guys guys.. hold on a second. Remember, I was the first one asked for pics, alright?
Tweez, look like a long shot for you, very long. The first and the only classic I ever restored was a first generation Z. It was in similar shape as yours, a little worse. At the end, I was very happy.
When I first got my 911, I was so excited to "work" on it after all oil/fluid replaced. When I shut the engine lid too hard, it's stuck. I could not get it up after trying many diff ways. For a second of frustration, I asked my wife to pulled and held the handle. I then hugged the whole tea tray tail and yanked it side to side. I was surprise that it worked.
After the tail was up, I carefully inspected the lock mechanism and saw that it's very easy to get stuck if it's misaligned just a little.
I am not telling you to hug your lid and dance, but maybe ask someone to pull and hold the handle while you are moving it side to side, or front to back. Good luck.