[Shotimes] RE: Trunk Latch

[Ron Porter]

Forwarded per your request, Paul.

Mike @ Midwest SHO is the only other person that mentioned having the
problem. I am not sure which washers you are referring to, as there were
none when mine came apart. The holes on mine are very jagged, and it looks
like there is touch-up paint around it. It looks like this may have happened
in the past on this car (I've only had it 1.5 years).

As I mentioned, I reused those oblong nuts on the inside of the trunklid,
and used big washers in front of them to bridge the hole. I couldn't get a
wrench in there, but I could easily grab hold the nuts/washers with my
fingers, and I was able to get the bolts tight enough.

Yeah, this is an odd problem. Since my car has had some strange things done
to it (as in the drivers door was obviously pried with a crowbar at one
time), I suspected that maybe someone also had jimmied the trunk, although
there are no other marks on the trunklid.

Ron Porter
  -----Original Message-----
  From: Paul Hilts [mailto:philts@nyc.rr.com]
  Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 3:18 AM
  To: ronporter@prodigy.net
  Subject: Trunk Latch


  Dear Ron--

  Funny you should mention the trunk latch this week--

  I have a 95 ATX, and last week brought it in to Ford (the regional
distributor, no slouch) for a belated 100,000-mile tune-up (115,000--I do a
*lot* of highway miles for business, and couldn't get scheduled before
this). When I got it back, I popped the trunk and . . .just like yours,
found the latch plopped out. Upon inspection I found both bolts' washers had
broken, preventing the square nuts from holding the latch in.   I spent four
hours trying to get tools inside the access holes so I could tighten the
nuts on some bolts I had lying around, and on Monday went back to get the
right fix.
      Because the "damage" occurred while it was in the shop, I was outraged
and insisted that the shop fix it.  To be on the safe side, while I was in
the dealer, I went to the Parts dept. and discovered that the latch bolts
are considered "part of the decklid assembly" and don't have their own part
number. I could spend $609 for a new (unneeded) trunk lid, or make do.
Today (Wed) the dealer returned the car fixed, with the admonition that the
chief mechanic says Ford "has seen this before"  and considers it part of
normal wear and tear (! ! !).
      Until I saw your note, I flat didn't believe them. Since the washers
are steel and the forces on the trunk lid are up-down, not in-out, it was
obvious to me that the latch had been subjected to violence, possibly
sabotage by someone trimming the washers with a shears; possibly somebody
tried to punch out the keyslot, breaking the washers.  If the *bolts* had
sheared, I'd understand it (maybe--there doesn't seem to be a lot of stress
on the trunk lid any time), but not the washers.
      *I* have never seen anything like this before, on a SHO, any Ford, any
make of car, or any use of nuts and washers . . . and I have been around
toolusers for a long time. At the very least, for such a critical component,
Ford should use a better arrangement, and post a service bulletin so the
shops will know what to expect and be better able to help customers with
this problem.
      Have you had any other responses that make any sense? Have you ever
heard of any such incident (your letter makes me think not)?   I am due for
another conference with the head of the Service dept tomorrow, and I'll pass
along any interesting tidbits.
      BTW, please feel free to forward this to the SHOtime e-mail list (I
couldn't find a button for "reply").

  Paul Hilts
  philts@nyc.rr.com