78 hood latch/safety latch help

[broflow]

So I'm sick of searching with Google and not having any luck. I figured someone would know this off the top of their head. I feel like I should know this, I've owned and worked on these trucks for 30 years now but I can remember everything.
Anyways I have what I'll call a 78 with the hood latch lever inside cab. Problem is that when you pull it it will pop but there's no safety latch to trip under hood. Is it just missing? And if so where does it go, on the hood or on the core support? I someone could snap a picture of theirs that would be great and then maybe I can figure out what to order. Or if someone has one cheap enough to make it worth shipping? I included some picts of mine and what LMC shows which didn't really help.

Also on another note I need a new grille and would like to just put a stock one back in but seems pretty hard to find a used one that isn't brittle or cracked already. Where can one with an emblem in it be purchased. Just GM?
The strange thing with my current grille is that there isn't anything for the middle screw to hit. (SEE PICT). I'm wondering if this corresponds with some of my missing hood safty latch issues? Or do I just have the wrong year grille and core supports?

 

[beags86]

I can't speak to your latch issue as I've never seen an 80 or older with a pull cable.

As far a grill goes it seems that no one makes a 78 grill with a bowtie. So you will have to find a nos if you want it. Good luck with that. I hear they are basically hens teeth.

Here is my 76, probably no help to you.

 

[broflow]

I can't speak to your latch issue as I've never seen an 80 or older with a pull cable.

As far a grill goes it seems that no one makes a 78 grill with a bowtie. So you will have to find a nos if you want it. Good luck with that. I hear they are basically hens teeth.

Here is my 76, probably no help to you.

View attachment 292275

View attachment 292276

Wow now I'm more confused. My truck is titled as a 78 but that doesn't mean much with these trucks. Who knows what's been changed on mine before I got it. Everything's different on yours. I would say yours is what I've seen more often with that round strike pin on the hood. I've always thought my set up was odd and not correct? So yours has no cable correct?

 

[beags86]

Wow now I'm more confused. My truck is titled as a 78 but that doesn't mean much with these trucks. Who knows what's been changed on mine before I got it. Everything's different on yours. I would say yours is what I've seen more often with that round strike pin on the hood. I've always thought my set up was odd and not correct? So yours has no cable correct?

Correct no cable.

This is the only style I've ever known.

 

[Capt Ron]

I have seen a few with factory installed inside hood latches, it was definitely an option that I believe started in 77. I do not remember if there was an outside safety latch or not.

 

[USSkoval]

Correct, '77 was the first year for the optional inside hood release. Those two bolt holes in the center support are where the safety catch bolts to. That grille pictured is an '80 grille.

Also, with the optional inside release setup, the '76 and earlier grilles do not fit.

 

[USSkoval]

I found a picture of my 77's safety catch:



It was actually a fairly common option too. My '77, '78 and '79 all have it.

 

[broflow]

I found a picture of my 77's safety catch:

View attachment 292416

It was actually a fairly common option too. My '77, '78 and '79 all have it.

Thank you very much thats the pict I needed. I can see where the grille screw would go. Now I've just gotta find where I can get one. It's not available from LMC according to the picture in my first post. I might have to go junkyarding.
It doesn't surprise me that the grill has been swapped. I used to have a better grasp of what the different years grilled looked like.

 

[USSkoval]

I've been looking for one too, but I hardly ever get to the junkyard anymore. My '79 came with a Harwood cowl hood, and rather than cutting the hole for the safety catch, they simply unbolted it and tossed it.

Yours may have been removed for the same reason, if there has been parts swapping in the past. The pre-77 hoods don't have the hole for the safety catch either.

 

[USSkoval]

Ah, yep. I just looked at your pictures you posted earlier, you have a hood without the extra hole.

 

[broflow]

Ah, yep. I just looked at your pictures you posted earlier, you have a hood without the extra hole.

So you're saying that the plate with the strike on it that's bolted to the hood needs to have a hole in it for the safety latch right?
It also looks like the core support itself is different on the older ones if you look at the picture in Beags86 post.

 

[USSkoval]

So you're saying that the plate with the strike on it that's bolted to the hood needs to have a hole in it for the safety latch right?
It also looks like the core support itself is different on the older ones if you look at the picture in Beags86 post.

The safety catch goes into a hole that would be in the hood, between the striker plate and the leading hood egde. I can get a pic of one of mine in the morning.

And yes, the upper panel for the core support is different between the two styles.

 

[USSkoval]

I forgot to reply back before. Here's my '78 still with the original hood and inside hood release option. It has the extra hole in the hood's inner structure to receive the safety catch.


(The rectangular hole, not the round one to the left in the picture)

 

[broflow]

I forgot to reply back before. Here's my '78 still with the original hood and inside hood release option. It has the extra hole in the hood's inner structure to receive the safety catch.

View attachment 292807
(The rectangular hole, not the round one to the left in the picture)

Yep. I've actually located on just need to retrieve it. And I'll have to cut a hole in the hood.