Hood Restraint for 1957 or 1958 Hood

[57AGIN]

Guys:

Sent my 57 hood restraint mechanism for my 57 out to be chromed, the chrome shop lost the spring for the restraint hook.  Looking to buy an intact spring or a complete restraint mechanism.  Alternatively, does anyone know of a repop source for the darn spring?  My usual source, Steve Pierce in Twentynine Palms, CA, doesn't have any left.  If there is a complete set out there, I could also try to locate a spring manufacturer to look at the spring and cost out how much it would be to do enough to supply all of our needs.

Bob
57 AGIN

[RICH MUISE]

Bob.....define "hood restraint"....not sure if your talking about the latch at the firewall, or the safety catch at the driver's fender...or for that matter, the hinges. Either way, I should have what you need. LOL....I replaced my hinge springs with hydraulics, deleted the latch altogether,and replaced the catch with a n.o.s. I had found.

[57tudor]

Rich,

He is looking for the latch that holds the hood from going completely open after you pull the interior hood release. Its on the drivers side of the hood mid way. I can't believe they lost the spring. 

Rick.

[RICH MUISE]

OK....It's not where I was 100% sure it was, so I'll look some more tomorrow when it's light. I don't remember sending it to anyone, but I'll also check the old "wanteds" just in case.

[RICH MUISE]

Opps...I sent it to Fordnut last year...sorry. Man, my memory is getting bad.
http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=5836.0

just happened to notice Fordnut (a Bob also) lives/lived in Sevierville, Tn. That's right next to Gatlinburg and one of the towns that was hard hit with the huge fires earlier this week. Hope everything is ok with him.

[Wirenut]

I'm pretty sure I have an extra. Send me an address and I'll get it to you.

[57AGIN]

Wirenut:

If you do I will ever be grateful.  I've attached 2 photos of the part in question:  The first photo is of the Hood safety catch assembled before being chromed; The second is after the part was received back from being chromed and disassembled but without the necessary spring.

My address is :
Robert Lee
5012 Howard Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720

Thank you!!!

Bob
57 AGIN

[FORDNUT]

Hey Rich. Sorry I did not post a status, but all is ok at our house. We live in Wears Valley and the fire got to within a 1/2 mile. With a wife, 2 pets, and 3 classic Fords in the garage, I was really worried. No way I could have gotten the cars out, but we sat a mile away and watched the flames until the rains came and allowed us to return home. A lot of people were not so lucky and still need everybodys prayers.

[Ford Blue blood]

That is great news Bob!  I know there are a bunch of street rods and classics in that area.  Always hate to see them go away in fire, flood, or storms but knowing you and the "family" are safe is far more important then the cars!

[RICH MUISE]

Yes, great news. I was following daily some of the guys on the hamb that had to sleep with one eye open for days...ready to evacuate at a moments notice. Pretty scarry to be on top of a mountain with a forest fire and 85 mile per hour winds...and a Tornado to boot!
Glad you saw this post Bob, thanks for letting us know. Glad I ran across your location looking thru my "memory banks", lol. Sometimes if it wasn't for my old posts I 'd of lost years!

[Wirenut]

Robert the one I have has part if the spring broke, it still works but might not be the condition your looking for, let me know if this will work for you

[djfordmanjack]

that darn spring !!!! mine was broken unwittingly and the hood suddenly flung fully open when I was going down Lincoln Ave and hit a bump on my way to Long Beach. I was lucky that the parking area to the curbs was free and little traffic and I was able to stop the car in time and safely. I was just discussing bad '55 and 56 hood latches with Jay, and the 57 seems not to be that much safer...
I bent a spring from mild spring steel to repair the catch.

[57AGIN]

Wirenut:

Thanks for the offer.  I think at this time I'm going to check out the one on Rick Crawford's 57 and try what djfordmanjack did with spring steel.  I appreciate everyone's efforts to help..

Bob
57 AGIN

[djfordmanjack]

Bob, just one up for sale on ebay.
seems as if the spring is there. you should ask the seller if it's still good. quite resonably priced.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1957-1958-1959-FORD-GALAXY-FAIRLANE-SKYLINER-RETRACTABLE-HOOD-SAFTEY-CATCH-LATCH-/332056432229?fits=Year%3A1957%7CMake%3AFord&hash=item4d501b0e65:g:Me4AAOSwux5YSItp&vxp=mtr

[57chero]

57AGIN,

Sent you a PM