Warning: Wild Mustangs Bite!

tinnocker

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Messages
153
Reaction score
71
Last Thursday morning I had the hood open on my 94 GT, trying to find the pcv valve on the back of the engine. I was standing on the passenger side with my left arm and head in the vicinity of the firewall when my right elbow hit the hood rod and the hood came down.....hard. I got my head and right arm out of the way but my left arm was a little slower and the hood slammed about 3 inches from my wrist.....and locked down. The safety catch behind the grill caught and held the hood tight on my wrist. It hurt so bad I figured it broke my arm and as hard as I could pull my arm would not budge. I tried to stretch to get to the release handle but no luck. I got my right hand fingers under the hood and picked up as hard as I could while pulling on my left and no luck. I then tried to pull up with my right and pick up with my tip toes and all I did was pull a muscle in my leg.
I was at home by myself and my neighbor's house was about 100 feet away but they were both at work. No one lives across the street and I was starting to panic. I tried again to pick the hood up with my right hand, knowing it was going to crease the hoods edge if I did but at this point I didn't care. I could not pick it up. I tried swiveling my hand some and placing my right hand on my left arm pulling it toward the front of the car. It moved about a quarter of an inch toward the front but was tearing meat in the process. I kept doing this over and over, finally getting an inch or two toward the grill and it was getting looser on my arm. I finally got it out. It was mangle up pretty bad and bleeding ( I take blood thinner), but I was free. I went in the house and washed it and decided it wasn't broke, wrapped it up and all was ok.
The next day I popped the inside hood latch, then picked up on the front of the hood without popping the safety latch. There was only about half an inch opening where my arm was. I guess the left side pivoted up at the latch while the driver's side went down to make room for my arm. The hood wasn't damaged, just my arm and my pulled leg muscle.20210921_102514.jpg
 

RAU03MACH

Legend
Joined
Apr 23, 2019
Messages
6,718
Reaction score
6,515
Location
NEW MEXICO
Not hard to get complacent when your work and lose track
I seen one mechanic accidentally put his hand on a A/c while running
Let's just say he can't flip any one off or hitchhike for a ride
Or pick his nose with his one hand
 

RAU03MACH

Legend
Joined
Apr 23, 2019
Messages
6,718
Reaction score
6,515
Location
NEW MEXICO
Hope you are ok
I dont preach safety , but the only one looking after you is you
take care
 

OpalFrostGT

Active Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2021
Messages
276
Reaction score
199
Location
Whitney,TX
What do advise to prevent this from repeating itself? Would putting a small portion of a 2x4 over the latch area work?
I do truly appreciate your post!
 

lwarrior1016

Mr. Secondary Timing Chain
Staff
Joined
Sep 22, 2014
Messages
8,484
Reaction score
4,239
Location
South Mississippi
Get rid of the prop rod and install hood struts. They are cleaner and out of the way of working under the hood, no fear of knocking them down.
What do advise to prevent this from repeating itself? Would putting a small portion of a 2x4 over the latch area work?
I do truly appreciate your post!
 

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,394
Reaction score
5,566
Location
Evansville Indiana
I like mine as well. Does anyone else have the issue with the passenger side bumping the hood when it shuts?
 

Monday

Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2021
Messages
213
Reaction score
86
I laughed man...

Reminds me of Misfit Garage and dropping new windshields or spray bombing driveshafts five feet from a 100K Camaro.

Shit happens to me all the time. I put my hand (back of it) in front of a gas torch reaching around the back axle; I lost a thumbnail after I got it pinched putting a hand in the path there in the belt - I actually cut a full nail a week ago - first time in two years... when it happened what could I do??? it hurt almost beyond words but you just gotta take it. Won't happen again but one helluva lesson.

Stay Safe always. Good you're not too roughed up. AND, and, it will happen again. If you can laugh, good.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
77,440
Messages
1,502,179
Members
14,920
Latest member
marktuck99

Members online

Top