Ok this was sheer dumb luck. Both of my hood release cables have given up the ghost at the same time....at the hood end.
Any ideas how I can open the hood as it would be nice to be able to check the brake fluid and other unimportant stuff like that?

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Oh man, that doesn't sound good.

Here's a similar thread

Have a friend push down on the hood above the latch and try to use vise grips to pull the cable.

If you dont have any cable to grab, ur up s@##t creek. Ive had to take a saw and chop out the back of hood to get it open, needless to say had to put on a new hood.

That latch is well burried in there. I've thought about this problem over time since we've had a bunch of posts on it. Usually just one cable quits. ((THIS IS A GOOD REMINDER TO LUBE YOU HOOD LATCH GUYS!!! SUBTLE HINT!!!))

I'll look at it again tomorow and see if anything looks like it can be done without wrecking the hood. (You'll probably have to wrech the screen under it If what I'm thinking of will work. At least the screen won't show so bad...)

You could always cut a hole in the pass. side wheel well and reach in with your hand. Cheaper to patch a hole in the wheel well that replace the hood.

happened to me one time- i took a really long handled flatblade and a mallet, reached in from the windshield side, and stuck it in the groove, and beat the poo out of it until it gave up. bought a new latch for $2 at the junkyard later.

the cable atachment is held by one bolt just to the left of the latch strike. It may be posible to work a long extension and socket down to it. You might have to damage the plastic trim/screen assembly some to get at it.

The bolt looks to be 10mm. If you work well by feel, a crow foot might reach it with the least damage. The plastic may flex enough to reach the crow foot in with no damage at all. (Crow foot is the head of an open end wrench modified to drive with a ratchet handle.) I'd tape the crowfoot to the extension...

once that bolt is out you should be able to knock the cable head out of the way and jimmy the latch open.

This looks like it would do the least amount of damage to things. It would also allow cable replacement w/o having to adjust the latch.

Ok Thanks guys...armed with all this new information will help me tackle the problem on the weekend.

Will let ya's know how I went.
Shame it isn't east to park another Fiero next to it while attempting the job but they are few and far between in Australia.

Cheers
Jim Davis

Dude...Another fellow Australian! I can't believe you have a Fiero running around down there! Did you convert it to RHD? What do you have and what is it worth around Sydney?

Ozzy

Ozzy, click on his web site. Lots of pics and one for sale. Can you convert that to US dollars for us? $22,900 au to US?

[This message has been edited by RossT (edited 03-01-2001).]

There is rubber foam surrounding the latch. There are two 10mm nuts holding the latch on, one of which is obstructed by the foam in this picture. Its on the left and a bit diagonal. Shred away the foam and unscrew the two nuts? A 10mm wrench straight in to turn 'em off. I say removal of these two bolts makes the latch drop off but I have never done it. maybe someone else here on the forum has removed them and can say for sure.

This second picture which absolutly refuses to upload shows the two 10mm bolts inside the trunk area that hold the lock mechanism in place.

this must be the bolt theogre is talking about down in there and it is 10mm I measured it. The small bolts holding on the plastic surround look like 7mm and no reason to remove 'em.

Here is another view of the 10mm bolt down there and a good shot of the plastic facia near the windshield that theogre says may need to be cut out a bit.

[This message has been edited by SteveJ (edited 03-01-2001).]

Thanks for the pictures Steve..they will be a great help.

Hi Ozzy...yep there is a few Fieros running around. I work with Pontiac spare parts as well as my Web Design Company..so from that database there is about 50 or so Fieros in the country..20 of them in Sydney and only 3 with t-tops.

I didn't convert it but bought it off the original Canadian owner who bought the car over here when she moved. I am the second owner from new. The car is fitted with t-tops
(since new..but not factory option..wasn't available then) and is also fitted with a rare factory KMH Speedo. Conversion was carried out by bodgy brothers conversions QLD as I have pretty much reconverted the car due to shabby workmanship.

