Robert M posted:IaM-Ray posted:Here is the new part which is available and I am considering getting, I think Lane has one.
It seems so simple that anyone can make it. Can We?
Essentially, you see the top two holes on any latch and they made a metal rising bar that lifts up on the PIN. with the spring attached. Simple and Neet concept. Mike's as well is simple to do but this seems like it belongs
Sorry Mike.
@aircooled this one you can make and sell
From where on the internet did you get this photo? Was it a generic photo search, word search, parts catalog, etc?
Robert just a note that Midwest might be your source above link for fiat. For those who might have a slightly different latch this guy says that their are 100's of different latch types made by Italian companies, some have very small nuance differences, latch position, directionally left or right etc. and he will send me info on what he has if your trying to retrofit something special.
here is an ebay one. but I would like to have the measurements and more picts. @Michael McKelvey
we have them with and without the helper spring/bar
@chines1, it the one with the helper like the one in Ray's picture?
When I contacted you some time ago about what was fitted to Tom Blankenship's car I got the impression it was somewhat different.
What is the price for the one with the helper?
Thanks.
yes it is the one with the helper, we have both. I'll have to double check the latches but I seem to remember the ones with the helper pull the opposite direction vs stock, and due to the helper can't be flipped around. Shoot me an e-mail and I'll take a look.
I also seem to remember that the one you have with the helper pulls from the other side according to what you previously told me. That's why I asked if it is the same as the one in Ray's photo.
If it pulls from the other side it is not the same.
@Michael McKelvey Well I got my new latch and installed it from my builder. Works like a charm. FYI, I had to reuse the spring from my old one on the cable side, as which ever car it came from it has a really strong spring which makes pulling the remote cable near impossible to open the latch.
Hence I put on the old spring
which is not as strong and it opens like a charm and pops the lid up just a bit. I think Carey has these too for you guys south of the 49th.
Here is is installed and a pict of how it opens with a good fingers worth open so it does not reclose when the cable is hot.
Honestly now that I have it in my hands the old latch could have easily been modified by simply creating the small plate shown and adding a spring. Look at the first pict you can see the V plate and the RIVET that is missing from the original latch.
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I think the ones Cary has pull from the other side.
I bought a used, but new condition Fiat 124 front hood latch on eBay last fall for around $35. Like Ray, I put a weaker spring on it. So far it's been perfect as a deck lid latch replacement.
Mike
Mike way to go ... the latch is Italian and I saw it on the fiat 124 site as well
All these companies source out to the same producers.
Hey the new latch is working like a charm ! Using the old spring from the original .... you pull it and the lid sits proud of the body for easy opening
Closes really well too
I ordered a Fiat 124 hood latch from Midwest Bayless. Their various hood latches and trunk latches are very similar but some pull from the left and some pull from the right.
I looked again at one on eBay and saw that it is in Egypt.
If you call Midwest they are very helpful... just saying
your old spring will work with the new unit to reduce the amount of force you need to open.
What I like to is when you close it it is an easy press down and it latches nicely.
Good luck with it
I ordered a Fiat latch similar to what Ray has installed. If it works I will make a gift of my bracket and spring to someone.
That's the spirit Michael
This all is getting more complicated than I expected.
I received the Fiat latch. It is a used latch that has been cleaned up and replated in yellow zinc. Unfortunately, the plating flakes off. I also got a latch cover.
My pull wire has a crimped on loop on the end I didn't want to undo so I rendered my old latch unusable getting it off.
The hole for the wire connection doesn't align with the wire tube in my car so I decided I would drill and tap a hole above it and put in a #6 machine screw to attach the loop in my wire. It took multiple drill bits including 2 cobalt to make the hole and when tapping the hole the tap broke off.
So, I used a piece of safety wire to tie the pull wire to the latch hole and slot.
The moment had come to try it. That is when I discovered that the post slot in the latch is more narrow than the slot in my old latch and the post on my deck lid is too big.
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Michael, I use a 5/16" bolt as the decklid post. Once I tightened the bolt I used an angle grinder to make the contact areas of the post narrow enough to fit the slot in the latch.
Mike
I didn't think of grinding on the post. I was thinking of making the slot wider. It doesn't need much.
You can always replace. The bolt