how to rig up a boot release cable?

[jmaster78]

Hi all, i want to remove the boot handle on my morris minor and rig up some sort of internal release cable. Has anyone done this before, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[bmcecosse]

I have to ask - whyyyyy?????

[jmaster78]

I bought a spare car for parts as it was totally rotten, was given another old boot lid, one was pretty rotten around the lip at the bottom, and the other was totally rotten all the way round. Since they were both scrap anyway, i decided to make a flush boot lid by cutting out the raised numberplate area from the better one, and using it as a template to cut a piece from the flatter section of the other. I did the same with the raised area around the handle. My plan is to create a semi custom minor using the panels from the donor car, nothing extreme, just subtle mods. Point being if i don't like the finished car i can simply put the original parts back on. However i still need a usable boot so i need some way of opening it from inside the car!

[chrisryder]

i'm sure there are remote release kits available for where people get rid of the door handles on their corsa to make it go faster. i'd guess the kit could be adapted, assuming they come with a catch and a lock that you just retro-fit.

[simmitc]

Whilst I like the concept of the remote release - arguably better security, don't forget that after you have released the boot, you will still need a handle to lift it open!

With the standard set up, the moving catch is on the lid and the fixed striker plate on the body. I doubt that you would want to run the cable around the opening lid, so you will need to reverse things and have a fixed plate on the lid and a moving catch on the body. How about going one stage further, and using a solenoid of some sort instead of a cable. Also consider how you will get in if the mechanism fails - the hinges are secured inside the boot, and the rear seat squab is also secured from in the boot.

[bmcecosse]

You've got serious holes in the sills - and you are worrying about the boot handle? Oh dear.....

[jmaster78]

You've got serious holes in the sills - and you are worrying about the boot handle? Oh dear.....

i know, but while i'm waiting for the rest of the replacement panels i thought this would keep me occupied. besides my welding is a tad rusty so this will give me a bit of practice. as for doing away with the handle, i was thinking of using a tailgate strut off a modern car so the boot opens right up on releasing the cable, and makes the original boot stay redundent. as i said if it doesn't work i cn always put the original boot back on.

[Matt Tomkins]

You've got serious holes in the sills - and you are worrying about the boot handle? Oh dear.....

i know, but while i'm waiting for the rest of the replacement panels i thought this would keep me occupied. besides my welding is a tad rusty so this will give me a bit of practice. as for doing away with the handle, i was thinking of using a tailgate strut off a modern car so the boot opens right up on releasing the cable, and makes the original boot stay redundent. as i said if it doesn't work i cn always put the original boot back on.

i'd certainly worry about using a solonoid, then - in case it goes wrong and opens the boot while you're moving!
if you do go for that, you might want to wire it up so it cannot operate while the ignition is on

[mike.perry]

The rear seat squab is also secured from in the boot.

The rear squab can be secured with a lift the dot fastener on the parcel shelf as in the Series MM. It is then accessible from inside the car.

[Alex'n'Ane]

The rear seat squab is also secured from in the boot.

The rear squab can be secured with a lift the dot fastener on the parcel shelf as in the Series MM. It is then accessible from inside the car.

Or just some strong magnets on the back of the seat

[Matt Tomkins]

The rear seat squab is also secured from in the boot.

The rear squab can be secured with a lift the dot fastener on the parcel shelf as in the Series MM. It is then accessible from inside the car.

Or just some strong magnets on the back of the seat

or a permanent fat passenger

[dunketh]

Rob a solenoid from an old Ford in the scrappy. The boot release on orions etc.. is a proper beast - could easily pull sideways on the morris mech.
Just needs a clever link bar arrangement made and some way to fasten the solenoid to the bootlid - which will, obviously, add yet more weight to it.

I considered getting rid of my boot handle for that 'smooth' look, then decided I really couldnt be ar-bothered.

[MarkyB]

Velcro would hold the back seat well enough to stop it coming forward under heavy breaking.
I wouldn't recommend this for Roy given the amount of metal he likes to carry around though

A search for"bowden cable metre" suggests you can get any length you like so I'd go for that coupled with a small spring to make the boot lid pop up enough to lift it or a gas Strut to open it all the way.

Routed to line up with the hinge should minimise the amount of flexing it would need to do.

Maybe put the operating lever under the seat to reduce the risk of it being operated with the car in motion?

[chrisryder]

our V reg (2000) fiat punto has a boot that you can open with the key from the outside, or with a lever from the inside.

just had a look at it, and the 'handle' is in the boot lid and the 'striker' is on the body, just like our humble morris minor.

if you could find one at a scappy and strip the mechanism out, you could do away with the key access from the outside and just use the cable operation. it's such a good idea, i may even use it for my project

this is the bit on the car itself, the 'peg' to the top right is what moves with the lever in the car, that actuates the handle mechanism when the boot is shut.
[frame][/frame]

and here is the catch on the boot, you can make out lever that the 'peg' actuates in.
[frame][/frame]

with this, and a rear seat that you can flip forward from the inside, you could be onto a winner. the only thing that has put me off a smooth bootlid is the need for a handle ruining the lines!

[jmaster78]

brilliant chris thats exactly what i'm looking for, with a couple of boot struts and a punto mechanism, no more handle just a perfectly smoothe boot (providing my isopon skills are up to standard) that opens with the pull of a lever!

[chrisryder]

the boot lid does pop up only slightly to allow you to get your fingers under the edge, with the aid of a scallop in the bumper below. i think having it automatically open all the way could be a problem. i've got a gas strut on my bootlid and if i let it go to fly all the way up, once it runs out of travel it stops suddenly and the whole bootlid wobbles! i always open it holding onto it the whole time. also, it only opens of its own accord past about half way. below that and it will fall shut (makes shutting it easier), otherwise, having enough pressure to open it all the way from closed would make it hard to shut.

what about 2 spring loaded plungers (one at both bottom corners) that make the boot open about an inch once 'popped' to allow you to get your fingers under the lip?

(i really should do this myself!)

[jmaster78]

thats a good idea too, definitely onto something here!

[chrisryder]

it has occured to me today, could you not modify a moggy bonnet release mechanism? it'd mean that the parts were still from the 'family', and then you could use the bonnet 'pop' spring to raise it up a little to get your fingers under it.

the downside would be needing a bit of force to shut it (the same force as shutting the bonnet funnily enough!)

[jmaster78]

it just occured to me, instead of trying to fit the release mechanism from another car or even using the bonnet mechanism, why not just drill a hole in the original boot release hook and run the cable to it?[frame][/frame]

[chrisryder]

could work! you would have to run the cable around the bootlid and accross the hinge bit where the wiring normally crosses.

again, you might want a spring to pop it up once released so that letting go of your handle inside the car doesn't re-latch the boot straight away.