[Shotimes] Trunk latch issue

[Ron Porter]

This is to see if anyone else has had this weird problem, I had not seen it
before.

Last weekend, in the middle of the ice storm, I unlocked my trunk with the
key, and as it opened, the whole latch fell off the trunk lid! Having other
stuff to worry about, I drove around a few days with a bungee cord holding
it down. Upon closer inspection, there were two jagged holes on the lid
where the bolts should go. Further inspection shows the bolts still attached
to the latch mechanism.

The bolts are rectangular (sorta like pieces of trident gum), and my guess
is that they are tacked-welded to the lid. Mine broke free, and left the big
holes. I ended up getting some big washers, which I inserted inside the lid,
and used the old nuts behind that. I've got it to where it will stay down
and release with the lever (after a bunch of fiddling). The key won't work,
but I believe I thought of why, in that the tack-welded nuts kept the latch
spaced away from the trunklid, now I have it flush and the little lever is
probably binding. I'll space it out some tomorrow.

It's always somethin'!!

Ron Porter