Hood/Bonnet latches and handles

[BERNIE]

Base 34.40 m/m (original cox car )

---- 36.28 Kirkham car

[Dan Case]

Rereading the original post, like many subjects Cobra, there is not "a single" answer.

The first Cobras used a flip up little chrome plated cover (Triumph something I believe) and a separate tool to put through the hole exposed when the cover was raised to work the latch mechanism below. I never heard of anyone enjoying using them. Once several decades ago I watched a very 'excited' Cobra owner fumble around the cockpit looking through the glove box and door pockets looking for his latch tool while electrical smoke was escaping from the closed engine bay. Fortunately he found the "key", got the bonnet up, and disconnected the battery before any damage that couldn't be repaired on the spot before day's end was done.



Shelby race cars got custom fabricated "tear drop" handles permanently mounted. The first ones were just painted black as I understand it. Soon they were upgraded to chrome plating and came into use on street cars also.



The common Wilmot Breeden handles people associate with Cobras replaced the hand fabricated Shelby pieces and were used from then on. I haven't seen any in a long time but there was another British application that used keyed lock cylinders in the handles and in the 1970s and early 1980s I would occasionally see one or both handles on a Cobra/427 Cobra owner upgraded to the locking handles. Photos of the original hardware samples from a CSX24XX car damaged badly decades ago.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by Dan Case

Photos of the original hardware samples from a CSX24XX car damaged badly decades ago.

Dan - the limits of your resources for pictures and information never ceases to amaze me!
Cheers, and HNY!
Glen

[rsk289]

Yes, Dan's resources know no limits! Great. Sheet metal screws into the aluminium? Cheaper, I suppose.

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by rsk289

Yes, Dan's resources know no limits! Great. Sheet metal screws into the aluminium? Cheaper, I suppose.

More than a few restored Cobras /427 Cobras had at one time or another glued in screws because the holes were stripped and no one thought to weld up the enlarged holes and start over while the bonnet was without paint.

Worse than that, when the last owner had my red car car repainted before he sold it the holes were enlarged and blind rivets used to fix the escutcheons in place. Why they didn't weld up the holes and start over is beyond me.

[rsk289]

I have used stainless steel 4BA raised countersunk slotted screws with a fibre washer, ss washer and a nyloc on the underside. Couldn't bring myself to chew up the ally.
I've used these for the washer jet assemblies too.

[Riverside racer]

If anyone wants the flip up type, they are the same as Triumph used on the spare wheel cover on the tr2/3
My preference, but Dans example raised a hair or two on my neck.

[289ACE]

Originally Posted by Riverside racer

If anyone wants the flip up type, they are the same as Triumph used on the spare wheel cover on the tr2/3
My preference, but Dans example raised a hair or two on my neck.

For anyone who want to use the budget lock (ie the flip up style cover), the latch tool Dan mentions is available at Moss and is shown as item 60 (lower right) in the attached link. The budget lock (Item 59 in the link) and latch tool were also used for Jaguar XK fender skirts.

MossMotors.com - Restoration Parts And Accessories For British Cars

Jay

[ACademic]

Thank you, Dan! Nicely done.

[snakebittexan]

Check these out for an alternative.

Home

[Dan Case]

Originally Posted by Riverside racer

If anyone wants the flip up type, they are the same as Triumph used on the spare wheel cover on the tr2/3
My preference, but Dans example raised a hair or two on my neck.

I failed to mention that for the next couple of days the owner was seen wearing the "key" on a string or wire hanging from his neck. Wasn't very fashionable 'jewelery'.

[BAsque1]

Originally Posted by KevinW

cant help you with other applications,
but i got mine (the type you want with a circular base) from Hawk cars:

Hawk Cars - Competition Series Pricing

- they will ship international.

Cobra Restorers might stock them, but i havent checked.

