68 Rear Storage Compartment Doors

[Kurt B.]

Gentlemen:
What is the correct openiong/lifting mechanism for these carpeted doors on a May 68 build date Corvette.
I have seen doors with metal finger tabs around the lock for lifting the doors when closed, round vinyl finger loops with bolts through the doors, and doors with nothing except the push button locks relying solely on the spring loaded hingeto "pop" the door open. The catalogs show both the metal finger tabs and vinyl loops.
I want to know what was correct for my May 10 built 68 coupe.
I know when I purchased it in 72 it had nothing except the locks but didn't know if prior owner might have removed something. I saw no visible holes in the door so maybe mine left the factory bare????
Thank you,
Kurt # 26406

[Jim T.]

Re: 68 Rear Storage Compartment Doors

Kurt my original owner 68 came with no pull loops, my 70 came with those from the factory. My 68 did not have any metal finger tabs. Like you mentioned, my 68 came with springs to assist lifting the doors. Is your middle storage lid plastic? My 68's is and is red to match the interior.

[Kurt B.]

Re: 68 Rear Storage Compartment Doors

Jim,
Thanks for your response and now I am rethinking my question.
Since mine had no pulls of any kind when I purchased it, and since it was only 4 years old at the time, maybe mine was factory original. Perhaps the original owner did NOT remove or change anything on these doors and what I assumed was missing may have never been there to begin with. In other words, maybe, like your 68, mine came from the factory with just the spring loaded doors and later versions had the other loops and finger pulls to assist in opening the doors.
Thanks Jim,
Kurt

[Mark F.]

Re: 68 Rear Storage Compartment Doors

I think the loops were added due to complaints that it was hard to open the doors. My doors are not original. I have a question about the spring loaded doors. Where do you get the hinges? Anyone know. I have regular hinges. Any help would be appreciated. What do they look like?

Mark Franken

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: 68 Rear Storage Compartment Doors

Kurt:
My early '69 (Oct build date)came with no pulls. All it had were the springs that were supposed to pop the door open. Of course they never worked properly and I added the pull tabs. When I had my car Flight Judged, I put the originals back and really fine tuned the plastic frame and doors. They now work perfectly with no tabs. The vinyl rings were added not long after my car was built. The AIM shows the rings. If yours had any pull rings there would be screw holes in the carpet.
Jeff

[Reba Whittington]

Re: 68 Rear Storage Compartment Doors

Your car was built with the springs. As mentioned, dealers added pulls when the springs gave up. Loops were added for 1969 production although some early ones still used the '68 springs. I judged a 1969 at Waco this weekend that had the springs and they still worked!

The bezels with the tabs came about in 1978 I think.

The current TM and JG gives an explanatin of all this and more. It is available from the NCRS office.

[Kurt B.]

Thanks to all, for the replies. *NM*

[Mark F.]

Re: Thanks to all, for the replies.

My thanks to Kurt who emailed me photos of the springs, which made me go out into the garage and look at the old compartment door frames I replaced last year and lo and behold, the springs were there. Lucky I didn't throw them out. I'm saved and yes, they still work.

Mark Franken

[Dennis M.]

Re: Thanks to all, for the replies.

Kurt,

I would like the photo of the springs as well. I have the original frame and doors, but will be replacing the frame as it is cracked with a replacement purchased at Carlisle last year. My email is savethewave64@netscape.com

Thanks,
Dennis