[30TYBIRD]

Hi,

I have a 73 GA with a new problem. I can't open the hood. The release handle and cable has pulled away from the kick panel. I have tried to hold it in place and pull the handle, but no luck. Does the release handle have a clip to retain it to the kick panel? I am not sure if the cable has broke or what. Is there enough room to get to the latch underneath and release it?
I looked up underneath it on the ground and can just barely see it. Do you have to take the lower valence off to get to it. This is going to be a PITA.
Any advice appreciated. The car is in the storage building till I can get to it next weekend.

Thanks,
Rick

[carguy66cars]

Rick, Here's a picture of the kick panel clip! Have you tried pulling the kick panel? If the cable was broke it would pull out of the liner. Not sure how you can get to the hood latch, I will look at my '75 today and see what it would take. The nose and bumper are off it also so I might be able to give you a idea on if you can reach it?

Lyn.

[Alvin]

This video => http://youtu.be/9BpghhZlVTk will show you how to open your hood without the cable...same procedure used for your GA.

Hope this helps.

[rexs73gto]

The video is pretty close to the way to get our hoods open but not quite the same as the lever he was talking about on our cars is a little bit more easy to get to. You don't have to stick your finger in any hole as the lever is visible when your under the car looking up into the core support. If you look up at where the hood release is mounted you can see the where the cable comes into the hood release. If you then look at the hood latch you will be able to feel up in there so you can work the lever to the right, you have to push the lever to the right towards the passenger side of the car. The hood will then pop up so you can get in . As far as the handle you can try to push the handle assy. back into place & it will then hold just enough to be able to open the hood. . But if it's pulled out enough , at least about 1/2 inch you can grab the casing of the hood release cable with some long needle nose pliers & pull the handle the same way you would if it was still in the kick panel. But if the cable is broken the handle will come all the way out with the rest of the broken cable with it. Hopefully the cable just came loose & it's not broken as the handle assy. is hard to came by as well as the coupler that joins the 2 piece cable together. The cable on our cars are a 2 piece design , & then in 75 they went to a 1 piece design.

[30TYBIRD]

Thanks to all for the information.

I hope this is not going to be as big of a hassle as I thought.

Since it is pulled out of the kick panel and the handle with cable does not pull all the way out. I hope I can pull the kick panel and put the retainer clip back on the panel.

I am currently setting here in the Saudi desert waiting to head home. So can't get to the car in storage. PY is one good way to stay connected to home.

Here is a picture of the car.

[rexs73gto]

If you can't pull the handle out all the way the handle is still attached to the cable so you should be able to hold the cable casing with a long needle nose pliers to hold it & pull on the handle to open the hood. The reason I know this is mine did the same thing about 1 month ago during a show. I got there & out popped the handle. I was lucky I could hold the casing & pull the handle & open it. When i got home I was able to fix it. But I still haven't found any clip that the pic showed in one of the posts. I'll have to look again as it's down now for winter & it's time to fix all the little things from driving it this year. Mine after I pulled the kick panel just popped back in & stayed there with no clip. I heard it snap in place but I didn't see or find any clip. I'll have to look again. By the way the car looks great, any more pics of it. I know your a little ways away right now, but just wondering if you have any more pics. ???

[fiedlerh]

The cable can also break at the connector on the driver's inner fender well. It's worth looking at. If hood release effort becomes to great, it is wise to adjust it before something breaks. Anybody know of a source for hood release cable assemblies?

[rexs73gto]

I have an NOS one ,, the front half with the handle in my tool box. I had 3 of them but down to 1 which I have to keep for me & I have 1 of the little white connectors that hold the 2 cables together. Just for a little FYI, all of the B-body cables are the same as the A-body cables,, at least the 2nd half from the connector to the latch as I've had to use one on a friends car to fix his when it broke. The only way I've know to take the 2 halves apart is to break the outer case to get into the connector as once you pull the cables together inside the outer case that holds the 2 halves together. The connector sits inside the case directly in the middle & I haven't found any way to separate them without breaking them. You can use the one piece cable handle assy. from the 75 -77 A-body cars (all gm a-bodies) they just won't be correct if your car is a numbers matching car, but if you can't open your hood you may have no other choice. I have seen a few on ebay lately but they are in the $ 100.00 + price.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by 30TYBIRD

Thanks to all for the information.