Hi Kevin:
I am interested to get these types of hood latches, but I am not sure if they will fit the body of my car. I have a West Coast Cobra (fiberglass) and I am considering the installation of hood larches. How do these latches attach to close at the end of the post? I looked at the brochure form Hawk Cars and the closest parts I see re these:
Bonnet Stay Plated. In original style £57.00
Bonnet and Boot Handle Set set £149.00
With latches, catch plates, Glove Box Lock etc.

Which one of these is the one?
Sorry for the ignorance but I would like to get the ones that will fit my car.
Sincerely
Basque 1 (Lou)
PS
Send me a PM if it is more convenient so I can send you my email please

[rsk289]

I would phone Gerry and talk to him. The bonnet latches in his brochure are (IIRC) the locking type, designed for his fibreglass kit. If you want the original non-locking type, he can supply but I don't think they're in his brochure. When I built a fibreglass Hawk I did fit the correct type (looks like a door handle, not the earlier 'flat teardrop' shape) with no locks, but it took a bit of invention as they're not designed for thick fibreglass.

[Rick Parker]

I failed to mention that for the next couple of days the owner was seen wearing the "key" on a string or wire hanging from his neck. Wasn't very fashionable 'jewelery'.
Like

"I would beg to differ"

[KevinW]

As 289 from Cambridge says, your best bet is to give Gerry a call. The circular base items are non-locking btw.

Gerry is not the most forthcoming of guys sometimes, but thats just how he is - i am sure he can give you a price - i asked for these as a christmas present and my (highly non-technical) Dad phoned Gerry and sorted out delivery.

Mine are fitted to a grp bonnet/hood as follow:

Major hole drilled for the shaft which goes through the top surface of the hood/bonnet. The shaft of the handle then exits the underside of the bonnet through the lower surface of the re-enforcing rib of the grp moulding - this is like a large ridge about an inch or 2 inside the outer perimeter of the underside of the hood on my car, in a similar way to the re-enforcing steel tube on an ali hood - i assume your car has something similar underneath?

on the top surface, two holes are drilled either side of the shaft hole for securing the circular escutcheon plate. screws then thread through this hole and into corresponding captive rivnuts underneath, held in place on the lower surface of the rib ridge.

A cam is added to the shaft to secure it onto an L-shaped bracket on the car - this bit is non-authentic, as the hook on a budget lock would perform this task on an ali-based original car.

Hope thats useful.

Kevin

[tnewland]

By the way, original Cobras NEVER used Phillips style screw heads!

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by tnewland

By the way, original Cobras NEVER used Phillips style screw heads!

Never say never The chrome ring on the shifter used 4 Phillips head screws, if it had the radio option add 4 Phillips heads to hold the mounting bracket, if it had windwing option add 8 Phillips heads. All these items were added in the USA rather than the UK.

[ACademic]

Originally Posted by A-Snake

Never say never The chrome ring on the shifter used 4 Phillips head screws, if it had the radio option add 4 Phillips heads to hold the mounting bracket, if it had windwing option add 8 Phillips heads. All these items were added in the USA rather than the UK.

Just to be clear, Phillips heads to mount the wind wing bracket to the wind screen frame, correct? I thought the wind wings themselves were then mounted to the brackets with Fillister heads and acorn nuts? At least on the continuation CSX cars and some older originals that's what I see. Might need a new thread just to discuss proper hardware.

[Rick Parker]

This brings up aniother topic:
Source for flat blade oval head and phillister head flat blade screws. Opens stock so you do not have to buy a box of them??

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by ACademic

Just to be clear, Phillips heads to mount the wind wing bracket to the wind screen frame, correct? I thought the wind wings themselves were then mounted to the brackets with Fillister heads and acorn nuts? At least on the continuation CSX cars and some older originals that's what I see. Might need a new thread just to discuss proper hardware.

I think you have it reversed.
The Phillips heads (countersunk) are used to mount the windwings to the bracket w/acorn nuts.
The brackets are mounted to the wind screen frame with a Fillister head screw.