Posted by: bertie - 23 July 2005 16:03:32
Hi, can anyone offer any advice on opening a stuck boot lid. It worked fine until the rubber seal was taken off ready for a respray and now it won't open at all. We don't want to break the catch unless we really have to. Any suggestions will be gratefully received. Thanks.

Posted by: pre67vw - 23 July 2005 16:43:56
If it worked OK until you removed the rubber, then there is a good chance its caught on the metal channel that holds the rubber. Pulling the lid up in this case wouldn't break the catch but may make a mess of the metal channel. Presumably the engine is still in? There's no secret to open a lid that I know of though

Posted by: bertie - 23 July 2005 17:21:22
Sorry, when I said boot, I should have said bonnet.

Posted by: pre67vw - 24 July 2005 11:09:37
ok, its probably still caught on the metal channel. Try pushing it down then pulling it forwards, then up...

Posted by: six-o-one - 24 July 2005 21:13:51
The same bolts that hold the bonnet handle, also hold the pin part of the catch to the inside of the bonnet. You can cut the handle in half with a hacksaw and you should then be able to unscrew each half of the handle from the ends of the bolts (as long as the bolts don't spin as well!). You can then open the bonnet and fit a new handle. You can re-use the two halves until you can get a new one. We've resorted to this method before when the bonnet got stuck on clair's '60 at Dubfreeze and we had no petrol - it works! :D Good luck, six-o-one

Posted by: bertie - 25 July 2005 22:48:28
Thanks for the advice, cutting the handle worked.

Posted by: six-o-one - 25 July 2005 23:05:19
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