I recently viewed an exploded view of the inside hood release option for ford trucks. (see thread: "Parking brake lock").

Has anyone here installed one on a truck that came without that option?
I'm wondering how close it is to being a "bolt-on" part.
Retrofitting doesn't bother me. I was just wondering who's done it and what your experience was like.
Also, part availability.

Thanks.
Rob

 

What ever cable set up you get locking or not, is easy to mod in. The important part is getting the locking/cable released style hood latch that is truck specific I do believe?

The none locking hood latch is different that the key locking one. Get one and it is a simple un bolt and remove and replace set up.

Then you have the fun of getting the hood latch adjusted to pop the first time you pull the cable T handle, without the almost normal needed elbow or palm tap on the hood center or outer edge to get it to pop to the 1st unlocked position.

Remember you will now be in the cab pulling on the cable and a very thin cable too. Do you realize how hard you are going to pull that cable if you have a eng fire or a stuck starter solenoid? And dang if the T handle is locked.

I do not like locking hood options, but some folks live in places where they are needed and that is to bad.

They are fairly rare, but can be found and bought. I have sold one or two myself.

 

Well said and I think I'll heed your advice.
I do live in "one of those places" and I think I'll rig a cable lock that hangs from the hood and locks somewhere below.
That way I can lock it at night and remove it before I start up in the morning.
Paired with a hidden kill switch, I think it's pretty secure.

Thanks again.
Rob

 

A simple cable lock thru the catch latch on the hood is easy enough, and maybe enough to keep then scumbags away from your battery.

Under the dash kill switch or hidden in the ash tray or glove box way easy too.

Taylor 1037, Taylor Battery Cables & Accessories | Taylor

Or just pull the short distributor to coil wire and take it in the house. But put it right next to your keys....lol

 

You can install a hood release cable to the existing latch if you put a screen or some other way of keeping someone from manually reaching in and tripping it - decorative screen or whatever (something not too pricey so if the cable breaks, you won't mind trashing the screen to get to the original latch. Cheaper, too.


Re. the coil wire - that is so common I am told car thieves routinely carry a spare coil-to-distributer wire. Met a fella in El Paso once, though, who had made up an inert dummy wire - stripped the core from a coil wire, so no current would go through, then when he parked the truck for a while he swapped in the dummy. It's one thing to replace an obviously missing wire - it's an entirely different mindset to try and diagnose why an engine will crank and not start while you are stealing it.

 

I installed one on my Crew Cab and it was pretty straight forward.

I got mine off of eBay, IIRC it was around $100 but well worth it. Mine is using a generic interior handle.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1973-1979-FORD-PICKUP-TRUCK-UNDERDASH-REMOTE-HOOD-CABLE-CONVERSION/131433704612?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3D08313082a3cd4da9857fc148b35576c6%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D131260255291&rt=nc
The hardest part for me was that I unfortunately mounted my fuse panel right over the stock firewall pass through location. other than that was basically a bolt-on modification.