1955 Buick Super - hood is stuck...

Hi folks,

I am new to the forum - thanks for any help you can provide.

I have had a 1955 Buick Super for 2 years. It is in pretty good shape and my son and I have had lots of fun with it.

I occasionally try to make improvements, and am usually successful, but I blew it this time. The hood often "pops up" (but is caught by the safety latch), and I wanted to fix this. Someone suggested moving the hood lock "back towards the engine", so I did this. It was good advice, in a way. The hood does not pop up any more. But I cannot open it intentionally either.

I have tried poking a screwdriver in at the "blade" that holds the lock down, with no luck. I've tried poking and pushing and pulling wherever I can reach with a coat hanger, etc. I have tried everything non-destructive I can think of, but somehow the relationship of the lock and latch is now such that I cannot pop the hood. I'm not a total slouch, but I'm not a mechanic, either.

Any ideas on what I might need to take apart to get at the latch and make an adjustment? Take the bumper and grille off? I just have no ideas.

Thanks,

Patrick

If it's like the 56, you can't get the grill off without opening the hood. If it is also like the 56 the catch on the hood is a bolt , of sorts, holding on a spring and a few washers. In the 56 there is a small chance of getting access to this bolt and removing the catch from the hood. I am posting a few pictures of the 56. I leave it to the 55 guys to tell you if this is possible.

Look at the head of this bolt. It is sloted like a large screw. You would need a slotted head for a socket set and a universal joint, or two, to try and reach this bolt/screw from under the car.

What I would try is to get to that bolt/screw from under the car, through that gap beneath the radiator.

The picture below shows why you can't get the grill off without opening the hood.

NOTE, I make this suggestion assuming you already tried pushing the hood towards the engine while releasing the latch and pushing the hood down towards the grill while releasing the latch. I would also try gently prying the hood up with a large screwdriver or pry bar while releasing the latch. I'd be VERY careful to take the last suggestion slow to make sure I did not damage the upper grill bar as that is not made of very strong metal.

Good luck!

Thanks, John. This is helpful advice.

I have tried both of the "pushing" suggestions you made. But as I think more about your answer, I realize I left out a critical piece of information.

When I try to "unlatch", I do in fact get the hood to raise perhaps 3/8". It makes me wonder if I am getting hung up not on the latch mechanism as designed, but on that outer oval "ring" above it. If that makes sense.

If that is a possibility, then I need to look for a way to move the hood a little bit forward and / or side to side to see of that dislodges it (I think).

Failing all that, I need to try to go after the bolt, as you described...

Thanks,

Patrick

You're welcome Patrick. I would think if you moved the latch towards the engine and the hood got stuck, then you moved the latch into this catch. And to undo the catch you would have to move the catch even further in towards the engine so that it replicates the previous latch/catch relationship. Of course the side to side movement may be the key if the latch was inadvertently moved towards one side or the other.

If by "hood lock" you mean the mechanism attached to the hood, what is most likely happening is the latch bolt is so far aft now that it's catching on the rear of the lock plate. Try hooking the latch bolt with something substancial and pull the lock bolt forward hard as you lift the hood. Failing that you may be able to get a flat wrench under the hood lip and remove the bolts holding the lock plate .............Bob

You are totally correct. First thing this morning I put a coat hanger through, pulled hard on the bolt, and it popped right open.

I adjusted the mechanism attached to the hood so it was halfway between its extreme fore and aft positions, and WD40'd the mechanisms. I just went for a 60 mile drive on curvy, bumpy 2-lane roads, and the hood stayed shut. This never would have happened before.

Thank you, everyone, for all the great advice.

Patrick

Glad you got it corrected.

After looking at my 55 and some loose parts, I had solutions involving a Victor 2-stage cutting torch and a borrowed title from the Discovery channel show "dude you're screwed"

Glad it worked out.

Willie