Closing the lid on my hood latch

Even though I had painted the engine compartment in my 280z, I had not yet painted on the firewall.  In addition to the hood latch sticking out like a sore thumb due to the peeling flat black paint, the hood would pop open every once in a while after closing.  I decided to address both of these problems this weekend.

To start, I removed the latch mechanism from the car body.  This included disconnecting the latch release cable from the mechanism, which was crimped in place and took some time to release.  I then used a wire wheel, sandpaper, and acetone to clean the area and prep for painting.

I sprayed the body area with Rustoleum Pro Satin and soaked the latch mechanism in Simple Green to remove 40 years of dried dirt and grease.  While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I also removed the hood latch for disassembly and cleaning.  I then returned all parts to the car using new stainless fasteners and re-aligned the latches.  I now have a smooth hood latch that no longer pops up unexpectedly, is easier to release, and looks much better.