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I've been doing a dry run assembly of the front end body. Mounted the grill today. Check out the hood latch handle. This can't be right, is it?
your handle has been bent down. I believe there was a service bulletin for the issue of the handle coming in contact with the valance and not allowing the hood to release so the fix was to bend the handle down so it would get more movement to release the hood
It also looks like you might have a long handle release on an early upper valance. Early valance needs a short handle release
Mystery solved. Looked at Mid-fifty's catalog. There are two versions. Long and short handle.
" 1953-4 used the short handle then sometime in 55 the long handle came into play. The short handle will fit 1953-56 but the long handle may hang up on a 53-55 and keep you from opening the truck.
Does not include spring (part number 2018) or mounting hardware (part number 82017-SS)."
Live and learn.
Kevin you were right. When I took the latch out and looked closely it was apparent that it had been bent.
My solution was to carefully bend it back using a lot of clamps & pivot blocks. Then made a hacksaw cut part way through the handle and filed a small "V". Then bent it at the V and welded. It works fine and is in the proper place. Thanks for the help.
The upper grill valance on your truck is a 55-56 and it should have the short arm handle. The long handle will contact the valance, sometimes getting stuck. The proper fix is replacing the latch with a short arm latch
These indents are mid year 55 and 56 only and that’s when a short arm should be used
What's the length difference between them Kevin . My handle sometimes gets stuck but fairly easy to free on my pickup. Now wondering if this might be the cause, my upper grill valance are 55-56 with those indents..
The indents I’m trying to point out are the ones on top. When they have the top indents the side indent is different as well but not really noticeable but the top ones were incorporated to stiffen the front end
I mis spoke, short arm is 53-54 smooth upper valance
long arm is the valance with the 1”x 6” indents on top
sorry for any confusion
so the original poster has a 55-56 valance with the long arm and that is a correct combo
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