Can't open boot/trunk - help!!

G'day Fellas,

I've just bought a '84 Pontiac Trans Am. My first American Muscle car *puffs out chest*

I have a problem - I can't open the trunk. The lock just spins around in the button and wont open.
Is there an alternative way of opening it? eg. climbing into the back seat?

Any help would be unreal.

Lloyd
Northern Territory, Australia

First check the center console and center of the dash for a power trunk release button. If you don't have that, you are very limited in what you can do. If you have a light in the trunk (on the back panel) you can pop it out and release the trunk there. If you don't have the light its going to be very difficult to get it open. Either drill out the lock and use a screwdrifer or you can try climbing in the trunk and removing the large plastic screws on either end of the back panel and tru to lift the panel enough to get at the latch. Be aware though, there is at least one screw on the top of that panel under the trunk lid and the trunk latch goes through the panel, so it won't come off just with the plastic screws out. You'll have to try lifting it carefully from the bottom edge.

Hi Morley,

No joy on the trunk release - that's the first thing I checked for :frown:

I do have a light on the back panel and have taken that off. But I can't see where to unlatch the boot. I'll do what you have suggested and try to carefully lift that panel enough to see the latch.
It's a bugger of a spot! Not 6ft tall person friendly :p


Is anyone able to email me a picture of the lock. I am not sure what it looks like, or how it works. A picture would be magic!

Thanks again fellas.

Lloyd,

if you remove all of those big plastic screws that whole panel will come off, i know mine has a slit in it so you can pull it off with the trunk closed. once you get that off get a flat end screw driver and...
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a375/Ryan2785/hatch-1.jpg
your hatch may look a little different because of the year but the principle will be the same.

good luck

The plastic will not come off with the glass down without damage in a early third gen firebird.

Try this. http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=702738

ok in that case what I would do is cut out a small hole and use that hole to run the screw driver through and after all is done, install a trunk light where that hole is, or do what was said before and drill out the lock