Does anyone know of any way to lock the hood (on a '66 if that matters?) besides the usual hood pin route?

I am putting my new motor in next week and with the crime rate around here the last couple of years I started thinking about it.

 

Honestly I was talking to my mechanic about this yesterday. He said maybe using a newer model hood latch/cable release mechanism from a newer mustang.

Living in Houston I'd recommend you look into Ravelco. It's what I've been thinking about doing to both my mustang and truck. My problem is I have no place locally that does it.

You have one it Houston.

Check out their website I think it's Ravelco.com

 

Don't drill!
I've seen several people at mustang car shows with a cable lock for their hoods. Real simple and it won't modify your car and will keep people from popping your hood. Go to the hardware store, pick up some STRAIGHT vinyl covered cable (bicycle style lock cable) and some cable crimpers of the same size. loop one end of the cable around your hood latch and crimp the cable to itself. Then drop it down in front of your radiator, make another small loop (not hooked to the car) that will allow you to attach a lock and loop it around your frame or other solid part, locking the cable to itself. You have to get on your knees to lock and unlock it, but it won't alter your car and is very effective. Can be removed in the future without leaving holes if you decide to remove it.
Some advice, Just don't advertise your new motor (show it off at the corner 7-11 store) and don't install hood-pin style locks. Even if you have a cheap motor under the hood, it'll make the local teen car thieves think you are running the hottest engine with "NOS".. they would steal it just to find out what you have and if it will fit in their PINTOS. If you do a lock, conceal it.

 

That exact thought had actually crossed my mind that it might actually invite trouble if you had obvious locks.

Luckily the Mustang is not my DD so I don't worry about theft too much. I would be more worried about some dumb a** thinking it would be ok to open the hood to have a look and then messing with something. Lets face it, there are a lot of slobering idiots out there sadly enough.

Most of the time if I have the Mustang out I am somewhere close by keeping an eye on it.

The exception would be driving it to work sometimes on Fridays but our garage at work is fairly secure.

I never take it to the mall to say the least.

 

I treat my car the same way. I just want to keep people from screwing with it. Sometimes it is parked in front of a friends house and I can't watch it the entire time I am there. I know its kinda goofy, but I use the CLUB also, since there is virtually no anti theft stuff on these cars.

I have this chain lock. It doesn't lock the hood shut though. It just keeps it from being opened very far.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hood-...Q5fAccessories

Here is another one of the same thing. Its a little more pricey though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Car-C...Q5fAccessories

The most suitable place to mount it is to the radiator support on the driver side between the horn and the latch. Then I took a couple links out of it so it couldn't open very far and attached the other end to the U shaped bracket on the hood that the latch connects to. I used a cable tie to keep it over to that side. You can also mount the chain to the bolt on that side.

I have seen several classic Mustangs including a friends car along with other cars that have it. I don't think anyone really carries them anymore. They were popular in the 70s and 80s. I decided to go with it because I didn't want to drill my hood either.

 

If you want added security, you could also get this to keep some jack *** from putting sugar or sand in the gas tank, or stealing the gas cap. I have it and I think it is a nifty little setup. It allows you to keep the factory style gas cap. It does not require permanent modification to the car.

http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/ite...?T1=C90J30H+01

 

I might have to check that one out. No permanent modification is one of my biggest things against hood pins. If I were ever going to install them, I find a used hood to drill the holes in...

Any slight mods I have done to my car so far are easily reversed and I intend to keep it that way as much as possible.

 

Or look in to using a cable release latch like more newer cars it shouldn't be too hard to rig up.

 

My hood pins are actually locks instead of pins...

 

I agree with that. Almost everything I have done could be reversed if that was ever desired.