'86 Trunk popper
 

Where is it in an '86 FHP????:takenotes:

Relocated to a hidden spot. :p

Seriously...it is a mystery. I had an '86, and it looked like it had been in the lower, left hand kick panel. It's also AWAL in the '85, and I think Jim's '86 as well. I kick myself for not tracking it down in my '86 before I sold it, and I haven't looked in the '85.

Jim is on the road still, but he may have more to offer when he gets home. In the meantime, I'll take a look at pics of his '86 (and the '85) and see if I can come up with anything else. Whatever the deal is, it looks like it was something that FHP requested when they ordered the cars.

Looked all over the '86 Marcos bought and couldn't find it anywhere. I thought someone had cut it out.:confused:

It actually could be that they didn't come with them. The relocated decklid release didn't become a standard part of the Special Service Package until 1987. From 1982-1986 it was an option, like the oil coolers were starting in 1986. So...it's possible that FHP didn't order the cars with the remote releases at all. :)

Time to look for a build sheet.:eek:

Tom Tate scanned one in for his '86 FHP (the one he recently bought back), and it's posted on .org. It doesn't list the relocated release in the comments section, but the one for my '83 CSP posted here does. However, I've seen the comments vary on those sheets, just like the different wording on the buck tags. If there is a section up top that denotes the relocated release, I haven't found it yet.

I took a close look at the build sheets for the '82 CHP and both '83s. The spot for the decklid release is blank on the '82 (it has the relocated release) and both '83s have "X"s (both also have relocated releases). The '83s both have the releases listed in the comments sections, while the '82 doesn't. I looked at some of the other builds posted up and alot of them are also blank in the spot for the release. I'm not sure what that means, and I still don't see anything there that would help us figure out if the release was relocated.

Here is a pic of the '85.

Bernie, a redundant question here. Have you looked at the lock mechanism in the trunk lid to see if the release solenoid is actually there or not? If it is installed then that release button has got to be hiding somewhere or at least the harness with the receptical plug on it under the dash. It could be anywhere from the driver's kick panel all the way across to the glove compartment area. Good luck.

Gregg, It has the solenoid and the wires in the trunk lid. But the button or plug are nowhere to be found in the dash area.:confused:

Bernie,

I took the entire dash apart last night. I could not find that darn button anywhere in this car. I remember that my Non-SSP '86 had the release inside the glove compartment. The SSP has the hole for the release but it is MIA.

If the SSP did not bring it, I will place one inside the glove compartment because it makes it a lot easier at times.

If I remember right, I saw one in an '85-'86 in the kick panel. I may be wrong on that, though.

Also.....I think Ford just extended the harness with another pigtail, so if you find the original near the glovebox, that should help. :)

Well, yesterday while taking the dash apart AGAIN. Bernie and I found the harness to the trunk release wrapped up with another harness that runs above the glove compartment. I attached a release button that I had gotten from the junkyard and it works well. I took a second look at the hole at the center top inside the glove compartment but quickly determined that this is not a hole for the release, as I had mistakenly thought. There are no other holes that the release will fit in so I feel safe to say that 1986 FHP Mustangs were not ordered with the relocated trunk release button.

Having said that, it is a convenience and it does not look bad in the relocated position that other departments ordered it with. I think I will place a trunk release button in the relocated position on my '86. I am thinking of placing it to the right of the steering column on the plate the can be removed, just in case in the future I decided no to have it visible all I have to do is change that panel.

What do you guys think of this?

Sounds like a good idea to me. Easily changed back to stock and more convenient than reaching over a passenger all the time to get to the one in the glove box.

Check out these photos on this ebay ad. It shows a Colorado SSP with two photos of the Popper button to the left of the radio under the instrument panel.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1986-...QQcmdZViewItem

Hope this helps, if not, sorry...

I think that's where it's going to end up.:thumbsup: