Need Help! Install 96/98 Hood Latch on 95GT? Possible? Dealer's comments...

I'm wanting to install the later model, 96/98, hood latch onto my 1995 mustang... in order to install a honeycomb or black grillcraft grill on my car.

Hood latch is Ford Part #F6ZZ-16700-AA.

Since I am stationed overseas in the military, I had my father ask the Ford dealer stateside if they had it in stock, or how long it would take for them to order one. They didn't have it in stock, but said it would only take 3 days to get. But here is the problem...

My car, according to the door sticker, was mfg'd in 06/95. The Ford dealer is telling my dad that in order to retrofit the above mentioned hood latch onto my car, it would have to have been mfg'd after 07/95.

Is there any truth or reason to this? I can't fathom what difference there would be between those two months, and after, that would prevent swapping a part as simple as a hood latch. Are they just saying it won't bolt right in, and will require more work... or are they saying it's impossible? Both of those questions I will have my father ask them. But I'm wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this... or has successfully swapped latches on their cars.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

94-302-vert said:

I read somewhere that if we want to go with a grill treatment (like a honeycomb or brushed grill) we need to convert to teh 96/98 set-up.

I even think the kits for 94-95's for these grill treatmenst are more $$ as tehy include the new latch mechanism.

Chris

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Right. It is recommended that we upgrade the latch if we want to use the aftermarket grills. The honeycomb grills, that I have seen, do appear to come with the latch. The grillcraft grills, however, are just the grills... and state that you need the upgraded latch.

That said... I don't understand why/how Ford says that only 07/95 and later cars can be retrofitted with the 96/98 style hood latch. I'm trying to figure out what exactly is prohibitive on the 06/95 and earlier cars, or if that statement is even true.

I DiDio I said:

i honestly don't know when my '95 was manufactured (i think it might have been as early as late '94) and i installed a 96+ latch with little to no problem... i have a billett (sp) grille and to tell u the truth i really didn't even need to change it... once you pop the hood you can fit your hand between the underside of the hood and the top of the grill to move the latch, you dont need to use the little lever thing... hope that helps...

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Awesome. Posts like that are what I'm looking for.

Just got off the phone with my dad, who I caught on his cell while running errands. He is going to swing by their local Ford dealer and check on the latch info, and any exploded diagrams they may have. So maybe he can find out if there is actually any truth in what the parts dealer told him over the phone.