David,
I had the same experience with a '75 B, both before and after it was
painted. The first time (before painting) I was able to rotate the lock
in the hole enough to give me a bit more unworn area of the latch
mechanism and eventually popped it open.
The second time (after fresh paint) I was unable to justify the same
tactic, so I removed the reverse light and reached in with a 3/8" rod
bent in a U shape (after I measured the distance from the reverse light
to the center of the lock. It needs to be a stiff rod so it doesn't bend
under the necessary pressure. Once you hit the release mechanism (just
below the trunk lid), it can open the lock. I takes a couple of hands -
one to work the U shaped rod and another to work the latch while
lifting.
I would hate to see you drill a hole in the body work - especially in
good paint. You still have to fish around and try to pull the latch
mechanism toward you. The reverse lamp opening I think provides the best
option.
With patience it will work.
Cheers,
Lew Palmer
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mgs@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-mgs@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of David Councill
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 11:02 AM
To: Telewest (PH); mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Trunk lid of doom
Funny thing about my boot lid - it always faithfully just pops open when
the car is in the garage. But every time I take it anywhere and let it
sit
under the hot sun, it resists opening. Yesterday, it just would not
open.
So I parked it in the garage with some idiot idea that maybe it would
open
again after the lid cooled off a bit but I sent my email just in case it
did not.
Well, once again, after three or four hours of sitting in the garage,
and
after the usual tricks - twisting the handle, pushing down on the lid or
forward on it, it once again popped open like there was no problem. And
I
can open and shut it with the crisp click again.
I was just about to drill the hole using a 1/8" drill bit. Fortunately,
my
son's 65B is also in the garage [the house has a 3 stall garage, a key
reason why I bought the house] so I was able to verify the theory of the
hole.
Anyway, thanks for all the replies. I think Paul's answer is the way to
go
and I will likely go ahead and make the hole just for future
occurrences.
The other method would be to somehow modify the key mechanism to allow
greater travel - maybe a future project.
David Councill
67 BGT
72 B
At 02:31 PM 7/29/2003 +0100, Telewest \(PH\) wrote:
>Twist the handle to one side or the other which should reveal a small
>painted area normally covered by the handle. Drill a small hole in
this
>area close up to the handle, then insert a thin rod and poke about to
>release the latch, which should be pretty-well right underneath the
hole.
>Much less damage than the other method I have seen which is cutting a
large
>hole in the rear firewall and reaching through, although at least this
is
>all internal. Unless you have remarkably long and thin arms I'd hate
to
>think how much time it would take to release by fishing through a
reverse
>light hole. Others have mentioned pushing hard on the back panel while
>pulling up on the handle.
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