I replaced the hood/bonnet latch on my car (it got warped in an accident when the front of the car shifted and the bonnet didn't).

Anyway, what worked for me when aligning the latch, was to install the cable release mechanism, then install the latch on the hood, but to do the bolts up with a little bit of play in them, so that the latch would still move slightly when hit with a bit of force. With the bolts just tight enough to hold the latch in place, I simply slammed the bonnet shut and let the mechanism align itself. I opened the bonnet again and tightened up the bolts. It all ligns up perfectly, and when you open and close the bonnet as often as I do, you appreciate that.
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Drive it like you hate it