Marcus815 Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 About 6 months ago a friend accidentally snapped the Automatic Retracting Antenna on the back of my '93 Seville. Today I went down to a junkyard in my area to try and find a working replacement. They had 6 Caddy's, 3 of which were Catera's. Anyhow, all but one were missing the antenna I am looking for. Unfortunately, the one that did have it I'm having some trouble getting inside of, and that's why I'm posting this. You see, I can not open the trunk. The battery under the hood is dead, at least I believe it is, and even if it worked it wouldn't matter because the button to open the trunk is gone. The key to open the trunk isn't there, and it wouldn't matter if it was because the lock itself on the trunk is gone as well. We tried hammering away at the locking mechanism that holds the trunk in place by sticking a Philips screwdriver in there and that didn't work. We even tried to get into the trunk by cutting out the paneling in the back seat and crawling through, but apparently the seats themselves are held in place by some steel paneling. So how can I get in the trunk of this caddy? Is there any manual release hatch lever or something that will open it. According to the manual we found inside it is a 1994 Cadillac Deville. I have a few pictures below if that will help. I can take it from there once I get inside, I already know how to remove the antenna (I did it on my Seville). Thanks a lot guys, Marcus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 A big flat head screwdriver and an even bigger hammer... Bang out the lock and then turn the latch Or Take a small 14V battery with you and hook up the battery and use the power latch... One is elegant and one is very satisfying.... Take your pick You do know that the antennas are rebuild-able for about $20 in parts. (Hint Search) Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus815 Posted July 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Shoot, I didn't know that. I kept the broken antenna laying around for months but threw it out about a month ago. The thing is, I don't know if that trunk mechanism even works anymore. I'm thinking that I need to force open the trunk, I just don't really know how to go about doing that. I'm going to head back there in a little bit with some big tools from the basement and just hack away at the thing. I've got some drills and such to go at it, as well as saws. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 How to open the trunk of a locked car in a wrecking yard in Three Steps... 1) With your left hand, Hold the screwdriver in the lock mechanism... 2) With your right hand swing BFH into screwdriver until lock mechanism breaks... If you dent the trunk feel a little guilty... Just a little... Should take two or three hits if you're good... HIT IT HARD! 3) Once the tumbler is out of the way... dig deeper with the screwdriver and release the latch Who said violence never solved anything... Drills are not as effective as a big screwdriver and a hammer... The pot metal tumbler is quite deep and there is lots to drill through... The clip that holds it in gives way with a couple of hits... You will dent the trunk... Enjoy it... You are making up for not doing this when you were 16 and ending up in Juvie Hall BTW If you have a cordless drill with you... you have a 12-18V battery... That technique is only two steps 1) Have a buddy hold 12-18V cordless drill battery to wrecks positive and negative battery cables.. 2) Press Trunk release button I find a 14V cordless battery an indispensable tool when I'm "yarding" One time I used it to lower a power window so I could snag the outside rear view mirror... A yard employee watched in utter amazement as I hooked up the window motor to the battery and lowered the window... After I got the mirror... He says... "Dude, I want to show you how I do it!" He picks up a rock the size of a grapefruit and fires it through the passenger window... Most yard guys really don't care what happens to the hulks in there "you-pull" yards... These cars are bought for less then what they will sell the engine and tranny for ... anything else is pure gravy. Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus815 Posted July 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 Well, you said "most", it happens to be my luck that I found the "few". One of the crew there came up to us and appeared rather upset because there was minimal damage to the bumper of the car where we had wedged the crowbar to try and get open the trunk (we weren't successful). He did however say "Come back tomorrow afternoon and I'll help you with it" so that's good news, I'm just a bit concerned that he may charge me for the trunk damage as well as the bumper, and in a place like that junkyard with those kind of people, well, I don't want to mess around with them, haha. Two Questions... 1) I've got a cordless drill battery, but it's 9.6v and I don't see a + or - side. I also have one of those 6v rectangular batteries used on lantern/spotlight flashlights. Would either of those batteries provide enough power to pop the trunk, because I found the trunk release button and it is infact intact and would hopefully open the trunk had the car battery had any juice left in it. 2) How much does the Antenna go for, and how much should I expect them to ask for it? I don't know the part number or model of the antenna, but I did find it on Ebay, and this is what it looks like... P.S. For a quick laugh, take a look at the effort we put into prying the trunk open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted July 18, 2007 Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 Great, now we have a good pic for our next "Caption this photo" contest! Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted July 18, 2007 Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 P.S. For a quick laugh, take a look at the effort we put into prying the trunk open. OMG! Yarding lesson #2... Dude! The trunk opens the other way... Yarding lesson #3... The lock has already been "punched" on that car. stick long flat head screwdriver in hole... Feel around for the "slot" in the latch mechanism and turn clockwise 1/4 turn... It will release... If it were my yard I'd be grumpy too.. a little damage around the lock is expected... Crow bar at the back window CAPTION #1 "Boxers or Briefs" For a used antenna that works PERFECTLY I wouldn't spend more then $30... BTW You are way over dressed for a yarding expedition... The preferred attire is Jean or jean cutoffs with stains (food, paint, other) T-Shirt... Ripped, Dirty, Smelly preferred. Old runners dirty.. No belt.. Oh ya, Do not shave or wash your hair the day before the adventure. The better you dress the more you pay Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus815 Posted July 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 haha, thanks OynxSTS. I didn't go back to that place for fear of being charged for the trunk damage, so I went to this nifty website (www.junkyarddog.com) and searched for junk yards in my general area. I then gave them a call and asked if they had the antenna I was looking for. Four of them did, and they asked $35 to $50. I drove to the $35 place but it turned out that they had moved two years ago and I had gone to the wrong location. So I went to a place that asked $40 and took that one. I had some trouble getting the screws off the radio computer control box in the trunk and fitting the rubber piece on the top of the antenna, but other than that it went rather smoothly. It works great, except that the bottom of the antenna is slightly, very slightly, bent. Not enough at least for me to want to return it. In case you haven't seen what the antenna housing looks like, I put two photo's below. I will say this though, the screws were turned really tightly. This could have been done from the manufacturer, the mechanic or myself just not remembering that I did it, but not even engine oil loosened it up. I had to head to Ace hardware and pick up a 10mm Allen wrench to get them off. I don't know why those pictures look sunny, it was raining and dark when I took them and did all the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Nice Job... Yard lesson #4... EVERYTHING at the yard is negotiable... If another yard was asking $35... I'd say that, and ask them to match or better the price... Shopping at most yards is like buying leather goods in Tijuana... NEVER pay the asking price... All of these prices are opening offers. They expect you to dicker with this, do it and have fun with it. As above, the price at some yards will be directly related to how you are dressed, how bad you smell, and how many times they have seen you. Also do not pull up to the yard in your nicest car... If you have an old truck or a rusty old car drive that to the yard... and if possible describe the part as fitting a older POS car... for example that power antenna was basically the same back to a 1988 Toronado... The part will be cheaper if he thinks you are fixing a $1,500 beater then a $10,000 Caddy Some say the best time to negotiate is before you pull the part, some say after you have the part, on the way out... I like to set the price before I hit the yard... Negotiating after I pull the part means that if I don't like the price I have to leave the part behind... This PO'es yard workers, and you don't want to upset these guys... 'specially the ones with tattoos on there neck If you do this enough you will find yards you love and yards you love to hate... You will also find at the larger yards with lots of guys behind the counter some will sell the parts a lot cheaper then others... Once you know these guys the parts get REALLY cheap... Sometimes Free! As you might gather... I love spending time at wrecking yards. If I won a lottery I would quit my job, get a tattoo on my neck and buy a yard Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 I love spending time at junk yards also, I am due for a trip myself.. I am very surprised that the yard didnt open that trunk for you Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus815 Posted July 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 Haha, that's some good info there OynxSTS. I was even more surprised that he yelled at us for damaging the trunk after he refused to help us. But I didn't want to go back there, some of those guys weren't very nice looking. When we first pulled up there was three of them sitting in a small room with car parts hanging on the walls, along with pictures of naked women and calendars from years past. All three were smoking, so I guess they haven't implemented some of the laws that prohibit smoking in the work place. One was really skinny and had a shirt on three times his size with a scruffy beard and sunken eye's. He mumbled when he talked, but a mumble that wasn't coherent. It wasn't the kind of place to be after dark, lets put it that way. Anyhow, the fact that I was able to do this project (relatively small project compared to what I've seen some of you guys have done, like some of those engine overhauls) I've been thinking about fixing the broken CD player on the Seville. I'm going to go out and take some pics of it and make a new thread, because I'd like to fix it up and get it running about because MP3 quality is nothing like original CD quality. Plus, I'd like to retain the exact look of the dash. I don't want some fancy glimmering CD player detracting from the overall aged look of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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