Help!

[Nickodell]

Talk about ironies. A week after fitting my "coathanger" emergency bonnet-opening rod, the boot lid refuses to open! You can push the lock button all the way in but the latch refuses to open. Tried pushing down on the lid, jiggling the lock etc., to no avail. Even tried using a drift to drive out the hinge pins, but they refuse to to move (probably locked in by 40 years of dissimilar metal corrosion) and if I hammer any harder I'm going to mess up the paint around the castings.

I don't so much care not being able to carry anything in the boot, as I rarely put more than a couple of bags of groceries in Matilda and they go on the rear "seat." However, in the case of a flat .....

Anyone had this problem, and if so how did you fix it?

 

[odl21]

can you get access via the soft top roll and un-bolt the hinges?

i'm hoping its not easy for you because my entire anti-theft strategy hinges (if you pardon the pun) on the fact the boot is secure...

btw, i assume you've applied plenty of wd40 all over and in the lock?

 

[Ken Ellis]

Nick,
I just went out and looked at mine.
I was able to pull away the trunk weatherstripping at the lock,
and insert a 6" steel rule diagonally upward to the tapered latch
mounted on the trunklid. Having done that, I think it would be
possible to remove the rear bumper, and take a suitably protected
hacksaw blade to the lid-mounted striker. If it were me, I'd hammer
the 'set' out of the teeth of the blade for all but the top 4" or so,
and ducttape the heck out of it for a handle. Also, tape all around the
bodywork wherever you can reach it. Then settle down for about
45 minutes of very short saw strokes. Make sure your favorite TV show
is on within sight to keep your mind off your numbing fingers and
forearms. But it does look possible. (I'd only use a sawzall if it had
a very smooth variable speed motor on it...)

You could also remove the two screws hidden under the weatherstripping
and attempt to deform the latch mechanism frame enough to open it,
but it might get "stuck-er" in the process.

A gooseneck surveillance camera and a 4' long 7/16" wobble-head socket
would let you reach in past the spare tire and attack that way. Maybe.

You might even be able to get a camcorder or camera in thru the cabin
to take a picture of what you're up against, too. Remember to say cheese.

Removing the trunk hinges from the body shell sounds good too, if you
can do it without paint damage.

When you put it back together, you could drill out the striker "rivet"
and replace it with an appropriately-sized ball-detent hitch pin,
with a jacketed cable routed along the trunklid and forward,
to where it's reachable from inside the cabin, below the rear window
of the top. Label appropriately and have a cold one...

Good luck!
Ken

 

[todd reid]

Help

Nick,
I had a similar problem a few years back. I gained access by unbolting the trunk hinges from inside the car. Be careful, the trunk springs will try to rotate your trunk lid towards the rear of the car. I was working alone, and unfortunately lost some paint on the trunk due to contact with the bumper overrider.

Godd luck!
Todd Reid

 

[RootesRooter]

Keep massaging it. Instead of just pushing down, try pushing the bottom of the lid IN and up. Or, if you can get your fingers under the lip, pull up as HARD. A combination of pushing, pulling and tugging from different angles will usually pop 'em.

Talk about ironies. A week after fitting my "coathanger" emergency bonnet-opening rod, the boot lid refuses to open! You can push the lock button all the way in but the latch refuses to open. Tried pushing down on the lid, jiggling the lock etc., to no avail. Even tried using a drift to drive out the hinge pins, but they refuse to to move (probably locked in by 40 years of dissimilar metal corrosion) and if I hammer any harder I'm going to mess up the paint around the castings.

I don't so much care not being able to carry anything in the boot, as I rarely put more than a couple of bags of groceries in Matilda and they go on the rear "seat." However, in the case of a flat .....

Anyone had this problem, and if so how did you fix it?

 

[Chazbeam]

hole in bottom

On my Alpine 62 series 2 i found a hole under the body a bit behind the license plate that gave me access to the trunk/boot mechanism. i got a long screw driver and was able to move the lever with it from underneath the car. it goes from front to back so you pull your screw driver forward towards the back of the car.
seems the lock mechanism just pushes on this paddle type piece of metal that works the release. it is at a 45 degree angle from the hole so it takes a little finesse to do it but i found it but quite easy once i got the feel.
hope this helps.
best
Chaz

 

[64beam]

Hi Nick,

I also had the same thing happen to me when I had some alignment problems with my Alpine's boot. It jammed up and I ended up having to manipulate the boot with the help of my Dad. Basicaaly what RootesRooter suggested and made the necessary adjustments so it does not occur again.

Regards, Robin.

 

[SIVAllan]

"Back in the day" my Tiger's boot would jam on occassion.

I would go head first into the boot with a flashlight and a few tools and unjam it. It helps to be thin sometimes.

Probably could hire a neighborhood kid to do it though the spare tire could be a problem.