My '71 GTO did not love me back yesterday.
 

I had made an appointment for today to have the body shop repair my radiator core support. I bought new bushings and the reinforcement plates to do this and planned on getting done last year but the shop took forever and I ran out of time and had to get car in storage for the winter or forfeit my spot. The nose of the car settled some last year, I noticed my door gaps getting tighter at the bottom and got in as soon as possible. I decided also to have the underside of the hood media blasted and painted while it was there. I had installed an insulation pad to hide the mess from the prior owner (undercoat over rust) and thought a clean start would be good.

I always check the hood, grabbing both scoops and giving a heave to make sure it is closed and lock engaged. I had been driving it around with no issues other than it was taking 2 men and a boy to open the hood since the core support dropped some. I had opened the hood since last drive but I think you can guess where this is going ... carnage.

Hard 1-2 shift, top of 2nd and the hood springs up like a jack-in-the-box. I laid on the binders in hopes of inertia throwing the hood down, but no such luck. I heard both hinges snap and I'm looking through the little viewport GM provided me under the open hood.

Hood is buckled on both sides at the hinges, both back corners peeled up like a ski-slope and a huge oil can in the middle of the hood. No fender, cowl or windshield damage other than 2 small paint chips. Body shop says no bueno on repairing the hood, so I have to look for a replacement. No steel replacements available and body shop says VFN (8-10 weeks lead time) or Glasstec only as a last resort, better off with a used hood. I see a couple in the classifieds and am chasing a couple others through the body shop's suppliers.

All that I can offer is this - at least it didn't happen a week after having the underside fixed.

And you'll need hinges too.

Those are some big a$$ pics right there...so, really can't see them.
Sorry for your trouble though.

I blame myself for not getting it fixed sooner. Fortunately, I know I checked the hood to be sure it was matched securely when I closed it last. I am almost OCD with yanking on the scoops to check and wiping the fingerprints off after. Otherwise I would be sick over this.

You may want to look at the hood latch too. You have Haggerty Ins? You should be covered.

That really blows- sorry to hear that

Good point, Steve. Those ratcheting latches can be finicky.

Neighbors Complaint,
Sorry to see that damage. Very hard to find even used hood/ fenders.
I replaced the radiator core support last winter due to rust out below battery tray side. THAT was a huge issue because there are no 71 radiator core supports available. Spot weld removed the top and transplanted onto a 72 new support.

Finally forget to put the hood pins back in and had the ' glass hood come up and fold back.
No other damages.
Was glad it happened because the hood needed upgrades to steel.
PY steel hood in NICE.

Glass half full....
 

You kept control of the car and didn't wrap it around a tree, no one got hurt, you have a great story and a cool paced of garage art to go with that story:cool:

At 70 mph that would have been so bad. I see good in this, if that makes sense. Little consolation, but you could be looking for a car, not a hood. Go steel.

Hoods are repoped now? I didnt see one in my catalog

Every year except 1971 and 1972.

Sorry to hear about the damage. Your photos are so large I
couldn't find the damage in them.

Even if you had the hood closed and latched, the safety "ear"
on the latch should have stopped it from coming open all the
way and causing damage. Normally you have to reach in with
your fingers and pop the latch to get it all the way open. Tho
I'm not familiar with the hood latch on a 71. Tho in the catalog
I do see that safety "ear" on the 71 latch assembly. Maybe the
release rod is broken and the hood didn't latch. Check it out.

I've had the hood pop open on my 66 going down the road at
55 and it didn't fly back. That safety "ear" on it kept it down.
And I've seen guys going down the road with the hood open a
bit to get more air in the engine compartment to cool it down.

No safety latch release so to speak. You pull the lever and the hood pops open. You push it down slightly and it is free to lift. The motion of the front end bouncing up and down on shifting must have released it against the so-called safety.

Here's some smaller pics:

https://imageshack.com/a/img924/5462/tE4Vkj.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img922/8707/4F6mlz.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img923/3045/BdsxnZ.jpg https://imageshack.com/a/img924/2150/LG7SlF.jpg
https://imageshack.com/a/img924/8227/dy5Car.jpg

I thought every hood latch had a double catch? is yours working OK?

This is the second used one I purchased. It has no safety. Single pull of the lever opens the hood.

Looks similar to the 1968 but does not interchange. No reproductions available either so you are stuck with used.

https://imageshack.com/a/img922/1485/Bu9DHU.png

Ouch...I can see the pics now. I'd rather go used if the repops don't have the safety latch. I've been a passenger in a car going down the hwy with a guy when the hood popped up.... Scary stuff!

Check with Rick Grisham, Madison,Il. on Facebook, has a hood.

Thanks for the lead, Bill. I’ll get in touch with him. I’m not a Facebook user but desperate times call for desperate measures!