Re: [Chrysler300] survey for owners of C, D, E -Hood Latch

["'Ron Waters' ronbo97@xxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]" <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Henry -

It would be great to see some photos of this. Maybe they can be posted on 
the website.

If it's factory, then it would be a new discovery. If it was fabricated 
later, then it might be an excellent solution for those concerned about 
their hood becoming dislodged.

Ron
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "'Henry Schleimer' henry.schleimer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]" 
<Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <kmaniak@xxxxxxx>; <french_fryguy@xxxxxxxxx>; <chesnutt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; 
<bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2016 10:08 AM
Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] survey for owners of C, D, E -Hood Latch


Having read this, it makes sense that the weld nut should be on top.  But if 
you look at the photos from the original link, you would think that the 
turned up edges of the plate clearly seen on Style 2 would end up buckling 
the plate when the 4 screws are tightened.  So I just had a quick look at 
mine (its 11.30 at night here) and found mine is different.  The mounting 
plate is fitted like in the photos but it seems there is an additional 
slightly smaller but thicker reinforcing plate welded to it.  It surrounds 
and is welded to the weld nut so you can’t see the weld nut anymore. 
Additional welds attached the reinforcing to the base plate.  The lock nut 
is on the underside making adjustment easy.



>From memory, I only removed the pin and lock nut when I got the car painted, 
leaving the 4 screws in place as everything lined up.  Maybe this additional 
plate was added during the life of the car because of cracking or maybe it 
was a factory change?  I don’t recall that it looked like anything but 
factory and the hood was original and undamaged.  My car was built 5 April 
1957.  I can take a photo if someone wants to see it.  Anyway, the way it is 
set up looks very secure and unlikely to break, and everything is easy to 
adjust.  It would definitely stop the buckling of the plate as seen in Style 
2 as it is about three times thicker.



Sorry to bore those not interested but it is curious as the factory manual 
and 300 supplement do not show an assembly drawing leaving this bit of the 
car “unknown” unless someone has access to factory files.



Regards



Henry



From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of kmaniak@xxxxxxx [Chrysler300]
Sent: Wednesday, 18 May 2016 4:51 AM
To: french_fryguy@xxxxxxxxx; chesnutt@xxxxxxxxxxxx; bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] survey for owners of C, D, E -Hood Latch





Greetings all:



I have read through this thread of emails and wanted to offer my "two cents" 
about the hood latch failure on the Baltzar's 300C.  I was there at the 
"Inc. Club" meet in Sacramento, California in June 1990 and had a look at 
the hood latch that failed.  This event is one that I will never forget and 
I will now share my observations and opinions with others for the first 
time.



The catch portion of the latch mechanism is mounted to the hood of the car 
and consists of a base plate with welded nut, the threaded and adjustable 
catch, and a lock nut.  The proper assembly of these three pieces is as 
follows:  The lock nut is installed on the catch first.  Then the catch and 
lock nut are thread into the base plate in such a manner that the welded nut 
is on top the base plate, then the catch is screwed into the bottom of the 
base plate.  Once the catch is properly positioned, the lock nut is jammed 
to the bottom of the base plate.  The welded nut on one side (top) of the 
base plate and the jam nut on the other side (bottom) of the base plate, 
provide the structural rigidity to prevent the catch and base from 
separating.  These three pieces were pre assembled together in the factory 
before the assembly was mounted to the hood, allowing for proper 
installation.  The base plate has a uniform bolt pattern that would allow an 
unassembled base to be mounted to the hood with either the welded nut up or 
the welded nut down if the catch is not installed properly into the base 
before the base is bolted to the hood.



Erik had his 300C repainted before the Sacramento meet.  Apparently the 
catch assembly was removed from the hood prior to repaint and disassembled 
while out of the car.  When the catch assembly was reinstalled, the base 
plate was apparently attached to the hood without the catch threaded in and 
was mounted upside down, with the welded nut on the bottom.  Then the catch 
and jam were screwed directly into the welded nut and the jam nut was jammed 
directly to the welded nut.  In this configuration, only the strength of the 
weld between the nut and the base plate kept the catch assembly together. 
It was the failure of the weld between the nut and the base plate that 
caused the hood to fly up at cruising speed.



I didn't say anything to anybody else at the time because I didn't know 
whether is was Erik or someone else who reassembled the catch assembly 
incorrectly and certainly didn't want to embarass anyone in the process.



My message to all you C, D, and E owners is to make sure your catch 
assemblies are assembled correctly, with the welded nut on top and the jam 
nut on the bottom, to be sure that what happened to Erik doesn't happen to 
you.



Chris the K MANIAC







-----Original Message-----
From: John Lazenby french_fryguy@xxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] 
<Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: John L. Chesnutt <chesnutt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; 'Bob Merritt' 
<bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Chrysler300 <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, May 17, 2016 8:02 am
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] survey for owners of C, D, E -Hood Latch



A correction to John Chesnutt's post.  The Baltzar's issue with the hood on 
their 300C convertible was traveling to the 300 Club Inc. meet held in 
Sacramento, CA around 1988 or 1989.  To clarify this further when Eric and 
Belva walked in to the Business Meeting and you could hear a pin drop when 
everyone saw them bandaged up.



The next morning it was discovered that a rear tire on their car had gone 
flat.  When the wheel and tire was taken to a repair shop it was and 
dismounted the rim had split.  This had nothing to do with the hood but just 
ads to the story of their luck.



John Lazenby



  _____

From: "'John L. Chesnutt' chesnutt@xxxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]" 
<Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: 'Bob Merritt' <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, May 14, 2016 8:04 PM
Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] survey for owners of C, D, E -Hood Latch





Hi Bob,
I sent you a picture of the hood latch on our 1957 300C from Arlys’ cell 
phone. Hope you got the picture. Our car is 3N571325. It appears to be style 
1.
If you would like a larger picture, I have one.

According to John Lazenby, the hood lathe on Erik and Belva Balzar’s 300C 
convertible broke on the way to the 300 Club meet in Carson City, Nevada, 
July 1986. I remember seeing Erik and Belva arrive in their 300C with the 
hood in the back seat, a rip in the top and the windshield smashed. Erik’s 
head was bandaged so you could hardly recognize him. I do not know if the 
nut on the top of prong was missing or the bolts gave up. I too often think 
about this when in our 300C.

John

From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
<mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?> ] On Behalf Of 'Bob Merritt' 
bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 11:46 AM
To: Chrysler 300 List
Subject: [Chrysler300] survey for owners of C, D, E


We are working on a safety hood latch for the
C, D, and maybe it also fits the E.

Please give a look at this page
<http://www.chrysler300club.com/rcmstuff/4/1.html 
<http://www.chrysler300club.com/rcmstuff/4/1.html%3e> >; 
http://www.chrysler300club.com/rcmstuff/4/1.html

and let me know what style hood you have.

Thanks


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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Posted by: "Henry Schleimer" <henry.schleimer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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Posted by: "Ron Waters" <ronbo97@xxxxxxxxxxx>
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