought I was gonna have to rename the car to Christine or something like that. Yeah, I've done the chin lifting it up on more than one occasion and smashed the temple twice on the leading edge. Steel seems to be so much harder back in the day. The old rake handle might be the trick. Tho, with my luck, it will slip, impale me and in the eye and then the bonnet (hey, okay it's a hood) takes the top of your head off.
Hey, just a thought...are they making carbon fibre hoods for these things yet? LOL!

 

Exactly! Had the same problem. If you raised one side too high, one of the two latches on the other side would pop out and the hood would be dangling there with just one catch holding it. Had my brother over one day and was showing him. He was standing opposite and I told him to get outta there because if it went I wasn't gonna stop it.

 

i use a broken hockey stick. the taped end is nice and cushy.

 

My '61 Pontiac has a big beak that hangs down from the center of the hood. It can take a big bite out of your scalp, I learned many years ago to not stand up under it.

 

I only had probs with hoods that were missing a spring,but I also owned a lot of stationwagons, 18 of them over the years,mostly Ford,but one Chevy and that's the one that that tailgate tryed to eat me every time. I think it know I like Fords better

 

its not that car hoods hate you. they just don't understand you. lol my hood unlatched going into town today. thankfully not all the way. got it home and adjusted the latch real quick. you gotta watch the hood doesn't close if you got your head under there as it choses when it wants to close. 57 Lincoln premiere

 

Those old '40s and early '50s hoods have such beautiful curvature at the front...but it puts the front corners in the pefect place ta give ya a nice gash in the head!

 

They make those for anything you want them for. They just need an original item to copy and a chunk of money. Still cheaper than a new head I think.

 

Wind caught the hood of a 54 Chevy damn near broke my back I was trying to figure out how all that oil got into the air filter funny now but it wasn't then.That was almost 50 years ago and it maybe why I had surgery on my back last year and fixing to have another one