W123 Grill Hood Lever - Disintegrated!

[ThosDoran]

Hey all,

This is my first, and I imagine, not my last, technical SOS posting.

Just bought an '82 240D yesterday, cleaning it up and mentally preparing for a valve adjustment (I'm kind of a dolt around cars - got this one to help that).

So. . .here's the issue. I went to open the hood and have a look around. At the owner's place all went well and we popped it on a few occasions. My first time home the release lever inside did its job and released. On the grill however, the little lever pretty much disintegrated as soon as I touched it. I heard a pin or something fall inside. The lever now is free to wander as it pleases and I can't get the hood open!! Any of you guys ever experience this? Any ideas of how I can pop the hood and make this body repair?

Thanks.
Tom