Like my '92 where you can press the switch and the rear hatch will raise all the way up?

I saw where an original Knight Rider T/A had a custom cable installed for popping the rear hatch which leads me to believe it wasn't available from the factory.

 

Nope.

They did have remote hatch release, but nothing like you describe.

 

The only time I have seen the hatch pop up like you describe is right after I installed new hatch lifts and it is real warm outside. Then the hatch would open all the way when I unlock the hatch. Give credit to new hatch lifts and the effects of heat on gas.

 

thanks. Mine, when pressed in park, will raise ALL the way up. Now that's it older it doesn't do it when it's cold outside though. My *mature* friends used to pop the darn thing every time I'd stop at a gas station or anytime it was in park and then someone would have to get out and close it back.

 

My 83 T/A has a remote rear hatch switch... no cable tho, no idea what your talking about there. (there is a cable that goes between the key lock and the mech on firebirds, where Camaros had a direct piece of metal, if thats what your taking about.

John

 

Mines a Camaro. Well, what I was inquiring about was as to why they would have rigged a custom hatch release on a KITT T/A if a factory version was available and could perform the same function they wanted (raising the hatch 'by itself' with a person actually hiding in the car).

 

My 82 T/A has that option, so it was available. With new gas struts, it opens up on it's own too.

As for the KITT car pic you saw, maybe that particular car didn't come with that option. Or maybe the handle not only releases the hatch, but is jimmy rigged to make sure the hatch opens up and doesn't just pop like the stock one does.

 

So, if (with new struts) you released the rear hatch while sitting inside the car, the hatch would just "pop" as in raise just a little until you actually got of the car and allowed it to lift the rest of the way? Kind of like opening the hood - two step process.
Mines not that way.

Anyway, true, maybe that paticular KITT didn't have that option and that's why it was rigged like you said.

 

My 87 Formula, all it would do is pop up, even with a fiberglas spoiler, If there was no spoiler it will just go up with no extra motions. Since the T/A spoiler of 1982-1985 and later base firebird spoiler the hatch might go up on its own without any extra effort.


John

 

Yeah, I personally think GM designed it just to "pop", not open up all the way on it's own. Like a regular trunk solenoid. But maybe I'm wrong.

I think it's cool with my new struts how it opens all the way. Just don't want that to happen when I'm driving! (The safety lockout doesn't work anymore on my car)