same old bonnet catch. Upon reinstall I get this:
“Missed it by thisssss much…” Tried bending the bulkhead catch but it didn’t get any better.
Any suggestions?
I got something similar on my Series 2. I added a couple of washers between the forward edge of the catch on the bonnet and the bonnet panel which tilted the catch enough to engage as the bonnet was closed. Not exactly factory, but functional…
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Bend it so that the portion the red arrow is pointing too is more horizontal which will extend the piece contacting the latch toward the front of the car. To get the bonnet to close more smoothly you may also have the alter the angle of the bend at the yellow arrow. I had to do that to mine after I had the cr painted and was realigning everything and it doesn’t take much.
A second thought: I can’t recall; are the four mounting holes in the latch piece that attaches to the bonnet slottd to allow for fore and aft adjustment? I so is that part as far aft as it can go?
It’s possible for the top of the spring latch to catch under the weatherstrip. This will make it next to impossible to undo the latch. Ask me how I know. So when making adjustments, it’s wise to tie some twine around the latch and drape it down under the car, so that you can undo it from below if this happens
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yes and yes
I’ve never had a latch at all. The catch is there but The bonnet piece was never with the car. Since the bonnet ain’t flying open when driving I just never ordered a replacement.
Not such a bad Idea considering how long I have been d****** around with this.
Any way I tried the shims…not enough. So I bent the bulkhead catch…this time more successfully. Seems to be working however…I will check again tomorrow to make sure the car hasn’t changed her mind and decided not to work again…which has been known to happen.
And wow is it something to lift that bonnet a couple of times without the hood springs attached.
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I’d comment but don’t want to appear sexist. 
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I’d use washers instead of bending the hook. You can either shim the two leading bolts for the hook, or you could shim the whole latch forward or some combination of the two things.
Hello Larry,
It can actually. The aerodynamics are such that at speed, the bonnet will lift and then slam down when it cops the brunt of the air stream. This sequence can repeat until the car slows sufficiently.
Regards,
Bill
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Bill,
Attached are pictures of the bonnet safety catch in our 1969 E-Type FHC. I hope they will help you figure out what is wrong.
I have owned this car for over 20 years and I believe that I removed and replaced the original bonnet safety catch shortly after I got the car because the original component was bent. The bonnet safety catch has always worked properly for me.
Paul
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And if you forget to latch the main latches on each side, move the car and step on the brakes the only thing that prevents the bonnet from flying fully open, and possibly further, is that safety catch. Not that I’ve ever had that happen, mind you.
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Before I got my safety latch sorted, I had the same issue with my XJS if I forgot to pull the bonnet down.
And she seems to be accepting the modification. I think I a m good. Anyone see anything wrong with this alignment? thanks.
A few years ago a friend that had just bought an E could not get the bonnet to lift because of the latch being in a bind. I was able to slip a thin but wide blade putty knife between the weather strip and rear bonnet grill piece to push on the top flat portion of the latch to get it open.
David
68 E-type FHC
In this orientation can the hook fold back far enough to slip into the catch, and can you comfortably release it again? When it’s 160 degrees inside there, and you need to open the bonnet, you don’t want to be trying to force the hook to release.
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seems to slip in with a satisfying click and I am able to reach in with my fingers and release it. It’s not easy to lift the hood without the counter balance springs but the catch does not seem to be a problem. Unless she changes her mind and decides to be difficult in the future
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