Hood locks are a good idea if you want extra help with theft prevention. They also add a certain amount of safety. Hood locks help keep the hood in place in case of a front-end collision, or in the event the hood latch pops loose. Hood locks are preferred to locking hood pins, since they are mounted out of sight and they give a much stronger hold. Locating and mounting the hood lock is a matter of preference, as long as you have some basic tools and the short amount of time required to install it.
Measure the distance from the hood latch on the frame of the car to the point where the hood is fully opened. Open the hood and extend it to its fully open position. Place a tape measure on the hood latch bar of the hood and pull the tape to the latch on the now exposed frame.
Make sure the location and bracket clear the hood, allowing the hood to be closed normally. Write down this measurement. Take it with you to the local auto parts store and purchase a lock with a cable of the correct length.
Use a drill and drill the holes in the locking bracket in the chosen location for the lock. Attach the screws which came with the lock assembly, mounting it to the frame of the vehicle.
Place the hood plate on a solid surface with about a half inch hanging over the edge of the work surface. Use a ballpeen hammer to bend the half-inch end to a 90-degree turn, creating an L shape. Make sure to bend the plate on the end with the big latch pin hole, at the second hole from the end along the series of holes the plate has in it.
Attach the newly bent hood plate to the underside of the hood's framing. Do not attach it directly to the under surface of the hood itself, but make sure you screw it to the framing with the metal screws which came with the assembly. Align the plate and bracket exactly to allow the locking pin to slide freely into lock position.
Route the hood lock cable through the firewall into the interior of the car. Find and choose a spot in the firewall where the cable will not interfere with or rub against any other wiring. Give the hood latch a clear path to the interior and around the other motor parts.
Drill a hole into the firewall big enough to thread the hood lock cable through. Pull the cable through the hole into the interior. Mount the other end of the cable to the locking plate on the frame at the hood latch.
Secure the interior lock assembly to the chosen location near the steering column. Tape the cable from the hole to under dash surfaces so no dangling cable is visible. Lock and unlock the hood lock several times to make sure it is working properly.
