Trunk lid cost '86 MGM Tudor

[Toploader]

Gents I located a trunk lid in a New Mexico salvage yard, they want $500.00 plus whatever the actual ship cost would be to Long Island. Yet to be determined is the condition of the lid, which I have asked about, if its plug-n-play then it's all good, if body work is needed then it may not be the holy grail that I have been looking for. They also have two front fenders, but I will let that go because it is not my intention to restore the car, just keep water out of the trunk.....

[Mainemantom]

There is no way I would pay that much for a trunk lid. I found two close in Scranton PA. A tan 85 MGM for $150 and a 88 for $250. Scranton isn't too far to either go get or to have shipped. Both located at the same yard. Go to car-part.com to see a list.

[friskyfrankie]

There is no way I would pay that much for a trunk lid. I found two close in Scranton PA. A tan 85 MGM for $150 and a 88 for $250. Scranton isn't too far to either go get or to have shipped. Both located at the same yard. Go to car-part.com to see a list.

Guess it all depends upon their conditions. Perhaps the ones in PA are beat up from the Northern conditions and the one in New Mexico is intact due to the heat and drier conditions? Still, $500 does seem like a lot especially when it needs to be shipped.

[Mainemantom]

According to car-part.com, the condition of the part is A-0 ( good condition with no damage) Have to have any yard check for rust before buying.

[kishy]

This is certainly difficult. A trunk lid is $40 at a self-serve yard near me (well, $39.99, plus a $4.50 core charge...they want the old one back). I certainly wouldn't pay $500 plus shipping. I don't think I'd pay $500 inclusive of shipping.

But that's easy for me to say because I have access to them locally at the lower price. I don't know that I could be convinced to shop for, pull, package and crate/pallet up a trunk lid for a $500 fee, at which point paying the yard's requested ransom doesn't seem so unreasonable.

Condition is extremely important. Even in a non-salty area, the bottom lip will be susceptible to rust due to water hanging out there, and an added complication in a hot desert environment is the sun baking the paint off causing rust in the middle of a panel. You don't want to be $800 into just getting the thing to your door, and then another $1000 on top getting it cleaned up for paint.

[DerekTheGreat]

If the part is coming from a car sourced from an extremely arid area like New Mexico, rust is a non-issue. The rain comes in bursts and ambient humidity is essentially zero, so moisture doesn't have a chance to set up before it's gone. I'll take surface rust every day of the week over salt-induced rot. Not worth $500 though.

I suspect Toploader would be better off cutting his losses by selling the current rot-box and buying a different vehicle rather than piece-mealing & ductaping his back together year after year. Rot never sleeps and you'll always be chasing it, falling further behind it year after year. I don't mind investing in a solid vehicle, just never a rot box.

[WagonMan]

If someone can confirm a trunk lid from an 88-91 would fit, I have a solid one for $100. Toploader lives a little over an hour away from me. WagonMan

[friskyfrankie]

If someone can confirm a trunk lid from an 88-91 would fit, I have a solid one for $100. Toploader lives a little over an hour away from me. WagonMan

As far as I know - it does fit. Just the glue on lettering (and possibly the lock cover?) changed. Good up to '92 and that is when they changed.

[kishy]

If someone can confirm a trunk lid from an 88-91 would fit, I have a solid one for $100. Toploader lives a little over an hour away from me. WagonMan

I could have sworn we chatted about this, comparing some photos between my 83 and my 91.

My impression was that the overall part will fit, with the following things being unknowns and possibly interfering:

• did the exact location of the bolt holes for the hinges move? If so, will require alteration.
• are the mounting holes for the piece of brightwork spanning the tail lights in the same places? If not, will require alteration or will require acceptance of the wrong piece of trim.
• is the latch assembly the same? If not, will require swapping between the two.

In addition it seems like the later year part has "softer" edges, less crisply defined creases for the body lines. May be the stamping equipment getting sloppy as it aged, may be because my 91 has been repainted and also clearcoated while my 83 has original single stage paint...hard to say exactly.

[Toploader]

If the part is coming from a car sourced from an extremely arid area like New Mexico, rust is a non-issue. The rain comes in bursts and ambient humidity is essentially zero, so moisture doesn't have a chance to set up before it's gone. I'll take surface rust every day of the week over salt-induced rot. Not worth $500 though.

I suspect Toploader would be better off cutting his losses by selling the current rot-box and buying a different vehicle rather than piece-mealing & ductaping his back together year after year. Rot never sleeps and you'll always be chasing it, falling further behind it year after year. I don't mind investing in a solid vehicle, just never a rot box.

Derek!......I have to laugh at what you said!!.......truth is I keep the car only to get access to the cemetery out on Long Island where my parents are buried, and in the spring/summer to the garage where I store my Avanti. Yes rust aka cancer never sleeps, just like the cancer on the top of the passenger side "A" pillar, so i just have been doing the grind smooth and fill dance............I know in time the rust will over take the car and she will have to be junked. A shame, rides so beautiful and has under 80K miles on her, the top of the front fenders where there is that stamped crease............the entire area has holes ...........I again laugh because when new this car was Z-Barted at the New Jersey F/LM dealer "Kent Smith" which was located in Ridgewood, New Jersey, so much for rust proofing a steel bodied vehicle.

[Toploader]

If someone can confirm a trunk lid from an 88-91 would fit, I have a solid one for $100. Toploader lives a little over an hour away from me. WagonMan

Pete I am all in!!!!!!!

[Mainemantom]

Good choice dealing with Pete. He is close too.

[sly]

I think the only difference on the MGM decklids is the lip trim. Might need to swap that from the original lid to make the trim lines meet up right.
If they are still the same, then no worries... send it.

[87gtVIC]

Gabe put an older (87 and down) trunk lid on his 88 up mercury Grand Marquis years back. I don't recall him having any issues going that direction.

[DerekTheGreat]

Derek!......I have to laugh at what you said!!.......truth is I keep the car only to get access to the cemetery out on Long Island where my parents are buried, and in the spring/summer to the garage where I store my Avanti. Yes rust aka cancer never sleeps, just like the cancer on the top of the passenger side "A" pillar, so i just have been doing the grind smooth and fill dance............I know in time the rust will over take the car and she will have to be junked. A shame, rides so beautiful and has under 80K miles on her, the top of the front fenders where there is that stamped crease............the entire area has holes ...........I again laugh because when new this car was Z-Barted at the New Jersey F/LM dealer "Kent Smith" which was located in Ridgewood, New Jersey, so much for rust proofing a steel bodied vehicle.

Sometimes, all you can do is laugh.

We need pictures of this car of yours, at least I do. I suspect only hopes & dreams are keeping it together, makes me think of the Bluesmobile once it arrives at the Cook County Assessor's office or whatever.- just falls apart in many pieces. I fear a new decklid would be the nicest part of the car

You'll never fully rust-proof any ferrous metal, but you can come close. Ziebart or any of those rubberized coatings are about the worst thing you can do- stuff actually accelerates corrosion and makes the car a pain to work on. Just check this video out from South Main Auto:

The only time I'd paint a frame or make it pretty is if I had a show car, which I absolutely do not. Anything of mine which has ever seen salt or will be driven year 'round is treated with Fluid Film or Krown- it's the most effective way to keep rust at bay.