Trunk Upgrades

[giganto]

I recently discovered some leaks in my trunk and decided to take the opportunity to not only fix them but upgrade some things as well.  My new leaks were coming in from both the driver's side vent opening and the sealant at the top of the tail light area.  You can see the brown stain running down.

I pulled the bumper, the tail lights and vents to clean them and apply some NAPA Sil-Glyde to the rubber gaskets.  I even applied some dielectric grease to the lamps themselves because I had one corrode in another car and had to replace the whole light fixture.  This didn't fix the lamp leak, and I found some cracks in the hard sealant under the paint in that complex joint.  I masked the paint and applied clear spray sealant from a can, Rust-Oleum LeakSeal flexible rubber coating from Walmart.  That fixed the leak; however, the side panels in the trunk had been damp so long they went moldy.  I replaced them with a set from a junkyard '95 and found they had the access panels for the light bulbs that my '96 lacked.

Here's another recontent project for Aussie Ford!

 

I've been noticing how brittle the light fixture's plastic is becoming over time.  The incandescent lamps are literally baking them until they fall apart.  LED lights aren't street legal yet for exterior lights, but interiors are okay.  I bought a "super bright" Sylvania 6411 LED lamp for the trunk, and it really is as bright as the incandescent original, just a bit blue and expensive at $9.99 each.  

I intend to replace the lamps in the back seat, front seat and under the hood as well.  I haven't found a lamp for the map lights yet, but they don't come on every time I open a door.

 

I had already replaced the trunk lid support struts and retractable antenna in another topic.

Now all I need to do is figure out how to stop leaks through the big chunks of plastic that make up most of the back of a Mystique trunk lid.  I already had to replace one Mystique trunk lid with a Contour trunk lid.

Edited November 12, 2015 by giganto

[XtraGassy]

You should do a remote trunk pop for $10. Not sure about the older Tours, but the newer ones have a little space cut out for a door actuator motor next to the trunk latch.

[giganto]

You should do a remote trunk pop for $10. Not sure about the older Tours, but the newer ones have a little space cut out for a door actuator motor next to the trunk latch.

I've seen posts where folks with these things can have a hard time getting in when the popper breaks and they haven't used the key in a while.  I've also tried to break into junkyard Contour trunks when all other options are off the table, and had to give up and rip the back seat out.  I've also not yet found a fob that doesn't fall apart after a year or two.  

 

Any brand/model recommendations out there who have had better luck?