MGA Forum

Thanks for all the great suggestion, I still have not been successful in releasing the bonnet, tried all the suggestions except removing the grill. I'll keep working on it, before long something will give, she is very tight and stuck down, no movement at all.

Don't we just love our MGA's

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Jim Minor

I had that problem, and I was fortunate to have a long piece of 3/8" round stock in my metal bits. I was able to fish it through the grill in a spot and got it to sit on the release. I had to bump it with a hammer until it moved. This was a two person job. One to hold and tap the rod and one to keep the rod on the release side of the catch. I had some small wood wedges available in case the bonnet started to move to prevent it from settling back. They were not necessary.

I had a problem when assembling my car, the hood stuck down, that was when instant panic set in.
but the car was not painted yet, I had my wife pull the release and I put a body spoon straight up and down in the hood gap and wiggled the hood side to side and it finally released. but that is something you don't want to do if you have nice paint.

ou

I had this problem with one of my cars and a friend told me what he did and it has worked for me every time. Take a small rod about 3/8 or 1/4 inch and weld a 3/8 washer on one end. Then slip this threw the grill and hook the washer around the point of the hood latch that you can see coming down threw the latch. At the same time I would get someone to pull on the hood latch or if I was by my self I would put a bungi cord pulling on the hood latch and attach it to the steering wheel. When you bump that point with the washer it will pop.

George are you wiggling the rod, or tapping it with a hammer. or just bumping it with your hand

While someone or the bungi cord is pulling on the hood release latch from the front seat you hook the hole in the washer around the point of the thing that is attached to the hood and just bump it and the hood will pop up.

I can't help with the problem. However, once you do have it apart you might want to consider how to prevent it happening again. I have modified my grill so that it just requires the 3 bottom bolts to be undone. I have converted the top 3 bolts inside the shroud to simply be locating pins. See here: http://www.mgaroadster.co.uk/Radiator%20Grill%20Quick%20Release.htm

Steve

My MGA recently suffered through the same issue after a detailer who "specializes" in classic cars used a little too much grunt to close the hood. Usual symptoms - hood release cable and linkage was fine, the hood itself sat about a quarter inch lower than normal at the very front, as if something was pinching and keeping it depressed. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread, especially George, as his method worked well. I didn't have another set of hands around, so I just bungee-corded the hood release to the steering wheel.

I have zero welding ability or tools to concoct the washer on a stick described above, so instead I used a contraption that will be familiar to anyone who owns a camper or RV with a manual awning to fish through the grille and unlatch the pin. I figured either the right angle or the loop was going to be helpful, and after about five minutes of fiddling, the hood suddenly popped up.

Thanks again to all who contribute to these threads. This community, plus Barney's site, makes ownership a whole lot more pleasurable for thousands of enthusiasts.

I hope you have had the hood up before now. I sent that reply almost two years ago.

I was pointing out the value of the MGExp archive, George. I wasn't the original poster with the hood problem, mine happened much more recently, but I searched here and found this old thread with your advice. Thanks again.

(I also posted because folks may not have the welding tools around to create a tool that you described, and the manual awning "handle" for an RV served as a good substitute).

Sorry to read about (and see) the damage to your "A" during the trip to the GT. Hope all ends well for your car.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-07-26 11:15 AM by Alaskan MGA.

There's always this:

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'91 Westfield Seven
'60 MGA Roadster - Sold
'53 Harley Panhead FL
'84 Porsche 911 TLC - Sold

Where do you weld the washer to that?......

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"Time flies like an arrow......Fruit flies like a banana"

Had some success with a floor jack, under the king pin on one side of the car. Jack up to JUST clear tire from the ground, 1/2" Wiggle tap shake edge of hood while your OTHER keeps pulling on the release handle.STILL STUCK
?? Try the other side.

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Joe Baba 2021

Doesn't solve the initial problem, but change your grill to the easy lift out version (using pins on the top part)...see Barneys site somewhere on how do do this.

The link to the step-by-step instructions on modifying the grille to permanently make it easy to remove is further up in this thread in the comment from Steve Gyles. It probably deserves a place in the Tips, Tricks, Shortcuts and Cheats thread, too.

Here it is, again: http://www.mgaroadster.co.uk/Radiator%20Grill%20Quick%20Release.htm