I hope this is not going to be as big of a hassle as I thought.

Since it is pulled out of the kick panel and the handle with cable does not pull all the way out. I hope I can pull the kick panel and put the retainer clip back on the panel.

I am currently setting here in the Saudi desert waiting to head home. So can't get to the car in storage. PY is one good way to stay connected to home.

Here is a picture of the car.

Was looking though my 1973 Grand Am/LeMans/GTO factory assembly manual and wanted to mention that many similarities shown/used/illustrated with the 1973 Gran Prix's (give or take 4" )...as an FYI - FWIW.

[rexs73gto]

The 2nd part of the hood cable is longer on the Grand Prix , vs the A-body, but you can cut the end off & use a cable stop clips like you would use for a bike or a motorcycle if you didn't want the extra length hanging out in the engine compartment.

[fiedlerh]

Thanks for the tips Rex!

[rexs73gto]

I only found out about the hood release cable being the same as the B-body is once before I went on vacation I stopped at the local yard that I use to go to ALL the time. There was a 73 Cat with the hood up. it had a 400 in it & I told the owner who was a friend of mine that I wanted the engine & would pick it up when I got back. But while looking at the engine I noticed the hood cable had the 2 piece cable in it. I stopped & looked real close at it & decided to get it while I was there because I knew it had to have that little joining piece, & knew if I ever broke mine I would need one. But while taking it out the end came off the cable at the latch. I took it any way. When I got it home I took it completely apart & the cable & the inside parts were the same , but what really got my attention was that the length of the cable was the same as the one in my 73 GTO. Plus the pieces inside the cable that holds it together in the center of that black plastic piece is a PITA to get apart without breaking it. But it can be done if you take A LOT of time. I now look at all the cables in all the B-C body cars,(Pontiac). I think the cables for the C-body cars may be a little longer like the ones in the Grand Prix because the C-body cars are 3 inches longer then the B-body cars. I was surprised that the Cat had the same length cable in them. But as I said earlier in this post I don't have the clip in my kick panel But I know I will be looking for one in the cars at the yard I've been going to as they have a lot of the 73-77 A-body & B&C body cars right now. In fact I just got a bunch of plastic parts from them last week, in good shape. Now that I know about the clip I'm going back in the AM to see if the 75 Buick regale has that clip in it , & get it. I think I'm going to get some of the plastic parts from the 4 door they have to just in case anyone will need them too. I'm going to get the lower door panels for sure because there not cut & don't have speaker holes cut in them. These will come from a 77 Chevelle with a 230/250 chevy 6 cylinder in it. Still haven't found one with the rear defroster blower in it yet though.

[73SportCoupe]

Only source I have found for a replacement is here;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/351066401238...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Also, is there a secret to getting the two pieces separated? I have been having a hell of a time getting mine to come apart.

[rexs73gto]

I think Ames lists a 2 piece hood cable but it's in the B-body section, which is the same as our A-body cable. No there is no secret to get them apart. I've never been able to get them apart without breaking the one of the plastic pieces. If your cable is broken or the handle is bad or the ends are off you can just pull the cable all the way through, but otherwise because of the way there made I don't know of any way other then breaking some part of the plastic to get them apart. The little piece inside that joins the 2 cable together is just a little plastic piece that holds the ends of the cable by the end that has a small steel ball at the end of the cable which it fit in a slot at both end & then fits in the long black sleeve & because the way it in there it fits almost in the center of it & won't go to either end enough to fish the end out of the little piece with the slot . Thats why when I find the cables in cars I try to get as much of the cables for parts even if there broken. I know what your thinking, very poor design , & thats why they went to a 1 piece.