Hi everyone! This is my first post on this site, I just joined! I've been coming here for a while though, ever since this 93 has been in my life, just for random fixes and tips. Well, this place seems to always have the answer for my enless F-Body issues, so I think it's time for my first post. Get ready and grab the popcorn, this is an amusing little storyline...

First of all, I got this 93 Camaro from a friend. Who got it from a sketchy friend. Who got it from god knows where. Its the base V6 I assume, not sure about that though as I haven't had the car in my possession for long. The reason for that being, before I get the vehicle, my friend wants his custom sound system out. Sounds like a simple task, pulling out a system, right? Well, wrong. His sketchy friend fitted one of the two speaker boxes, and like the idiot he is, he just jammed the box up in the very back of the car, up against the hatch. Apparently he had to force the hatch closed to fit it back there. Well, that wouldn't be an issue, if we had the key. But, oh right, this guy is sketchy and not very smart at all. He lost the keys to this car, and had a locksmith friend pull all the locks out and replaced them with a generic setup. Only, he didn't replace the hatch lock. Not a problem, GM put the hatch release button in the glovebox. Oh wait, that button is broken. Nevermind. So basically, there is a $300 sound system stuck back there, keeping me from taking delivery of my new project car. This is my first issue, so basically, how do I force the hatch open without costing myself much more money (I don't mind if I have to break the lock out or something, I am assuming I can pick up a replacement at a junkyard for $10 or so). And also, as I was reading through the original owner's manual last night, I noticed it details there being a trunk release that is powered by a key. Any chance that release would work with the original PASS-Key (picked one up from Chevy for $10)? And if so, where is this release? Or am I doomed to force that hatch open somehow from the inside, and if so, how do I manage that?

Second issue is, the hood release cable was apparently very corroded, so when my buddy went to pop the hood the other day, he ripped the cable clean out of the dash. How in the heck do I force the hood open now, I can reach the little lever on the hood that is used to pop the hood once it's been released, by crawling underneath the car, but that's pretty useless since I can't find where the cable used to end up. Any advice (or pictures) would be very much appreciated!

I hope fully to join the Camaro community here very soon! Thanks in advance for any help on either issue!

 

To your hatch problem, dig the switch out of the glove box, remove the wires from the switch, and touch the bare wires together. If the hatch doesn't pop open, you have problems beyond it being the switch. The "release powered by a key" would be a key fob (keyless entry transmitter), not the key itself.
The hood release is going to be fun. See if you can google the hood latch so you know what you're looking at. You may have to use the braille method when reaching up by hand. It also might help to have a buddy push down on the hood while you try pulling the latch, to relieve some of the tension.

 

Thanks for the info! My friend informed me that he had the button off before and didn't remember seeing any wires, but he says he will remove that area of the dash/glovebox to see if they fell inside or something. If not, he ordered the rear hatch key already, however they said it would take about a week to get here. He had already ordered the hatch key, but they gave him the PASS-Key instead for some reason. Thing is, I am not a patient guy, so I'll probably just try to muscle the speaker-box out of the back in a day or so... and then I'll worry about getting the hatch open once I actually get the car here in my own 'garage'.

A friend advised me that once I get the hood open I should convert the hood to one with hood pins, does anyone have experience with those on a 4th gen? As in, what brand would be best, etc... thanks again!

 

Or you could wrap a chain around the front end and put a padlock on it.
I'd just get a replacement cable and fix it the right way.

 

does the guy have a title? how much of the cable broke off? hood release is in front of the radiator/condenser should be able to reach up in there and get it without to much problem. theres a brace sorta thing to the bottom of the unit that sorta hides the release, release is small, flat and feels like plastic.

 

Title is in hand, it is registered, and I've looked into the previous history of the car, other than it being from Florida and having 6 owners, it's clean.

The cable broke wherever it pulls the latch, as far as I can tell, since I was able to pull the whole thing out... being an ex-mountain biker, i thought it looked a lot like a bike brake cable, and it looks like the endpiece (stopper) ripped off. I hope to see the car later today or tomorrow, so I will look up in there and see what I can find. Thanks for the info!

 

pull the release toward the driver side. like 69 says it is easier if someone is pushing down a bit on the hood to help it release from the spring.