Anyone got the gouge on how to pick the trunk lock on a mid-late 60's Mopar trunk lock? This is embarrassing to admit, but I locked the keys to my '66 Charger in the trunk yesterday, and these days it is not as if you can call a tow truck guy with the tools and know-how to crack an old-school trunk lock. It's a basic Mopar lock, you can probably pick it with a bobby pin, but I'm not a lock-picking guy.

 

Does it have access from the interior?

 

There is a security panel between the rear seats and the trunk, but the latches for it are inside the trunk. That is the maddening thing, there's nothing separating the cabin from the trunk but that plywood panel, but I can't see anyway to jimmy open the latches. Worst case scenario, I can drill out the trunk lock and just replace it. My Charger isn't a numbers-matching car (original engine and transmission are long gone) so I don't need to keep the car ultimo-original, and various sources have replacement locks. I was sort of hoping a Mopar stud, though, would know an easy way to pick the lock.

The irony is that I was distracted by someone coming up and complimenting me on the car when I shut the trunk lid.

 

We've all been there, if ýou could go in from the interior you can unbolt the latch from the body panel. Or just grab your keys.🙂
but I know of no way to pick your trunk lock, door locks I can get in and a sedan's trunk you pull the seat and unbolt the latch or striker.

I bet you have three sets of keys when you get this open, the original and the two sets you have cut.

 

Is there a way to jimmy open the security panel latches from inside the passenger cabin? I pulled off the trim panel from below the bottom of the rear window, and there is a brace across the rear overlapping the panel that blocks the top. I don't see any way to jimmy around to the back of the panel without seriously tearing up that brace or the panel. From my recollection of the panel latches, those are pretty strong, spring-loaded bolts that seat firmly into striker plates mounted on that brace. I mean, it's meant to be difficult to break open, that's why it's called a "security panel."

I can find an auto locksmith to pick the trunk lock, I just would rather spend the money on repair parts. You know how it is, you make some dumb mechanical boo-boo, and if you can fix it yourself, cheaply, then it seems less dumb afterwards. I've owned and restored lots of classic iron over the years, but it's been awhile since I've campaigned an old sled and I'm having to re-learn all of those "Stupid things you don't do when working on old cars" habits.

That is the embarrassing part--I did! When I bought the car, I made a second set of keys, put them in a magnetic holder...and hid them in the trunk. And yes, it did occur to me that I should really hid them outside the trunk, but I never went back and relocated 'em.

 

Well keep your head up, however you resolve this you will have a story to share.

 

Best just to pull the back seat and the back board out and retrieve the keys... Just my 2 cents.

 

the dealer is a better option.

 

you can get a set of auto jiggler keys online... they work! sometimes not immediately, but they do work. that aside, i'm sure any locksmith could get in that lock... literally any of them.