Ross $22,900 AUS is $12,070.77 US
But here is a good example of getting a USA car into Aus. Lets say you bought an immaculant 88 GT with t-tops...say $9000 US in Auto Trader. Approximately $16,500 AUS.
Then add on $4500 AUS for transport to AUS and wharf handling fees etc.The car now lands and customs sees it and see you have spent $21,000 all up...they then slug you with import duty on the total ammount and the Gov throws its goods and service s tax in too....add another 30% or $6300 AUS..We now have to send the car to a convertor ..appoximately $5000 AUS for a Fiero. So we have now spent $31,400 and have to pay for rego and insurance...another $1,500 will cover that and your on the road for $32,900 AUS....
OUCH hey

Anyway..enough waffling on.

Cheers
Jim Davis

Aus,

Although you have to pay much for Fiero's... I still think you are the lucky ones. You can get soo many cool Holdens (i.e. Clubsport, R8, GTS, etc.) We get basically the same body without all of the cool ground affects and an anemic v6 for base of $35,OOO USD. Now who is the lucky one?

William T. Thorn, III

God Damn!!!! I've been here ten years and have lost touch with the dollar values. I guess when you consider the exchange rates and relate it back to U.S. dollars though it's not that wacky...around 15k for an "Immaculate" '88 GT with very low miles has been asked here...Of course wether they get that or not is entirely an entirely different matter.

With any luck my company will be building a "Gateway" down there. We are a large global fiber optic network, brand new in the making. I would be very happy making my American Salary living back home and directing our operations there...fingers crossed!

Ozzy

William..Some Holdens are cool...but the ones you just mentioned range from $50,000 to $90,000. I best say they are cool because my family hack is a 1999 Commodore R91 Police Pack. Nothing to flash but does have SS seats, Lowered FE2 suspension, Balanced but not tricked up V6, Beefed up auto gearbox, Independant Rear Suspension, 16" Alloys with low profile tyres, dual airbags and other mods. Is pretty much as it came from the police force with their radio removed. Swapped it for a Subaru Imprezza WRX turbo (nice car ..but man the maintainance costs).

On the subject of getting the hood open. Has anyone suggested unbolting the hinges from the hood up front? This would allow a little "wiggle room". Then with an end wrench remove the 2 10mm nuts to unbolt the latch from the underside of the hood.

The 4 bolts holding the hinges to the hood can be removed by holding the headlight door open.

Archie

ya arch, i thought of that, just didnt look to see if they were accessable. Since the hoods not that expensive one i did i just cut open put a new one on for $50, the car was getting painted anyway.

Ah, his car is in New South Wales Australia. Hoods may not be that common as to sell for $50.
I looked at Archie's bolts near the headlight and getting to them is easy but what does that do for us. The hood can't go lower. We could lift it, a bit, but is that useful.
Incidently, AusFiero, the two bolts are just to the inside of the headlight opening.

quote Originally posted by SteveJ: Ah, his car is in New South Wales Australia. Hoods may not be that common as to sell for $50. I looked at Archie's bolts near the headlight and getting to them is easy but what does that do for us. The hood can't go lower. We could lift it, a bit, but is that useful. Incidently, AusFiero, the two bolts are just to the inside of the headlight opening.

it may be able to lift it up enough to get the latch bolt out with someone else holding it. worth a try. The latch bar itself is U shaped, so you may even be able to lift the hood straight up from the front. (might have to open both doors, so it dont hit them

[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 03-03-2001).]

I see what archie is saying...

Once the hinges are apart you lift the front and, with a really long extension and some contortions, take the 2 bolts out that hold the latch. Probably taka a couple people to do this.

If you wire a stick to the socket end of the extension it should let someone steer it to the bolts easier while peaking from the side. The person turning the wrench probably wont be able to see well.

You'll probably need a universal joint on the extension as well.

Once the latch is undone you take out the bolt holding the cables to the latch and the hole thing will lift right off.

Don't forget to marks where the hinges go... If you skip that you'll have allot more fooling around with adjustment later.

OK I see that way too. That number two picture that didn't come out of the two bolts in the trunk that hold the latch on. Broom handle with universal on the end and a 10mm socket.
I'd still shred that foam and go at the latch nuts first though. Its a straight reach in with a wrench if you have small hands or a long wrench.

For those of us who didn't know about the second cable release check out the second thread on this subject.

[This message has been edited by skitime (edited 03-13-2001).]

everyone knows about the 2nd one, he broke off both........gm didnt figure on that.