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Topic: rear "trunk" lock on 72 ?

in Forum: C3 Body

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rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (1/18)
12/12/06 4:30pm

thebluezzzz
Former Member
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Westwood, MA - USA

Vette(s):
#1 70 Red 350/350 t-top ,mt....stolen in the 80's #2 72 Red t-top,mt, a driver -nothing special, sold ...#3 72 Conv , Steel Cities gray...A/C,P/S,P/B..black int, 73k miles...restored recently...#'s matching 350/200 h.p,mt 4 speed. The best by far.

Joined: 10/28/2006
Posts: 15

I noticed today that my 72 doesnt have a lock of any kind on the rear end above the Corvette lettering.....is this unusual ? I've had 2 c3's in the past but cant remember what that lock does anyways, but saw another 72 today and his had a lock there...whats up ?

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rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (2/18)
12/12/06 4:45pm

rick d
Former Member
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williamston, NC - USA

Vette(s):
1969 coupe, 350, m22 trans, ac, black on black,

Joined: 1/19/2006
Posts: 353

the lock is to activate the alarm,,,turn it on and it goes honk honk if someone tries to open the door, was pretty good stuff in 72,,rd

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (3/18)
12/12/06 4:58pm

Adams' Apple

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Duncanville, TX - USA

Vette(s):
#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas

Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20203

The alarm wasn't made standard equipment until '73, so '68-'72 cars had them as options only. Not all of them had the alarm.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
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rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (4/18)
12/12/06 6:10pm

Lowbrowser
Former Member
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Los Angeles, CA - USA

Vette(s):
1972 elkhart green T-Top, New paint, one previous owner, 370hp/350, hookers/flowMasters. Original PW,PS,PB,AC. All docs.

Joined: 1/27/2005
Posts: 260

When I fist got my '72 I took it to the hand wash up the street. The guys were gathered around the back doing someting... I walked over and they said "Lou can't get the trunk open, what's the secret?"

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (5/18)
12/12/06 6:57pm

good to know, thanks....i was getting a little worries there for a while

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (6/18)
12/12/06 7:51pm

rearn2go72
Former Member
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Bladenboro, NC - USA

Vette(s):
1972 conv., sunfire yellow, blk interior, blk vinyl and convertible top. Off frame restoration with American Speed 383 stroker engine producing 500hp plus a 200hp NOS system. MSD ignition. Hooker super competition headers with chambered exhaust.

Joined: 1/22/2006
Posts: 1058

This thread reminds me of the time our club attended a car show in Goldsboro NC. The entrants were told that the judges would be judging on 4 catagories....exterior, interior, engine compartment and trunk. My buddy was parked next to me with his 62 and of course he had the trunk open when the judges came by to judge his car.

When the awards were presented, my buddy got a trophy and he couldn't understand why I didn't get one. The staff had made an announcement that we could pick up our judging sheets after the awards if we wanted to see them. We both went up to the tent and got our sheets. I had to break out laughing when I noticed I had scored 0 points in the "trunk" catagory. There was a note on the sheet..."Trunk Not Open".

Needless to say, this was not a NCRS or even a NCCC event but no trophy could ever compare to the laughs my club members and myself have received from this event. It a standard joke at every car show we attend now. They always say, "Jim don't forget to open your trunk"

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (7/18)
12/13/06 11:05am

actually, looking in the Corvette Black Book today it says the alarm was optional thru 1971 and included from 1972 on....Chevrolet decided to make it standard because they deleted the fiber optics from production so this was their way of making up for that.....now Im very confused.....also, according to the Blck Book my car was built in November 71, so well after the production year started...any help would be appreciated !

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (8/18)
12/13/06 11:24am

Adams' Apple

The Black Book is incorrect. The alarm was made standard in '73, not '72.

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rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (9/18)
12/13/06 11:55am

gs77vet
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Joined: 3/19/2005
Posts: 385

I had an alarm on my 73 Vette way back when, the lock was on the front fender. Someone reached under and cut the alarm and stole my hood and a couple of tennis racquets. Go figure, I assumed someone wanted to make a custom hood. Bastards. Chevrolet was on strike at that time, it took nine weeks to get a new hood. They did come standard on 73's. Gene

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (10/18)
12/13/06 12:30pm

Joel thanks again for the info.....I hope you are right cuz Im screwed if ya arent !

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (11/18)
12/13/06 5:03pm

Adams' Apple

[QUOTE=thebluezzzz] .....I hope you are right cuz Im screwed if ya arent ![/QUOTE]

Why???

hmmm...might need to do a little research here....I have always heard, and read that the alarms were standard equipment starting in '73, with the key switch in the rear. It was moved to the fender in '74, I know. Now I'm cornfused!

Adams' Apple2006-12-13 20:33:43

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rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (12/18)
12/13/06 6:05pm

Chips58
Former Member
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Australia

Vette(s):
71 Coupe Black on Black

Joined: 5/6/2004
Posts: 535

The first time my club saw my 71 with the alarm option, similar questions were posed. I just told them that it was the lock that lets you take the plastic body off.

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (13/18)
12/13/06 9:57pm

Adams' Apple

I have been corrected...the alarm WAS a standard item in '72, not '73 as I believed.

So... If your car does not have the key-switch in the rear, someone has filled the hole in, or replaced the rear section of the body with an earlier section. Or...Or...you have a '71?

Sorry for my mistake...

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rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (14/18)
12/14/06 7:45am

well, I guess Im not screwed, but I would like to know what happened to my hole.....Im sure I have a 72 Vette, thats for certain, based on the vin, interior, front lenses, etc.....so either someone filled in the holes or I have an earlier rear end on the car, say a 70 or a 71....I'll le you know once I get to the bottom of it....

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (15/18)
12/15/06 2:24pm

mutheta46
Former Member
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Austin, TX - USA

Vette(s):
1973 L-82 4-speed Blue Green Metallic Original paint and drive train

Joined: 12/15/2006
Posts: 4

I know the alarm was standard on the 73. I have a 73 survivor car with the alarm key located on the rear panel, and I have the original window sticker that does not have the alarm on the option list. I am the third owner of the car and have all documentation of the car including sales receipts, warranty paperwork, the special order form used when the first owner ordered the car, and every maintenance check the car has ever had. Nothing in there about alarm installation by dealer.

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (16/18)
12/15/06 7:53pm

so how will this affect the value, if at all ?

rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (17/18)
12/15/06 8:40pm

Adams' Apple

Very little, if any. Check under the rear fender, driver side, just ahead of where the antenna is. There should be a long tube horn there. Also, if you open the doors, there will be a pin switch at the lower edge of the lock pillar, below the latch pin on the body. There will be one under the hood, also, at the rear, about center on the firewall. My guess would be that somewhere down the line, someone filled the lock hole in. If you look real close, at the right angle, sometimes you can still see where the hole was, as the bondo/resin will not be perfect, or may have shrunk enough to be able to see the repair.
If all of the other stuff is still there, you can have the hole put back in, and the lock switch installed.

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rear "trunk" lock on 72 ? (18/18)
12/16/06 6:57am

Redwingvette

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Waterford, MI - USA

Vette(s):
1973 Red coupe

Joined: 9/13/2002
Posts: 1747

The key is located on the back of my 73. Anyone could reach up and pull the wires off disabiling the alarm if they wanted to. Pretty lame alarm system. They could do the same to the horn as well. There isn't any ignition cutout there either. So if you wanted to you could just drive off even if the alarm horn was honking.

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Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans

Borgeson Steering box

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