Guide; De-Locking Your Boot. 56K NO NO

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Guide; De-Locking Your Boot. 56K NO NO
#1
Warning: This guide has almost 50 photos, all are hosted as attachments to the site in their full size formats. This is because after spending ages fixing and editing the guide and ordering the photos on my computer so they made sense i wasnt going to spend another couple of hours resizing them all so I apologise if it takes a little time to load.



Boot Smoothing and De-Locking




Finally got time to write this guide for here. Your best to do this on a dry, calm and sunny summers weekend, not the winter like I did however I did this back in 2008 and its still holding up well but now on Mark Aireys car.

So anyway, get your Haynes manual out for the wiring diagrams and stripping the boot down. Its torx bits to hold the black cover and the rest is pretty obvious when you see the locking mechanism.

Here is the standard locking solenoid for the boot with a new rod to operate the boot catch. The rod is made out of a bike spoke, even a BMX one is just long enough.

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Iâ??ve already removed my rear wiper so I decided to use the wiring from that to save trying to run a wire up the car. This is the plugs in the boot before I started playing. The white plug is the c/l plug and the yellow and red ones are off the wiper motor.

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This is the wiring after. All the plugs pop open allowing you to pop the wires out and swap them over. I stuck the yellow/green earth in one side and the grey in the other. I had tested the solenoid to see which way round I needed to wire it to get it to pull so I knew what wires would go to what side of the plug.

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This is the plug in the steering shroud for all the wiper controls. The big white wire (arrowed blue) is the main power for the wipers and is only live with the ignition so the key needs to be in to open the boot. The grey wire (arrowed red) is the grey rear wiper wire in the boot and you need to chop this at the plug then wire from the fat white wire via a switch to the grey wire. The white wire (arrowed green) I cut by mistake and had to re wire.

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You then need to remove the lock and button. I did this using brute force and a big screwdriver but you can undo the screws if you want. Then using some super-duper glue such as this....

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....... and some metal or solid plastic plates cover over the holes.
And before you say aaaarrgggghhhh you cant use glue you need to weld it, I have used glue previously on my Polo to do the same thing and thatâ??s still holding up 18 months on.

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I decided to fix the few little dents and where thereâ??s rust bubbling behind the paint. Really hurts inside to take 40 grit paper to my shiny boot to give it a good key for the filler to stick to.

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In went the first bit of filler. It was such a small hole I only used a tiny bit of filler but got it pressed right in all the same.

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Waited for it to dry and sanded it off with the 40 grit again.

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Added another layer of filler to smooth out the imperfections.

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And sanded it back again. Then I went over it with wet sanding sponges of medium, fine and very fine leaving me with this smooth finish.

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As I canâ??t finish it till the weekend and filler and primer absorb water I decided to give it a couple of coats of paint so I masked it off roughly and off we go. This is how it stands now.

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This is how it looked the next morning.

Thereâ??s still a dent I have to deal with and the filler appears to of shrunk slightly but itâ??s all stuff that will be fixed next weekend before I spray the whole thing.

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Swapped the button over from a rear fog button to a heated window one. Both Buttons use wires 1 and 3 to operate the solenoid.

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I also through a bit of trial and error worked out which wires would make it light up and connected these with the dodgy blue connectors. The fat white wire is the one that makes my boost gauge light up and green/yellow is earth.

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And this is how it looks now. The other button is for something else.

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So onto the smoothing again. I sanded it back a bit with some 40grit and it quickly became clear that I was indeed gonna need more filler in the holes as they werenâ??t flush.

After putting in a thin layer of filler I sanded it back with some 120grit wrapped round a block of wood about 1" by 0.5" by 8" and sanded in an up and down motion so the filler would follow the contours perfectly. I repeated this with 400 and 600 grit.

I also went over the rest of the boot with a medium, fine and very fine sanding sponge to give the paint a good key.

[attachment=17]



I see no point primering the bits of the boot where I havenâ??t sanded through the paint so I only masked off this bit and gave it a few coats of primer and this is how it stands now.

