1983 US-spec GTS - Front trunk stuck closed: latch appears to be working correctly

I removed my front trunk lid on my 1983 US-Spec 308 GTS QV for the first time a few weeks ago to remove the radiator. I replaced the lid today, carefully checked panel gaps then carefully clicked the lid closed.

Now, the driver’s side will not reopen. The lid is open about ½” and that is just enough to see that the latch appears to have released (as they always have in the past). When I move the lid up and down slightly, I get a very solid “thunk” when I pull it upwards. I suspect that the collision pin (on my USA-spec car) slid into its hole but with no clearance and hooked just enough to not allow the lid to come back up. Of course, I am speculating as I don’t really know what is going on.

Is there a way to get the front lid off with the safely latch engaged? I would really would appreciate some help as to what to do.

I am thinking I might be able to access the lid hinge bolts through the front grille which might allow me to move the lid front or back sufficiently to release the safety catch. I don't know. I do know how fragile that front lid is.

 

Did you try to pull the second hood release? On my 76 308 it’s actually a metal cord that is in the general area as the latch. Did you try shutting the hood and then try reopening it again?

 

The second hood release on the 328 is also a metal cable with a loop (circle) at its end for pulling it. It lays at the left of the steering column, just behind the dashboard; sometimes the loop hangs a bit from the dashboard, so it is easy to see, sometimes it is among the wires, etc, that are behind the Dashboard, so you have to look for it with your fingers.

Rgds

 

I got the front trunk open again. It was as I suspected; the US-spec collision latch was catching slightly.

Below is an imprint of the location of the pin on the hood relative to the keyhole shaped slot it is supposed to fit into (the grey pencil line is the outline of the main diameter of the capture pin). The outside edge of the capture pin seems to have hooked slightly making it impossible to reopen the hood. It seems it has always been dangerously close to hooking and I just misaligned it enough for it to catch. I unknowingly positioned the lid is just slightly rearward from where it originally was.

Next week I'll try to post an explanation as to how I got the front trunk lid off. That'll be after I get a chance to get back working on the car and the trunk back and adjusted. Short version: grille and bumper have to be removed to access hinges at front of trunk.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Good news; you must be relieved to have managed it without bending anything or having to cut into anything, but certainly not an easy way to do it.

Rgds

 

Yes. Much relieved that I got it open again. Much relieved. I have had to do a lot of work I wasn't planning on doing, but it is open again.

This all started because my radiator had a small seep by upper inlet hose and I took it out to get it resoldered (in fact, it was fully disassembled and cleaned so it is now like new). That is why I took the front lid off.

Closing the lid was such an innocent act: I closed it like that a hundred times before. It was a horrible feeling when I realized it was jammed shut.

 

What a PITA...Glad you got it resolved. So did you try the secondary hood release and it did not work or do you not have one ?

 

I tried both hood releases but they didn't fully release the lid.

 

I posted my whole darned war story here:

How to Remove Front Trunk Lid on a US-Spec 308 GTS/B when Latch is Jammed