Storage behind the seats
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,437
Likes: 5
Storage behind the seats
Hi fellow Vetters,
The middle and battery compartment lids are nearly impossible to open. Are there any known fixes I can do to make opening an closing them with the button easier?
Thanks
The middle and battery compartment lids are nearly impossible to open. Are there any known fixes I can do to make opening an closing them with the button easier?
Thanks
Last edited by ALVETTE00; Mar 9, 2016 at 09:18 PM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,437
Likes: 5
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,333
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
What exactly are they doing (or not doing)?
If the door is open and you press the button does it work then? Can you see the little dog retract into the cylinder etc?
If it works fine with the door open, the catches on the floor might be adjusted wrong.
They are slotted and if they are set too close to the cylinders on the doors they might be still touching some when the button is press.
If the buttons are hard to press when the door is open, I'd remove the screw from the underside and take the cylinders out, clean them, maybe soak in some valsol overnight and then oil / penetrant and work them free,
Just a couple of ideas
M
If the door is open and you press the button does it work then? Can you see the little dog retract into the cylinder etc?
If it works fine with the door open, the catches on the floor might be adjusted wrong.
They are slotted and if they are set too close to the cylinders on the doors they might be still touching some when the button is press.
If the buttons are hard to press when the door is open, I'd remove the screw from the underside and take the cylinders out, clean them, maybe soak in some valsol overnight and then oil / penetrant and work them free,
Just a couple of ideas
M
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,018
Likes: 581
From: West Monroe Louisiana
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Like Mooser suggested, you might look at the rear storage compartment door latch strikers. That is what the door latch catches when the door
closes. You can adjust them in or out as they have slotted screw holes.
You can see what they look like on this link.
http://www.corvettemods.com/assets/images/602469.jpg
Hope this might help.
Donnie
closes. You can adjust them in or out as they have slotted screw holes.
You can see what they look like on this link.
http://www.corvettemods.com/assets/images/602469.jpg
Hope this might help.
Donnie
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,437
Likes: 5
Like Mooser suggested, you might look at the rear storage compartment door latch strikers. That is what the door latch catches when the door
closes. You can adjust them in or out as they have slotted screw holes.
You can see what they look like on this link.
http://www.corvettemods.com/assets/images/602469.jpg
Hope this might help.
Donnie
closes. You can adjust them in or out as they have slotted screw holes.
You can see what they look like on this link.
http://www.corvettemods.com/assets/images/602469.jpg
Hope this might help.
Donnie
The issue is that they will not open without force.
The cylinder operates as designed.
I didn't know the striker was adjustable, so I'll give that a go!
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,613
Likes: 3,094
From: Shamong, NJ
Have you lubed the hinges? The original ones were unpainted steel, and often rusted, making them hard to open. Repro hinges are stainless steel, lessening the likely hood that they will rust.
What year are you dealing with?
68's had a hinge with a spring built into it, that was supposed to pop the door open, when the buttons were pushed. They didn't work as hoped, so for 69, GM added vinyl loops to each door, to pull the door open with. The vinyl loops were used until 77, when they were replaced with metal tabs.
If you don't have the loops, the doors are almost impossible to open. If you have a 68, it pays to add the loops to the doors, unless you're doing an NCRS correct restoration.
There are after market "springs" available, to help open the compartment doors. They're not a spring in the traditional sense, but instead are spring steel tabs, that assist in popping the doors open. The set of 3 runs about $10.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,437
Likes: 5
All fixed!
The battery compartment was fixed with just loosening the screws and moving the striker back a bit.
The center compartment required some dremelling to make the range of adjustment a hair more. This one was missing the leather loop so I made one out of my wife's old black leather purse
Thanks for the tech-tips.
You guys
The battery compartment was fixed with just loosening the screws and moving the striker back a bit.
The center compartment required some dremelling to make the range of adjustment a hair more. This one was missing the leather loop so I made one out of my wife's old black leather purse
Thanks for the tech-tips.
You guys
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 414
From: Pittsburgh suburbs Pa.
It sounds like you just need the finger pulls so you have something to lift with. They sell the vinyl loops or the stainless steel finger tabs for lifting the doors. Check with the parts suppliers.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 339
Likes: 54
From: Fayetteville NC
I had the same issue and it was kind of hard to push a button and pull the leather strap. Unless you want to keep it original, I converted mine to a small chrome **** and fabricated brackets to fit a magnet. Same system you have on kitchen cabinets. It looks nice and easy now.
Last edited by ENCSDOUG; Mar 11, 2016 at 10:38 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,113
From: Crossville TN
The 'replacement' finger-loops sold by parts vendors is a chinzy, flimsy substitute for the original pulls. You would do better making your own and using vinyl dye to color them same as interior.