I was at the jy getting the front fenders off the TC that i got my bumper cover off of and i found another t-bird. Its it pretty good shape looks like it was pretty well taken care of and it is complete(i think it was for sale somewhere considering there was a for sale sign next to it). Well the problem is the doors are all locked and the hood isnt popped either. Well I thought i had read a thread about opening a locked bird here before but i searched and couldnt find the thread.
SO what is the easiest/quickest way of getting the doors unlocked w/o the keys(no keyless entry either) i dont really want to break a window though i suppose i could if i have to. I would like to look at the interior and maybe take a couple other thing off of the car but i cant get anything without being able to open the doors/hood/trunk.
Thanks,
Andrew
you could get a slim jim or get a wire clothes hanger. both work i know from experience lol
what year of bird is it? on my friends 85 we had to pop the quarter window out and I went through to open the door. I dont know how easy it would be on an 87-88 bird.
Its an 87/88. Not sure exactly
Its at the autowrecker? look in car trunks, any make will do, you need something like a tire iron, or even a big rock.
You get the idea.
Did you try asking at the front desk to see if they have a key for it? or is it locked in the car?
Scott
I didnt see the keys inside but most of the other cars they put the keys in the doors or one of the other locks. The TC had the keys in the trunk the other t-bird that was there had the key for the ignition on the seat. I might ask at the desk but they are a pretty small operation so i dont know. im thinking i will just go for one of the windows and try to break it out.
long (12" or longer) skinny screwdriver through the rear slot for the door handle unlocks the door super simple.
you beat me to it
i just typed a whole story on how it is done and how easy it is to do. and that when i show people how easy it is i see how their jaw drops when i was finished. then i realised maybe we should'nt post how it's done. and maybe P/M them anybody can read this not just us ;)
i tryed doing a search and could'nt find an answer. which is good but you never know
it will only take one right key word and BAM! someone's reading this thread.. and someone's car is missing.. y'a i know people don't steal these cars when theirs money and greed anything can happen..
oh and don't forget the punk joyride..
Nick
Is the object that i am trying to move with the screwdriver visible from the outside or do i just go at it blindly and hope i eventually hit what i am aiming for.
If you could P/M me with the info i would appreciate it, you dont have to though. I think i will go try it on my car later see if i can get a feel for how its done. I dont want to break anything on the car(even though its at a JY) cause you never know when you might need something off of it.
Thanks
You may be able to open the hood without getting into the car.
I've read that you can find the release cable in the drivers' wheel well and pull like hell on it.
pull the grille out and pull on the cord.
Pulling the grille out would ruin it for someone else. Do what you want, but when I go for a dive in the local yards, I try to preserve what I can for the guy that needs something behind me.
ummmm could you please explain how???
go blindly you will know when you get it right ;)
right?! cause you need the keys to pull the grille. theif proof grilles from Ford.
did you quote the wrong post? dear god i hope so
better yet we'll all act like you didnt say that
Okay, then. Since you're dead set against just ripping it out...
From the outside, oh-so-softly remove the screws holding the grill in place, very gently extract it from the nose, and with a feather-touch place it on the roof of the car. If it's a Cougar, Haynes says it's also held in with tabs/slots at the top edge. If it's a TC there isn't any grill, so delicately remove the screws around the lip of the driver's fender lip, lightly push the plastic fender liner out of the way, lovingly grasp the hood release cable housing, and yank on that sumbitch until the hood goes *pop*. :hick:
i said that, but in a lot simpler way :D
Voice of experiance right here.
I could just smash the header panel to get the hood open. :beatyoass:
The header panel already has a large chunk out of it anyway. But i what i really want is inside and the tail lights. Anyways thanks for all the tips i will have to try it sometime when i get back out to the JY
bath towel+ hand+wrapping motion+ brute force+window= happy parts for joo!
Would it be possible to lay under the front of the car and reach up through the bottom of the bumper cover and reach the hood release cable? I know it would be a long reach, but you don't need a whole lot to grab onto... just enough to get a good grip.
Hilarious. :D
id be curious if someone PM'ed me about the screwdriver trick. ive managed to lock myself out of my cougar couple times even when i dont drive it lmao.
i will send you the PM that blown306cougar sent me. check your PM
Andrew
did you get your car open?
Rather than start a new thread.....
My keys fell off a POS keyring on the motorcycle. luckilly it was only 4 keys, 2 too the house 1 to my LTD and 1 for the cougar
the worst part is the copy of the cougar key i have doesnt work,
i knew it didnt work the day i had them made but i didnt drive the car so i couldnt check it there. I remember holding the two keys together and seeing the slight imperfection i was just too lazy to go out and spend 2 minutes on the dremel.
Ok i have to know, the screw driver trick. Its done on youtube with an antenna, the guy will steal the antenna off your car and then use it to break into rangers and explorers. It was on the evening news somewhere in TX on youtube.
is it the same trick? I pulled the door apart on the LTD just to see it next to the cougar and am really stumped on how you can pop one of these doors open. Unless the plastic cover is taken off the latch it seems impossible to me.
Ive managed to get the hood open, it was easy. pop the tabs on the bottom of the grill and then reach around the latch and pop it with one finger.
Im contemplating using a wooden dowel rod through the firewall if i can drill a hole in just the right spot to hit the power lock. I luckilly don't have ANYTHING in the way of HVAC to stop me. Or even a glove box for that matter.
Suggestions??
pardon the rant, Im mad.
I would try unscrewing the grille. The screws are on the outside inset of the grille pattern. I am sure that will preserve it! ;)
:rollin::rollin::rollin::rollin::rollin::rollin:
I got the hood open on my old '88 without messing with the grill or anything. Grab you a little 1/4 drive ratchet (cant remember socket size) and reach up inside and unbolt the hood latch from the rad support. Might have to unbolt the bottom of the bumper cover to allow clearance cant remember. I had to do all this with the car running and my keys locked inside the car.(long story dont ask)
I would smash the quarter window. There easy to find at a junkyard and cheaper then the $180 they charge to open your door. Then I either break the lock off the steering column or go to the junkyard and get another one. If you choose the latter, a lock smith will pop the lock out of the column in 2 seconds for $5, and put a new lock in.
I solved my issue by calling my friend at the body shop, they lock keys in cars all the time and have a good lockout tool.
After getting the doors open the column wasnt an issue, my roomate taught me one night that my Falcon key starts the Cat. I was out of town with my ex for the weekend and of course spare keys were hanging from their hook in the kitchen. I had the master set in my pocket the entire weekend and when he said "yeah you always said the gold key for the cougar" my jaw dropped, the copys of the cat keys are all silver, the only other gold key hanging in there was the falcons. We both went out to the car then and there and started it up my 1987 Cougar with a 1969 Falcon key.
Ive already picked up two new lock cylinders, A simple 20 dollar mistake, lesson learned.
I am contemplating a remote entry/start system but i do not like anything i see on the shelves at parts stores. Anyone have any ideas?
Yes: spend the money for a high quality unit.
I spent $50 on a cheapo 'Bulldog' unit about eight years ago. The instructions were full of typos and grammatical mistakes (bad omen there), it took me way too long to install it, and the range on the remote was total garbage.
Finally, the main control box fried itself after 6 months and cut off the power to my taillights. I was so freaking furious at that thing.