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Right after another half dozen coats of primer cos I like to sand it back a lot I was almost ready for the colour. I sanded back the primer to a smooth finish. I took the lights out to paint some of the tiny rust bubbles behind the lights.

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Then I masked the car inside and out and halfway down the sides.

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And I added the first light coat of black paint only on the primered area. I donâ??t want it on mega thick round the sides so it will be easier to blend.

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Got another coat on and it looked like this

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Then another coat after and I got a run (can too near to boot) however this is how it is now. Waited an hour then flat it back and put a top coat on it. I can see my reflection in it already so Iâ??m quite happy.

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Right rubbed back the runs and put the top coat on.
Itâ??s looking good, just need to keep the heaters on it till it dryâ??s then go over it with the rubbing compound and the polish and it should look top notch

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Ok all the masking tape is off and Iâ??ve done a corner and joint to its final look.
So in the last hour Iâ??ve removed all the masking.

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But then being the muppet that I am I let the boot go up and it hit the garage door with a bit of force leaving a huge scar down it that Iâ??ve now touched up but still looks shit.

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Lights refitted. Looking nearly finished now.

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Hereâ??s the join before I did anything with it. Looks smooth already because I rolled the edge of the tape.

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I decided to see how a corner would look when finished so I went over the paint with rubbing compound then Meguirs step 1 paint renovator then Meguirs step 2 polish then Meguirs gold class wax and this is how it turned out.

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Lookâ??s good in the daylight and rain.

Canâ??t wait to go over the whole thing with the rubbing compound etc and just generally have a dry weekend to do the whole car.

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Right hereâ??s the rubbing compound that i use.

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Put it on a bit of cloth and rub it in. Circles on big areas, straight lines over joins. Be aware it does take paint off so donâ??t use it too often. Iâ??ve been over the boot once with it and the joins twice and thatâ??s it. Itâ??s also very good for getting overspray off paintwork. Donâ??t let it dry on and remove with a damp cloth.

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It does leave paintwork with a matt finish but the join has nearly disappeared already.

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The next step after this is this t-cut paste on the joins and imperfections only to try and colour them in a bit.

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After that itâ??s on to the paint work renovator, polish and wax. These are what I use and I just use them as per the instructions.

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And the finished job. Canâ??t see the join at all.

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Decided those pictures didnâ??t do it justice so i parked it round with the sun on it.

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Costs for this are;
Bike spoke £free
Wiring £free
Switch £1
Primer £2
Gloss black £2
Pug black for top coat £6
2 big rolls of masking tape £2.50
Huge tub of elbow grease £free


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#2
Hmmm I'm very tempted to do this to mine. Got 2 rust bubbles In the boot so would be rude not to smooth it whilst I'm there!
Team Eaton


1999 China Blue 306 GTi6 - Eaton Supercharged - 214.5bhp 181lbft
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#3
Looks good! Massive shame that it opened and hit the garage Sad I think my smooth boot was either stored dodgily or welded but it seems to have warped so it always looks open from one side!
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#4
Nicely done. All those Meguiar's products must have cost a fortune! Was your peugeot black paint just a rattle can from peugeot? Will probably do my boot in the next few weeks. I did the old one but now using experience and this guide I should be able to do a much better job!
[Image: 20120704_212316.jpg]
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#5
would love to smooth my boot over, but it would be difficult getting a colour match in diablo Sad
[Image: 306ocsig_edited-1-1.jpg]


306 HDI, soon to be XUD
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#6
SRowell Wrote:Looks good! Massive shame that it opened and hit the garage Sad I think my smooth boot was either stored dodgily or welded but it seems to have warped so it always looks open from one side!

Nah thatll be the adjustment in the hinges at the top of the boot. loosen them off a tiny bit and you can slide the boot around to adjust the panel gap. Try one side at a time first though. Oh and is its out at the bottom you can adjust the lock catch by slackening off the nuts and moving it too.







