went to open my hatch and won't open!  it is unlocked.....  its always been a hard push to get it open, but won't open a tall now.  any hints/advice?

I believe you can acces the lever from the inside, you have to remove the cardboard panel. I think the lock is not working, so it's not pushing the lever, it's a very simple mechanism.

yes, you can, thanks. Took off the panel ( not so easy since i have a speaker box... ) and sure enough, the screw on the bottom of the lock was backed out ( explaining why it had been hard to open ). problem solved.

:: okay !

Or you could have done a what a PO of my '69 Z did and drill holes in the hatch until you find the right spot to push the lever. :-(

 

Chuck

I actually took measurements and have a sketch around here somewhere for that exact purpose. I've been in situations where I wanted to get a Z hatch open and didn't have keys (like on a parts car).

 

I now know where to punch a small hole from the outside in order to hit the internal linkage to open the hatch. And the small hole would be easy to patch if necessary.

the actuator arm was loose on the bottom of the barrel - all good!