What exactly do the 4th gens have? Do they have something that could be retrofitted. Just a question, because it seems so many ppl have problems with this, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't. Also so many other things from 4th gens have been retrofitted, seats, consoles, dash.....ya know. So anybody know?

 

Fourth gen's have a slam latch. 91-92 (second design) had a latch only on the 'verts (no pull-down). But it has a different bolt pattern as was the earlier (pre 86) than our hatch pull-down units.

 

That makes sense though... The convertibles don't have the problem of the interior pressurizing so they don't need the pulldown. The fourthgen hatches don't seem to catch as much air as the thirdgen hatches, again making the pulldown pointless.

 

My 91 'vert has the goofy pull down trunk.. wasn't the change mid 91? I guess mine is an early car, it also has the 70's era PITA rear seatbelts rather than the modern ones.

 

The pull-down unit is listed as a 86-91 (first design). I don't know if that means there was a 2nd design for 91 or the switchover was made with 92 MY. My friends 92 Heritage Edition 'vert has the slam latch with the same mount as the 2nd design pull-down unit. He also had the rear seat shoulder belts on pods rather than the stupid drag it down and latch it to the lap belt design. Irrelevant though since no one rides back there anyway.

 

The second design pulldown (mid 91) would suck in the convertible. Its designed to lift the hatch an inch or two then releases it with spring tension to open the hatch all the way. LOL with a convertible this is potentially dangerous since a) the decklid is light weight, and b) if you open the trunk and the tonneau you'd get a nice crunch as the two pieces colided. At least witht he old style latch there isn't any force.

 

BTW, since you mention the tonneau and lid colliding, the switch that is supposed to interrupt this in the 'verts is another one of those things that should be reproduced but isn't. Mine is gone, its been replaced by a stupid on/off switch ( which is useless unless the rear panel in the trunk is removed ), and GM discontinued the piece long ago.

 

If it is the switch that is contacted by the latch to power the hatch down. I have a couple of spares.