Stephen, Thanks for the reply. I will keep that method in mind next time the cable fails on me. I forunately got the hood opened, by placing the car up on ramps and reaching up throuh the engine compartment with a pair of vise-grips. I griped the hood latch rod and gave a light pull downward.
I don't know much about the heat problem yet, since I just pulled our 56' Bird out of the barn, where it has been stored since 1984. I have a lot of rubber to replace before I get to really heat her up again.
Later,
Mitch