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  • Body / Glass: Wagon tailgate question

    Kind of a dumb question, but, I have a 60 Lark wagon with the clamshell tailgate. Is there a 'proper' way to shut it?
    I ask because when I first got it, I would close the tailgate by latching the bottom half, then dropping the glass and pushing it shut. I became aware of a way of shutting it where, I close both halves, resting on each other, but then closing them together interlinked ( I hope that gives you a good enough description of the process). It feels like this way is less hard on the pieces.

    Was there a specific way to shut the clamshell tailgates? I see that the 59 glass half has a different upper half mechanism and I really have no idea of how the 50s wagons closed.

    Thank you,

  • #2
    Leoh my 56 closed bottom first then latch it and bring down the glass upper and rotate handle to release position, pushing in and turning handle to latch position. worked good ........ till i took it apart! Doofus

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    • #3
      I have two Lark wagons (a 59 and a 60) and two 54 wagons.
      I close and latch (2 latches) the bottom, then close the top hatch. I keep everything fairly well lubed so everything closes fully and easily.
      I use the same method on all four cars.

      If you close the upper and lower at the same time, they are not locked closed until someone crawls in and locks the lower gate.

      Mike

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      • #4
        It may be my description of the process, but Mike, if I set the two halves together and then push them closed, they do latch and stay.
        I'll lube the latches on the top of the lower half and see how that changes the pressure on the upper half. It just seemed to me that the pressure to close the upper half was more than I'd expect with just the glass.

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        • #5
          Leo -

          The inside the car lower "catches" do not latch, that's my comment.
          Closing the two halves in the manor that you describe, and then lock the lock...you can still open the tailgate..!
          You have to latch, the inside the car latches to "secure" the tailgate.

          Mike

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          • #6
            The 1960-'62 Lower Tailgates latch them self, since there are no Inside Latch Handles like the '54 to '59 Wagons the Outside Latch Handle is on the Lower Gate.

            But on the '60-'62's as the latch cogs wear and are dry of Lube, slamming the Upper Gate onto the Lower no longer works without New Latches which is why they sometimes have to be closed Together.
            StudeRich
            Second Generation Stude Driver,
            Proud '54 Starliner Owner
            SDC Member Since 1967

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            • #7
              Thanks Rich, I'll look more closely at those upper window catches on the top of the lower tailgate.

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