1987 RRC 3.5 - Rear Upper Tailgate Locked

Hi All,

I have what has become a donor car for my 2 Door 1990 RRC. The rear upper tailgate is locked and the key I have been given does not unlock it.

The seller is a great chap, but he bought the car with a view to restoring it and was open than he could not get the tailgate unlocked.

I could do with advice and help and how to open it. I am happy if needs be to drill it out - but I have never drilled out a lock before.

I can get into the back, is there anyway of dismantling from the inside? I do want to keep the rear side panels (the black ones with vinyl), so don't want to just lever it off.

Thanks in advance.

Rob

Vehicle locksmith?

Or as you can get at it from inside if you can remove the metal shrouds that cover the operating rods then you can operate them & release the catches.
Shrouds are items 29 and the rods are item 23 in the link below. Pull the rods towards the centre of the tailgate.
The shrouds are just thin steel & if you can't get at their fastenings then something like a dremel with cutting discs.

+ 1
Good advice

Many thanks- that is great advice.

That is a much more certain route that trying to drill out the lock.

I will feedback how that goes.

The rear upper hatch lock/handle is attached with 2 screws from the inside of the vehicle. You can undo these from the inside and simply remove the outer handle. Have an assistant outside to catch the handle as it can fall off! Then just insert a screwdriver into the hole in the tailgate to push the release lever. The standard ignition key is long enough for this purpose.

Thank you for that!- planning on getting to the car late morning - so will have a go at this technique.

Hi All,

Follow up on this. I could get the handle off, but even with a friend helping, pressing that centre pin did not release the side parts, or getting a screwdriver in there and twisting.

As it was a donor car, and I wanted to get on and get bits out - I used a recip saw between the quarter panel and the upper tailgate - that sorted it!

Sorry I do not have a better outcome to share - but it had been sat there for about 10 years, so fair enough

Can you not remove the metal shrouds from inside the car .. confess I've never needed to try.
If you can then just pull the rods inwards as suggested by Ratae .. I think they should move W/O needing to release the catch?

There have been many instances when badly adjusted catches have disengaged on their own, especially on a rough road !

They were really rusted on - and I wanted to keep the tailgate as good as possible - until I opened it I thought it might be better than the one on my car.... - it wasn't!