When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So I am bored again and decided to swap the hatch locking mechanism. I'm in need of a little assisstance. My car is a 1998 Z28 and the hatch lock has no spring.
I purchased a used latch assembly from a 1999 & ^ Firebird and plan to swap this into my car. some Facts.......
1 - The 1999 & ^ assembly is noticeably bigger and more stout, appears to bolt up OK but have not installed it yet.
2 - My original lock has a "Trunk ajar switch" on it and the 1999 does not.
So I see the bolt pattern is a little different but I think it will bolt up fine. My big question to start with is...... starting in 1999 where did GM install the Lid Ajar switch? You can see in the photo that it is missing.
The latch on the left is the 2000 Firebird and the latch on the right is my 1998 Z28.
I don't have the answer to your specific question but, before you embark on this swap, I just wanted to mention that the latch assembly on my '99+ 4th gens actually proved to be more problematic than the original assembly on my '98. Even with the double spring mod on my '00 and '02 cars, I still had more trouble getting the hatch to pop on the first try than I ever have with my '98 (and this issue started with my '00 car when it was still quite new and low mileage....yet 20 years later the '98 one is still working great, even with the original hatch shocks). I know lots of folks have had trouble with the older ones as well, so I don't think either design is a sure thing or necessarily an "upgrade" over the other.
Yes, I see there a lot of threads about that issue. My lid used to "pop" a little but has not for years. I replaced the struts and it is the same. It does unlatch but no pop. Maybe I need to replace the rubber seal around the lid but I would like to do this little project first. Right now my issue is why does my 98 have 3 wires and the 99 only have 2?
Well I did a test fit and it works perfectly. I need to bring the latch assembly to work and let my maintenance guy drill the mounting holes out a little because the line up is a little off. Still curious as to why the one plug has 3 wires and the harness has only two.
On a 99 the 2 wires in the center of the unit are the hatch ajar light. It goes from black and orange to black and yellow at the connector. Black is negative and yellow is power. If you unplug the connector the light turns off.
On the far end (drivers side) a black and black/white stripe plug goes directly into the unit and that's the popper.
The black/white stripe on the original may have moved to the end plug on the later years, or it could have been a second signal used for something else.
Last edited by bammax; 01-05-2019 at 04:46 PM.
Reason: added info
OK so it's in and working great. I put a hatch latch from a 1999 Firebird into my 1998 Z28. It is not pretty so don't laugh too hard. I'm posting these pictures so if there is anybody out there that wants to attempt this you will have a general idea of where to drill new holes. It was a REAL pain in the *** finding the proper location for the new holes I needed to drill and I tore up a lot of metal finding the sweet spot. In the picture at the top of my post the 2 latches look like the holes are reasonably close to where they need to be, not so Padawan.
You might have some luck with a 3rd generation f-body latch. My 86 Camaro had the draw down latch. I have no idea whether it would fit but being a somewhat similar hatch it's a possibility.
You might have some luck with a 3rd generation f-body latch. My 86 Camaro had the draw down latch. I have no idea whether it would fit but being a somewhat similar hatch it's a possibility.
01-04-2019, 05:27 PM
Rear Hatch latch conversion Help. 
