How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Circling back to the purpose/intent of the thread and given the information in post # 15, have we come any closer to being able to differentiate between an original vs a repro?

Not really.

You may have to actually purchase a reproduction and see how it compares.

Or he could call Paragon and ask for a closeup photo of their "diamond" and compare it to his.

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Rich,
This is a horrible close-up of Ed's picture...reversed (and, my tracing abilities are negligible). What do you think? And, we all need to get a life...spending this much time on a rivet

Leif good work. But if it's a reverse image in your photo, it means either Ed's photo got reversed and you corrected it, or his actual stamp got reversed. I'm unsure.

[Bernie B.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Here's a picture of my latch after I cleaned the grime away. I'm always curious about post's like this. My car is a '64 and was built in early Oct. '63. I bought it from the original owner and its unrestored. Sorry I can't get it any clearer. Also this is the first time I'm posting a picture. Hood Latch Marks 2.jpg

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Rich,
This is a horrible close-up of Ed's picture...reversed (and, my tracing abilities are negligible). What do you think? And, we all need to get a life...spending this much time on a rivet

Leif, Back to the infamous rivet on Ed's '64....

I reread his post #22

He said his is stamped "19". .....
"91 vs 19..... that I did not notice but you are correct (again). How did they do that? My wild guess is that my hood latch was manufactured on a Monday morning."

Bernie just posted a photo of his early '64. His rivet is "91". More confusion.
(Bernie I rotated your photo)
Hood Latch Marks 2.jpg

Rich

[Leif A.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Leif, Back to the infamous rivet on Ed's '64....

I reread his post #22

He said his is stamped "19". .....
"91 vs 19..... that I did not notice but you are correct (again). How did they do that? My wild guess is that my hood latch was manufactured on a Monday morning."

Bernie just posted a photo of his early '64. His rivet is "91". More confusion.
(Bernie I rotated your photo)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]114053[/ATTACH]

Rich

Rich,
Look, again, at the picture in your post that you corrected for Bernie. Notice on the left side of the latch mechanism the body is cut at about a 45* angle. Now, go back to Ed's picture in your post #24...the 45* angle is on the right side of the latch...a reverse/mirror image of what it actually looks like. Me thinks Ed's latch has a 91 stamped into it not a 19. Ed, if you're still watching could you clear this up for us?
EDIT:
I reversed Ed's original picture so you could see what I'm talking about.

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Leif, I see what you mean. It's like his lever is inside the frame, not outside.

Ed, please take a photo from both left and right sides of the entire latch.

Rich

[Brian E.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Here's another photo if it helps.
diamond magnified.jpg

[Gary B.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Leif, I see what you mean. It's like his lever is inside the frame, not outside.

Ed, please take a photo from both left and right sides of the entire latch.

Rich

[Ed S.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Will do. Pics coming shortly.

[Ed S.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

I purchased two rubber bumpers from LIC before they sold out to ZIP. My bumpers have no MFRG logos on them of any kind, just a small recessed circle on the top - they look identical to the dry rotted originals that I removed (as they crumbled in my hand). I suspect that ZIP now offers the same item.

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Rich,

if you do a left-right mirror image of Ed’s photo in posting #12, it then looks correct.

Gary

I just did that. I wonder if Ed's camera played a trick on him, or the Exif data of the image got corrupted somehow. But unsure if that's a feature or not. Or....

Maybe the latch took a selfie in the mirror! After all, it IS a female hood latch....

Will do. Pics coming shortly.

Thanks Ed. Oh, just noticed your just posted reply may be a hiccup. Wrong thread? Or maybe just more info for us?

Rich
PS Thanks for the extra photo Brian. You took it off?

[Ed S.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

More pics of my left hood latch assembly. But first, an potentially embarrassing explanation of the "19"..... as I think about that pic where the # appears to be a 19 vice a 91, actually...... I think I took that picture using a large mirror that I held behind the latch arm.... that was one of the few pics I took before I removed the clamp for better pics. If this has caused anyone to lose sleep, I am sorry. That said, I am attaching a bunch of pics of my left latch - which I removed again - to ensure good quality close ups. Notice that the 91 stamp is no both rivets that are used in the assembly.

[Leif A.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Thanks Ed...I'll now be able to sleep tonight

[Brian E.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Thanks for the extra photo Brian. You took it off?

Yep, for the past couple of years I've been completely restoring my car's chassis and suspension, and now that I'm finishing that up the work seems to have enveloped a little bit of the engine bay.

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Thanks Ed...I'll now be able to sleep tonight

Me too Thanks Ed....
So, it was a mirrored selfie after all ! lol