Bonnet lock broken, help!!!!

My bonnet lock seems to be broken, the lever in the glovebox is pulling but the lock is not disengaging. How on earth do I get in to fill the water bottle and sort out the lock without damaging the car??????? :uhoh:

will probably involve needle nose pliers, patience and some figuring out where the cable is broken. the patience is something you'll need the most help with. i'll look and see if i can find a diagram online to post for the cable for you.

What year? Super or Standard? You may be able to get it open by having someone push and pull on the hood (what we Yanks call your bonnet) while moving it slightly from side to side. Sometimes that frees it up.

If the cable is broken or loose you may have to cut the handle and unscrew it to get the hood open.

it's a standard 1972 1200, and i love it (most of the time)!!! We have had two people pulling the lever whilst the other jiggles the bonnet, we have destroyed the glovebox, the cable seems to be intact but the lock is not disengaging. It's always been a little temperamental and required one person to hold the lever whilst another opened the bonnet but now it's just given up completely.

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 6:34 am Post subject:

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taken from another forum on your particular subject

"Ya! Cut the handle but if you are afraid to damage the paintwork and didn’t cut close enough, the holding screw will need to be drilled-out.

After this experience--remove the locking mechanism and don’t bother keeping it locked because practically everyone don’t know how to open the bonnet and think that the handle is just another bug decoration item"


don't know how much i'd trust that answer,,there seems to have to be a better way, but thats the only option i've been able to find for you. cut it off and go from there. i'd also recommend going to a body man who can replace it and the cable properly for you..if you can't do it yourself.

Thanks jermphil and boatcop, looks like a handle cutting i'll have to go, poor car will needs a new paint job anyway. I think i'll wait til the weather warms up a bit though, just have clean screen by hand for a while longer!!!!

my glovebox lever broke quite a while ago, at the time i just wanted a temp fix and planned on replacing the lever later...which I never did.
I clipped the cable near the right side wheel well and made a secret handle inside there....that make sense?