Can you pop open a Sportdeck trunk access door from inside the interior?

As luck would have it, the Brancella Diamonds are Forever car has NO keys to it. None of my keys would turn the trunk cylinder, and we couldn't find any keys hidden on the car. We're lucky the doors aren't locked.

I'm curious if the Sportdeck panel in back (haven't owned a Sportdeck '71-73 myself, so I am not sure how to access it) can be popped open from inside the car. It looks to be our only option to access the trunk - short of a locksmith or a few more trunk keys.

Any ideas?

-Kurt

I believe the latch is in the trunk, so I don't think so..better call a locksmith.

There is a spring loaded latch on both sides. It was designed to be opened from the trunk. Not sure if you could slip them open from inside car. If you did it would not be easy to close it back from inside if at all.

There is a spring loaded latch on both sides. It was designed to be opened from the trunk. Not sure if you could slip them open from inside car. If you did it would not be easy to close it back from inside if at all.

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Getting it down is all that matters now, which would allow access to disassemble the rear trunk latch. I have one lock cylinder with a good key that I can install in its place for the museum.

-Kurt

Remove the far rear corner plastic quarter panels and there are holes in the sheet metal to reach through...

The latches are just a couple of inches from the top on both sides. If you look close at the plastic panels, you should see cutouts for them. You may be able to use a screwdriver and work the latches in, depressing them, toward the center of the car, to get them to release. I did it long ago on my '72 when I pulled a bonehead move and locked my keys in the trunk.:dodgy:

Steve

What Steve said or try cutting a V in an old credit card and work it in slowly.

All great ideas; thank you. Jeff's sticks out as a very viable option though:

Remove the far rear corner plastic quarter panels and there are holes in the sheet metal to reach through...

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Tell me, Jeff - how much has to be disassembled to lift the Sportdeck quarter sections out of the car? Most of the interior is in really bad shape; the less I have to remove, the less chance I'll break something. The interior C-pillars are already falling in and apart, and the chance of getting them back into place may be nil.

What's more, the rear floorpans are completely shot - I can't put my foot on them without going straight through. Makes it that much more difficult.

I removed the lower seat for this shot, FYI:



Bragging rights to the fellow who can spot an important bit of modification in this picture.

-Kurt

Yes Jeffs is best I have never had the plastic of mine so wasn't aware. Thanks for the tip Jeff

This is how I got to the trunk from the rear seat

http://www.7173mustangs.com/showthread.php?pid=196644#pid196644

2 screws hold the upper back seat they are at the bottom and they screw up on the sides of the seat back.

pop the 2 screws and then lift the seat back out at the bottem towards the front of the car then up.

there are 2 hooks at the top that will take the seat top off and gain more access to the trunk, there may be a insulation sheet behind the seat that you can pull out. from there you will have more access to the trunk.

I must have missed something. Is this DAF vehicle in your possession and you own it, or are you working on it for someone else? Or are you going to make it a tribute car?

What's the background story here? I'm confused...:huh:

I must have missed something. Is this DAF vehicle in your possession and you own it, or are you working on it for someone else? Or are you going to make it a tribute car?

What's the background story here? I'm confused...:huh:

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It's the Tournament of Thrills/Joseph Brancella/Keswick/Dezer car that we've known about for quite a while.

I've been granted access to do non-destructive disassembly and reassembly on the car, provided said work may yield additional clues as to the car's role in Diamonds are Forever. Right now, the trunk is the only crevice of the car I haven't been into. The keys are nowhere to be found in the car; we're lucky it's unlocked. The glove compartment was empty with exception to a lot of crumbling dashboard/headliner insulation.

I'm not really convinced we'll find anything in the trunk that will help us at this point, but I have learned in this project that not a single detail can be overlooked - even though we are 99.9% certain which scenes the car was used in. Everything will come to light soon, but the information isn't ready for publication just yet.

-Kurt

I must have missed something. Is this DAF vehicle in your possession and you own it, or are you working on it for someone else? Or are you going to make it a tribute car?

What's the background story here? I'm confused...:huh:

Click to expand...

It's the Tournament of Thrills/Joseph Brancella/Keswick/Dezer car that we've known about for quite a while.

I've been granted access to do non-destructive disassembly and reassembly on the car, provided said work may yield additional clues as to the car's role in Diamonds are Forever. Right now, the trunk is the only crevice of the car I haven't been into. The keys are nowhere to be found in the car; we're lucky it's unlocked. The glove compartment was empty with exception to a lot of crumbling dashboard/headliner insulation.

Honestly, I believe that the car has pretty much been identified in it's respective scenes, but that is part of a much greater collection of DAF film information which is not yet ready for publication.

-Kurt

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How kewl is that? I'd spend the bucks to have a locksmith open the trunk lock and make you a set of keys. Wouldn't the owner like a set of keys?

Sean Connery may be hiding in the trunk, desperate to get out!

How kewl is that? I'd spend the bucks to have a locksmith open the trunk lock and make you a set of keys. Wouldn't the owner like a set of keys?

Sean Connery may be hiding in the trunk, desperate to get out!

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I've got a spare lock cylinder with a key for the trunk. If we can get in through the Sportdeck, I'll just install that one.

Everybody knows that the car will probably never move out of a museum again - and if it does, it won't be under its own power.

In short, budget is zero unless someone here wants to pitch in. Just getting into the museum costs me $42 (with coupons) every time I go in there, as I have a helper dragging along the camera equipment.

-Kurt

P.S.: PM me about the 1972/73 wiring harness from the parts car. Do you still want it with that slit in the firewall grommet?

I would try narrow flat blade screw drivers to move the latch plungers. Maybe use a paint stick to protect the plastic panels. (which you can't remove until you open the trap door.)

If those red interior pictures are your car, I don't think you have the fold down seat? If that's correct, just remove the rear seat and use a long extensions and a socket to unbolt the stricker on the tail light panel.

If those red interior pictures are your car, I don't think you have the fold down seat? If that's correct, just remove the rear seat and use a long extensions and a socket to unbolt the stricker on the tail light panel.

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Don't let the angle fool you. It's a Sportdeck:



-Kurt

I would try narrow flat blade screw drivers to move the latch plungers. Maybe use a paint stick to protect the plastic panels. (which you can't remove until you open the trap door.)

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Just what I needed to see; thanks!

How strong are those latch springs, would you say? If they're light enough, some semi-rigid styrene plastic may work to retract the latch on the curved edge.

-Kurt

Pretty damn strong. I have to really tug mine to get them to release. (could be a lack of lube, too...)