HELP! Can't Open Hood - Cable Snapped.

[scruffboy]

I have an 89 N/A Supra that I recently took to inspection. I failed for emissions and with some quidance and doing some reading, I found the O2 Sensor was practicaly falling off. I bougt a new one (Bosch) and installed it. Spent another 1/2 hour looking for second O2 Sensor till I realized I was looking at pics of a Calif. setup, lol. So the other day I go outside to get under the hood and check some of the other things I saw in the emmissions manual (dash pot, etc.) but when I pulled the hood lever nothing happened. The wire was there so I pulled on it but no tension. This is a brand new hood latch as the car had some front end damage which I have had fixed. I bought the parts and had them installed by a bodyshop guy I know. I am assuming he used the old cable to connect to the new latch and now it's broke. I got under car and was able to push up on lift handle with a stick, but that does not undo the locking mechanism when the hood is in the all the way down position. Any suggestions on how to get in. I was thinking of removing the little plastic radiator grill (there are 2 of them on the 89's, between the turn-signals and center-piece. Anyone out there ever have this problem? Or am I really the only person on the planet something like this could happen to?

Sincerely,

James in NJ