Glass Release?

Was goofing around with The Betty today (my brother's latest acquisition). The switch on the dash won't pop the glass, nor would the button on the tailgate. Coincidence? I thought not.

I pulled it apart and saw that the solenoid that pops the glass was just hanging inside the gate - not attached to the lock mechanism. I attached it and now the glass pops from the dash button and the button on the gate via the solenoid.

But...seems to me there should be a way to open the glass from inside. When I looked at the lever that pops the glass, there was an arm with a nylon grommet that looks like it should have something attached. There's nothing attached.

In stock form, can you pop the glass when you're sitting in the 3rd row? Is there something missing? I hooked a string up to the nylon grommet so you can pop the glass from in the car, but I'd prefer the stock arrangement if it exists.

I've never heard of it. I've had a few of these wagons, and if any of them had the feature, I wasn't aware of it.

Neat idea though!

NOthing is missing. No inside release. A total oversight in design IMHO.

The only manual release is to turn the key to the left while in the button on the back.
Someone in Europe on here had a mod to do it (they got the car that way). Can't recall who though....

Nice avatar Bill,

Sprocket wrote:

Nice avatar Bill,

Thanks! The idea came to me out of the blue today!

Sprocket wrote:

NOthing is missing. No inside release. A total oversight in design IMHO.

The only manual release is to turn the key to the left while in the button on the back.
Someone in Europe on here had a mod to do it (they got the car that way). Can't recall who though....

Nice avatar Bill,

The key works, so I guess I'm glad for that. It's odd that that little arm is hanging there. I fished a string up through one of the interior release handles that looks funny but is functional. Maybe I'll rig up something less hokey in the future. In the meantime, we have bigger fish to fry. Taking the transmission out tomorrow....

Thanks for the replies!

MarcinV8 was the one who had the inside release, because his wagon was converted to run on LP gas I believe.

Otherwise, nope. Sitting back there you are at the mercy of your driver friend.

Stingroo wrote:

Sitting back there you are at the mercy of your driver friend.

That's just plain scary. I don't like even sitting up front with him driving

turbojimmy wrote:

Stingroo wrote:

Sitting back there you are at the mercy of your driver friend.

That's just plain scary. I don't like even sitting up front with him driving

Get something long enough to serve as an "adjustment tool" and use it as needed. If you render the driver unconscious, however, that's on you. They've got a airbag and you don't.

You could always climb over the back seat or even flip it down (assuming this can be done from inside the car--I've not tried it yet) for a stumbling escape. First time anyone tries that in my car, however, they are walking (and not just because they chose to get out).

uxwbill wrote:

Get something long enough to serve as an "adjustment tool" and use it as needed.

Yeah, grabbing the dash and using the imaginary passenger side brake pedal has been too subtle, evidently.

Stingroo wrote:

MarcinV8 was the one who had the inside release, because his wagon was converted to run on LP gas I believe.

Otherwise, nope. Sitting back there you are at the mercy of your driver friend.

If I remember correctly, MarcinV8 had a latch from another car rigged to open the gate glass. You could use something from a door of a amall car about the same era to keep the "look". The Corvette has a usable latch mechanism which is small, and unobtrusive. I have been looking at possibilities in the junk yard, but have not found one yet.

Yeah, I think he said his door came from a Cavalier or something?

I can't find the thread, but it was in the center of the tailgate.