e36 bmw bonnet catch

[werner]

So the wife says, "hey, why dont we get the e36 going again...I liked that car"
(background: we bought another car, so the bmw has just been sitting for like....5 years...sometimes I start it and pretend..but hey ho...we do what the wife wants). I didnt sell it because I cant handle humans tyre kicking and their ****. Plus, there is nothing inherently wrong with it, and we had the suspension and control arms refreshed just before taking it off the road.

So I go charge the battery, car starts. AMAZING.
chuck a bucket of water over it (been in the garage all this time)...pumpy the tires a bit...go to open the bonnet to check fluids and oh noes...disaster..the bonnet cable/lever is not co-operating.
Methinks the cable is a bit rusted stuck.

So I'd like to break into my own car please. Do I go under the car and somehow fiddle the latch at the front? Anybody have clever ideas?

 

[zizo911]

Take a screwdriver to the edge of it then pry it open. The catch realise should open, let the wife pull the lever to Open. I had the same problem with my e36

 

[werner]

so slide something between bonnet and body and wiggle? The gap between them is very very small...for some reason this particularly car is just refusing to rattle, squeak or otherwise show any signs of age, no panel gaps etc. If I tell you it has 340000km's on it you will think I am lying.

Would a hacksaw blade suffice?

 

[werner]

ok got it open using the method of growing a second pair of arms so one pair can be inside the car manipulating the lever and the second pair can be pushing on the bonnet..and its open. Hello my engine! Good news..no cats were found

lots of wd40 later and the drivers side bonnet clip is moving freely, but the passenger side one is still a bit stuck and wont pop back out to engage on the bonnet itself.
I'll let it sit overnight.

thanks everybody.