Ben Wrote:Nicely done. All those Meguiar's products must have cost a fortune! Was your peugeot black paint just a rattle can from peugeot? Will probably do my boot in the next few weeks. I did the old one but now using experience and this guide I should be able to do a much better job!
Nah not really. About £7 a bottle. The 1,2,3 step stuff is still almost full and Ive had it 4 years or more and a bottle of gold class wax lasts me about 3 years. You use alot less of the more expensive waxes and IMO that makes the cheaper stuff a false economy.

The paint was actually Peugeot black from Halfords.






declantg Wrote:would love to smooth my boot over, but it would be difficult getting a colour match in diablo Sad
Kezzer30 has just painted his whole boot and it looks to be a good match and thats diablo. ask him.






Niall Wrote:Hmmm I'm very tempted to do this to mine. Got 2 rust bubbles In the boot so would be rude not to smooth it whilst I'm there!
Defo rude not to mate. If you want the rod making come over to mine cos i have spokes and know what im doing.
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#7
What did you use to spray it when you did it mate? Halfords and then Peugeot for top coat?
Team Orange Engine Bay

My flickr photostream - http://www.flickr.com/photos/markairey
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#8
The lock looks good, il need a photo of a white one done before i do mine. But the dewiper i just dont like on any 306
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#9
cracking job mate! kudos on the guide too, good stuff!
[Image: k6f9Fk]


Member of the 99% warning or you're nothing club
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#10
Looks great mate! Should have got you to do mine haha. Oh well now looks good now!
[Image: Foxy2.jpg]
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#11
Thinking about it I could just get some colour matched paint!
[Image: 306ocsig_edited-1-1.jpg]


306 HDI, soon to be XUD
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#12
Great work and a great write up too Smile

This is where the flat colours come into their own, curse my moonstone finish!

Please come and do mine now lol Big Grin

Bri.
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#13
Anyone got a spare china blue boot lid they want to give me?!? Big Grin
Team Eaton


1999 China Blue 306 GTi6 - Eaton Supercharged - 214.5bhp 181lbft
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#14
Excellent guide chris - is the boot rewiring THAT simple...??

I'd be tempted to try this out, maybe in the summer - might get myself a spare boot from scrappies and give it a go, as usual with me, the electrics worry me
Diablo Hdi Dturbo and 205 1.9 project - it lives!
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#15
Daniel306 Wrote:The lock looks good, il need a photo of a white one done before i do mine. But the dewiper i just dont like on any 306
Have you seen a smooth de-wiper done without a bung and with a small circle of black vynil instead, looks much better. Ill put up a pic if you want cos i reckon youll change your mind.





samass Wrote:cracking job mate! kudos on the guide too, good stuff!
Cheers Mate




Foxy-jim Wrote:Looks great mate! Should have got you to do mine haha. Oh well now looks good now!
Mate if your up this way ill do the popper rod and wiring for a few beer tokens. Ill leave the bodywork to you.





mark_airey Wrote:What did you use to spray it when you did it mate? Halfords and then Peugeot for top coat?

Wilko cheap primer as its less prone to reacting and tougher than the Halfords stuff.
Halfords black big can for the base coats (cos its cheaper than the little cans).
Halfords Peugeot black for the top coats.
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#16
^^ That explains all the shit I am having with paint reactions then, and hitting the garage door with it explains the odd patch lol
Team Orange Engine Bay

My flickr photostream - http://www.flickr.com/photos/markairey
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#17
declantg Wrote:Thinking about it I could just get some colour matched paint!
Do It!!!!!






Bri-HDI Wrote:Great work and a great write up too Smile

This is where the flat colours come into their own, curse my moonstone finish!

Please come and do mine now lol Big Grin

Bri.
Cheers Mate. As with the offer above. If you come over here Ill do the rod and make it work for a few beer tokens to cover my costs.








Niall Wrote:Anyone got a spare china blue boot lid they want to give me?!? Big Grin
No but seriously come up here and ill do the rod and wiring for you.




ginge191 Wrote:Excellent guide chris - is the boot rewiring THAT simple...??

