shaving the hatch

[james t]

ok, ive got a bent stock hatch at my disposal. the outer "skin" is the only part that is dented, and im thinking about shaving it and re-installing it on the truck. obviously, i will need a new "skin" for the outer. im getting rid of the emblem holes, the wiper, etc.

has anyone re-located the outer handle to the inside? i have an idea how to do this, but need some tips if someone is out there....

i could care less if the window even opens at all. i never use it. also, i rarely ever use the hatch anyway. opening it from the inside will only be a very minor PITA. what should i do?

 

[Black Magic]

Why not get the door "pop"er sylnoid's (sp?)? I think that there is someone on here that can get you a good. deal on them. I remember reading that he is shaving his truck by him self and is using them on all the doors. Rear, hatch and window.

 

[james t]

later on Matt, i will. i still need a handle on the inside incase a popper fails. if i bust a popper and the hatch i shut, how do i open it? i dont. i then weld it in Dukes of Hazzard style.

 

[Black Magic]

bust a popper! Is that the neme you go by as a rapper!?!

 

[X24]

Originally posted by Black Magic
bust a popper! Is that the neme you go by as a rapper!?!

No, James was looking at **** when he wrote that.

 

[rokke17]

Yeah thats PurPony I think thats using solenoids to pop his window and hatch. I would also love to know how to rug up a handle inside, but I dontknow that anyone has done it. Im sure you already thought to pull off the inside of the gate and look around, but if not thats my suggestion. Figure out how the linkage works, its different for your truck as opposed to mine, and see what you can imagine. Depending on how it works, maybe you can retrofit door handle from another car or something and make it fit. ??

 

[PUR PONY]

yup- its me....

the inside od the door and all the linkage is very easy to deal with. If you take your inner door panel off and look around I am sure you can come up with something very simple. I have about 3 different ways i am going to do it.

I am going to have solenoids for the winow and door but also have an inner handle just in case of failure.

 

[nnnick]

you could find a way to put a very subtle handle or lever type deal at the very bottom of the hatch. i was thinking just like a little handle that is flush with the bottom of the gate and it pulls out to open (this would require cutting your gate and welding in a handle, but i know ur the man like that)....or just getting some sort of metal piece (painted black so you can treally see it) and it comes out of the bottom of the tailgate and you just sort of like push it to the left or push it to the right to pop the trunk open? i dunno those are my best ideas. from what ive heard if you get some good solenoids and poppers such as autoloc you really dont need to worry about them breaking and not opening.

 

[james t]

oh, im not really worrying about breaking them. i just dont have time for that right now. if i get it shaved with a handle on the inside, i could go with poppers later on if i wanted. im just thinking on the cheap. i have the bent hatch in my dads barn right now, so the X wont be down while i play around with it.

PUR PONY- im up for ideas. ive seen the inside mechanism, and know how that works. i dont think it will be hard at all, i would just like to get some extra input from someone who has/is doing the same thing.