You may need to remove the grill in order to better assess the situation. Try lifting/levering the lower part of the grill up and out.

If that won't work, I'd be willing to sacrifice the 2 plastic pins that hold the upper part of the grill in. Ie. See if you can cut them so the grill angles out. You could probably replace the pins with zip ties or something.
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1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.

I agree that all of 740 Dan suggestions will work. I assume that the hood is under some stress.

Thinking along those lines if you can get a 28 mm or 1-1/8 inch wrench under the hood there is a nut on the latching post that you can loosen. Or unscrew the two 12 mm bolts on each side of the post in the same top piece of the latch.

There is also a slot in the tip of the post that will be sticking through the latch itself.

If the grill is removed and with a hefty screwdriver it is possible to to turn the post with out possibly loosening the locking nut. Just be sure to turn the post counterclockwise while looking from the underneath direction. You do not want to make it any tighter.

I am still trying to imagine the damage making a excessive left turn into road opening and hitting some piece of a guard rail. They are usually on the sides of the road and curl away at intersections. Must have been a narrow road for one lanes width plus a shoulder space to get eating up so quickly.

Those wheels must have turn very quickly or you got rolling right along after going through that intersection.

Guess I needed to be there but I am glad I was not! Sorry for your bad luck!

Happy for you to be going to school in welding. I finished getting my certificate at nineteen just before going to the Navy and directly into the fleet as a E-3 Machinery Repairman. It served me well over the years since. it will look good on your résumé as it shows that you have initiative.

Phil

wvcycling had the idea of the cig. lighter charger-

Being in PA you probably have an Ollie's outlet nearby-they have them in their current flyer for $14 if you want to try and see if it will work.

I don't have any ideas with the hood as I don't have experience in that area.

Travis

Crow bar? Hood is toast so why worry about damaging it. Find nearest junkyard with 240s and plan to get hood from them.

The hood latch is under front grill and can be released by hand or tool. May need to remove grill first or try long metal flat bar (wonderbar/crow bar) to open it.
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