Thanks for the suggestions, all.

I ended up ripping out the grille insert and subsequently removing the grille from the front of the car. This, combined with essentially pressing the hood back into its ≈ original shape, gave me enough room to get the thing open.

The good news is, the hood and grille appear to have absorbed the entirety of the impact. The power steering belt popped off (?), but the pulleys look perfectly aligned and it should be a simple job to get a new belt on there. No fluids, leaks, or visible damage anywhere within the engine bay.

The return trip from Boston to New York was uneventful. If anyone in the NY metro area has a spare w123 chassis hood lying around, I'll gladly take it off your hands!

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