Is there some way to release the rear hatch on a 85 firebird from the inside? I found one in the junkyard but it has no keys. I need the pistons for my hatch. It has the power release motor (if that matters) but there is no battery for the car either. Is there an easy way to remove the hood pistons as well? How is the upper console held in place? (phillips screw or a torx head screw). Thanks.

 

dose the car have a rear hatch switch in the console? if so then there will be a cable that goes to the rear hatch> cut the insolation of the cable and pull the wire inside, this will have to be done close to the hatch hold down as possible. if the car dose not a switch in the console then you need to pull off the inner cover in the rear. to do this you need to lay down and yank that pice out then stick a flat head in the hatch mechinisome and turn. that should get the hatch open for you.

 

take a battery with you, either out of your car, or someone else's.

hook up the battery, and open it with the switch. now if the switch doesn't happen to work, then pull away the plastic panel that covers the release mechanism, and as said above, pop it open with a screw driver.

as for the hatch struts, they simply are held on with a couple of clips, pretty easy to take on and off.

make sure the hatch is fully open when you take them off, its much easier that way.

 

how bout this even easier. use a flat head screwdriver to get the lock out on the back behind the license plate, then stick the flat head screwdriver in the rectangle slot ull see, turn closewise. voila, hatch opened. May not work for power hatch, but i dont think they had that in 85

 

remove the plastic from the inside and stick the screw driver in the slot that the lock goes into and turn, no need to remove the lock, (its riveted in anyway)

 

The lock is not riveted in, on both my cars i've worked on anyway. There is a metal clip that holds it in, nothing else.

 

the rear hatch lock (original) is riveted in. The door locks have the clips, if you shove a screw driver through the lock your ripping out the locks insides and your still left with the case riviited to the metal inside the hatch. I have a new hatch lock sitting next to me right now and there is no clips holding it into the car.

 

Maybe it's only the ones with power pulldown units? Because i'm positive it uses a clip. I went outside and took a picture actualy. I was gonna take a picture of the lock cylinder and the clip but it was dark and i couldn't find it.

 

my lock is held in with rivets, look it up on a parts web site maybe they hace a pic, i have the lock right here it was like $25 for a new one, it does not come out of the bracket that has to be riveted in,(in using screws) i dont know if they are different but my car doesnt have the hatch motor in it.What year is your car? if i look at my car at the same location as yours in the pic it looks nothing like that. I have two bigass rivetts coming through the braket holding the lock in. I wish mine had clips, it would be alot easier. I just noticed, you have a camaro, i have a firebird, maybe thats why they are differnt?

 

mine has clips too.....?

84 Z28

 

You have a camaro also, i have a firebird, the locks must be different. Mine has rivetts. I wish it had a clip.

 

As far as i know, you can take out the plastic piece and undo the lock from the inside. I had to do it becuase my girlfriend tried to open my trunk with a screwdriver........ (long story) and it broke inside. So i resolved it by taking out the back plastic from the inside, and if you dont want to wreak the lock, then on the actual latch that holdes the trunk down, there is one piece, (three total are in there) wich is connected to the electronic trunk opener, (if you have one) use a flat head and push it down (if there is no sign of wich one.... press all of them) and the trunk will open !
I tried for a long time using the keyhole, but to no avail. The simplesdt thing, is to press the latch itself down, and up will come the trunk! Wooopie ! Hope this helps.



:lala: :lala: :lala: :lala: :lala: :lala: :lala:

 

Mines an 87, my 89 was the same way. It probably is because yours is a firebird, the locks are in different spots.

 

Borrow one of those 12V jumpstart boxes, they're usually red or yellow with a voltmeter on them. Connect it to the battery cables and hit the release---there must be one somewhere, don't know where it is on your car.

If you don't have one, buy one. They are one of the most-used tools in my garage. Especially the one with the air compressor built-in. The first time you find a car with a slow-leak flat tire in the morning, you'll think you're Einstein for buying this thing.

HTH.

 

Wasn't there somthing about these cars being really easy to break into because you just hit around the hatch lock with a hammer or somthing and you can pop it out? If thats the case make sure the just yard guy isn't looking and give it a smack.

 

battery and a 2 by 4 connect the battery open the trunk release prop it up with the 2 by 4, if you can't use a battery beat the hatch lock with a hammer 2 or 3 times and it should pop

hope this helped ya man

 

It's a junkyard car so you don't have to be careful with it. You can chisel the lock off the back or use a dent puller: thread the screw end into the lock cylinder and slide-hammer it out.


Yeah, first make sure they are strong enough to hold the hood up. Then pry the retaining clips off and they come right off. If you break a clip, grab one off another junk car in the yard.


You don't need the answer to this question because by the time you return to the junkyard, someone else will have taken it. Those things are like gold- shoulda grabbed it while you were there.