Repair of 1970 DeVille trunk lock cover

[jwjohnson86]

My 1970 DeVille convertible has the trunk lock bezel intact and installed but no sliding lock cover.  Good news, I just found the sliding bezel cover in a big box of miscellaneous parts I received from the seller.  It appears that the back of the cover has a cam with what looks like a hook where a spring would attach.  Is this correct or is the cam broken?  If this is intact, any suggestions or leads on a replacement spring would be welcome.

Thanks,
Jason Johnson
CLC # 29583

[Scot Minesinger]

Jason,

I have definitely replaced those before, and you almost have to have the original mechanism in place to see how it goes together.  You need a friend who has 70 that is willing to take his apart with you.  I might have one, but need the spring.

Suggest you call Honest John, Cadillacs Only, or Cadillac King and ask them to buy the worst looking, but functional 1970 trunk lock bezel complete, that they would never be able to sell due to cosmetics.  Tell them you just want the spring/cam mechanism,  but understand it must be sold as a set.  You want the hole thing though.  Unfortunately 1970 is a one year only trunk lock cover.  If you try and buy just the spring you risk it being the wrong one, or not be able to figure it out.  Then you can always sell it without spring on e-bay - someone will buy it.

[chrisntam]

As timely as ever, eBay comes through for you........except for the price.....geez..........

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-70-CADILLAC-DEVILLE-COUPE-SEDAN-CONVERTIBLE-TRUNKLID-LOCK-TRIM-EMBLEM-CREST-/221858173156?hash=item33a7c710e4&vxp=mtr

Maybe you can at least look at the pics to see how it works............

[jwjohnson86]

Thanks for the suggestions!  From the ebay photos it looks like a circular spring with a cotter pin through the center to hold it in place.  Probably difficult to rebuild unless I can dissect a working example so I'll probably have to look for a replacement.  Sadly my crest is fully enameled with great color, way better than the ebay listing.

[Scot Minesinger]

As I remember the spring does not have a cotter pin, but I think you get the idea, will have to buy one that is cosmetically flawed to get a decent price.

[mikanystrom]

Sorry for responding to such an old post, but did you ever figure this out?  You wouldn't happen to have photos or drawings of what goes on inside the trunk lock cover?

I have exactly the same problem.  The crest came off in my hand a few weeks ago, at first I thought I needed to replace the whole cover.  There is a NOS on eBay for $620 right now!!!!!

But on closer inspection it looks like the spring has broken or somehow else failed, the cover is intact.  I just need to figure out how to get  a new spring and assemble the whole thing, but what do I do?  It seems if you do it wrong, you will risk losing the cover, which is the last thing I want.

(In case anyone is wondering, yes this is a 1970 De Ville (also Convertible in my case) so it's the one-year-only/De Ville&Calais  giant crest version of the trunk lock cover.)

[cadillacmike68]

1971 DeVille / Calais also had the giant crest with no V but I'm not sure if the angle of the dangle on the trunk is the same for those two years.

[Matti R]

71 Eldo trunk lock looks like this from behind. Not sure if 70 is similar.

[cadillacmike68]

The 1970-71 ElDorados have physically smaller trunk lock covers than the RWD DeVilles and Calais of those two years. They will not interchange.