inside hood release on 62

[Tom P]

I never got any of the hood latch stuff with my 62 Ranchero so i decided to improvise. Anything built in the last 40 years uses an inside hood release so i went to the wrecking yard. Found an Escape with the front end mostly apart so it was easy to get at. It looked like the cable ought to be long enough and the latch attaches to the rad support, there was no hood with it but it looked like it used the typical squared loop made of round rod.
I modified the 65 Falcon hood latch panel i had to fit the 62, had to shorten the flanges the grille bolts to and a bunch of work compared to having the proper 62 panel.

I welded vertical tabs underneath to bolt the Escape latch and to get it to sit high enough i had to trim part of the latch , it hit the underside of the hood and the side of the latch panel. I made a striker loop out of 3/8" round rod, heated and bent in the vice. Welded to a flat plate that bolts on where the original.... uhhh... male appendage shaped striker attached. Mounted the release cable to the upper side of the cowl, i will have to modify the kick panel so at the top makes that easier to do. I hated drilling a hole through the side to mount the plastic tab for the front of the release handle but some sealer around that should prevent any issue. Also had to drill holes for the cable to pass through the firewall and rad support.

It works, but needs a couple things still. I am not sure how the secondary catch on an Escape works. It's like it's missing a second cable. I will be heading back to the wrecker for that or improvise again with a rod that can be reached through the grille. I also need a spring to push the hood up to clear the latch The one on the ...errr...penis shaped thing... is kind of large so i have a smaller diameter one and will extend a bracket off the striker to hold it

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[Luva65wagon]

This is a good idea. Great execution as well. Would love to see the catch part finished to see how you fit that in.

[Tom P]

I think i made the spring a little too strong and need to redo the raised mount for that so the hood isn't under so much tension. It looks like the Escape probably has a yellow lever that releases the secondary catch and i'm going to do something more discreet. Since getting fingers through a 62 grille is a challenge it with be an L shaped flat lever above the grille. I will put a picture when i do that. I was working on a catch for the hinged rear floor panel. Making that look stock with all the big Phillps head screws still there, some welded from the underside. Two of them act as anchors for the latch.