I'd be tempted to try this out, maybe in the summer - might get myself a spare boot from scrappies and give it a go, as usual with me, the electrics worry me

The wiring really is THAT simple. Swap a couple of wires in the plug in the boot and itll open when you turn the rear wiper on.
Tap into the ign live and snip one wire and fit a button at the front if you dont like using the wiper stalk.

If your ever up this way im happy to do it for you.
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#18
mark_airey Wrote:^^ That explains all the shit I am having with paint reactions then, and hitting the garage door with it explains the odd patch lol

You using halfords primer then?


If you want to kill the reactions give it a coat of hammerite spary cos it reacts with nothing and not alot reacts with it.
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#19
Dum-Dum Wrote:You using halfords primer then?


If you want to kill the reactions give it a coat of hammerite spary cos it reacts with nothing and not alot reacts with it.

Nope, cellulose primer last time! its getting blasted with 2k high build when I do it again!
Team Orange Engine Bay

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#20
Dum-Dum Wrote:The wiring really is THAT simple. Swap a couple of wires in the plug in the boot and itll open when you turn the rear wiper on.
Tap into the ign live and snip one wire and fit a button at the front if you dont like using the wiper stalk.

If your ever up this way im happy to do it for you.

i MAY take you up on this mate, thanks Smile
Diablo Hdi Dturbo and 205 1.9 project - it lives!
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#21
top guide chris. still going to pop down and see ya so you can do it.
[Image: newsig_zpsee86fa10.jpg]
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#22
How about you lot organise a day when you can all come to my house and sort a few of them out at once especially if your all gonna give me a few quid to cover expenses so i end up with a useful amount of money at the end of the day.
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#23
Quote:The wiring really is THAT simple. Swap a couple of wires in the plug in the boot and itll open when you turn the rear wiper on.
Tap into the ign live and snip one wire and fit a button at the front if you dont like using the wiper stalk.

If your ever up this way im happy to do it for you.

Any more info about which wire is the one for the rear wiper/ignition live (my current boot release)? People keep asking for things out of my boot and i have to keep going with them to make sure they dont blow the fuse!
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#24
SRowell Wrote:People keep asking for things out of my boot and i have to keep going with them


Confusedhock:

What the hell do you get up to?!


ninja
[Image: car-1.jpg]

Member of the 99% warning or you're nothing club


2000 Moonstone 1.8 Meridian - Sold
2000 China 3dr XS - Dead
1998 Diablo 3dr XSI
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#25
Dum-Dum Wrote:How about you lot organise a day when you can all come to my house and sort a few of them out at once especially if your all gonna give me a few quid to cover expenses so i end up with a useful amount of money at the end of the day.
sounds cool to me. need mine doing before fcs so i can get the horrible dent done as well whilst its being sprayed.
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#26
SRowell Wrote:
Quote:The wiring really is THAT simple. Swap a couple of wires in the plug in the boot and itll open when you turn the rear wiper on.
Tap into the ign live and snip one wire and fit a button at the front if you dont like using the wiper stalk.

If your ever up this way im happy to do it for you.

Any more info about which wire is the one for the rear wiper/ignition live (my current boot release)? People keep asking for things out of my boot and i have to keep going with them to make sure they dont blow the fuse!

Look at the wires in the pictures or use a multimeter mate, cant really be any more help than that.
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#27
dum dum quick question...

[Image: Smoothing04.jpg]

on the blue arrow which white wire is it as theres 2 big white wires. is it the one under the clip to the right of the arrow, or the one to the left of the arrow?
do i need to cut this wire and put it straight to the switch or do i just split into it with another wire then wire to the switch?
#2 Moonstone Blue HDI
[Image: 6b0c7309-5184-463c-9f73-2a7b96601418_zpsfdf041fe.jpg]
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#28
Right having done all this I can now unlock the boot from a switch on the dash. only problem is that the solenoid doesn't ping back so once its unlocked i need to physically move the spoke to pull the solenoid back out. is this an issue with the solenoid or is it my shoddy wiring or have i fubar'd something?
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#29
I've forgotten if it needed a tiny spring to make it return, I have a feeling there is a spring on the lock mechanism that pulls it back.
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