Hood won’t latch.

[Challenger RTA]

I was asking about the door gap. Front clip to far back (Tight fender and door gap) you loose some adjustment elsewhere. I know the challenger measurement from back of door to front of fender is 117 3/8". Don't know about a Barracuda. Somebody probably has a fish story about that.

 

[terrywalker]

I may have missed it in your answers but have you bolted the old striker in to see if it latches? Just curious.
Terry W.

 

[JKCuda]

I may have missed it in your answers but have you bolted the old striker in to see if it latches? Just curious.
Terry W.

Yes. The only reason I have a new striker is because the old one wouldn’t latch. I thought it was possibly bent but the new one is identical. Thanks though.

 

[chally71e]

Before I got crazy with a dremel I'd think about letting the hood wear in by opening and shutting it a bunch.

 

[1972 AAR Cuda]

A couple thoughts - does the hood line up without the latch? Does it get to 100%. Verifying you have a latch issue?
You have the old striker - correct? How does the wear marks line up when you had it installed? (Does it now engage Forward of the old wear marks? In the radius area?)
I am also wondering if the car had been damaged (and then fixed) which then threw off the overall alignment of the latch... and last; have you considered modifying the striker bar by bending it to get the latching portion in the correct spot? I was thinking about closing the radius on the front and flattening the portion that engages the latch?
Sorry - one last question - where is the mis-alignment when "closed" using the new pieces (or old?)? My alignment issues where actually in the stoppers (front and plastic alignment guides on the front portion at the fender)

 

[Ronbo73]

@JKCuda
Do you have the old latch assembly? The new one that you have looks to be a bit different than mine, I have a 73. Have you tried to put the spare striker into the latch to see if it will latch all the way? Is the front portion of the latch, where the spring is mounted, to high so that the striker will not go all the way down to allow the latch to fully close?

Also, like Challenger RTA asked about door gap, if your fenders and hood are back, towards the doors and cowl, the striker on the hood will be back which will put it forward in the latch, like you have. That will be a bit of work to adjust the whole front end sheetmetal but that may be the correct fix.

 

[sixpactogo]

It appears to me that if your hood fits well at the rear and sides, your core support is back too far and needs to get tweaked out a little. Was it in a front end collision at one point?

 

[JKCuda]

@JKCuda
Do you have the old latch assembly? The new one that you have looks to be a bit different than mine, I have a 73. Have you tried to put the spare striker into the latch to see if it will latch all the way? Is the front portion of the latch, where the spring is mounted, to high so that the striker will not go all the way down to allow the latch to fully close?

Also, like Challenger RTA asked about door gap, if your fenders and hood are back, towards the doors and cowl, the striker on the hood will be back which will put it forward in the latch, like you have. That will be a bit of work to adjust the whole front end sheetmetal but that may be the correct fix.

View attachment 119914View attachment 119915

I think I have the old latch assembly but I’ll have to look. I don’t think the latch is too high, the part that snaps over is hitting the radius but I can try lowering it to see if that gives it a little more room. Good idea.

Moving the hood and fenders forward could help, I will look into that this week.

Appreciate all of your input, truly. Haven’t gotten out to the car for a bit due to wife’s health but the weather is turning here and she’s itching to get in it so hopefully I can wrap some of this up this week.