Power trunk option on 1971 Roadrunner.

I'm wondering if anyone would know if the power trunk option was available on 1971 Roadrunners. If so, would anyone know where the actuator switch was located on the dash and what it looked like?

I'm not sure, but I "thought" power-trunk was a Fury only or Fury/C-body option????

I remember years ago during my junk yard days in the late 80's. I found a wrecked Satellite. Not sure if it was a Sebring or Sat Brougham or Sebring Plus. But anyway, I pulled the entire power trunk circuit from the car and transplanted it into my Roadrunner. It fit perfectly. The power trunk unit is correct for a Satellite car. But for some reason,I forgot where the mounting location for the switch and bezel were located from the car I took it out of. I've long ago lost the bezel. It was black with white lettering. The only word on it was "trunk" I ended up mounting it to the left hand side of the driver above the control switch for the Air Grabber but below the Rallye gauges.

I've done the same, they power trunk setup is fairly generic. I pulled one out of a 79 Cordoba and put it in my 72 Dart, the button was in the glovebox.

When I added one to my 87 Diplomat it came out of a similar year 5th Ave, button in the glove box. Got one out of another 5th Ave for my 65 Cuda, guess where the button is? Yep, glovebox.

Maybe yours goes in the glove box.

The GM trunk release buttons are plentiful, fit nice in the console.
I didn't like the idea of bending over to the glovebox

The location of my switch right now is in plain view on the lower part of the dash to the left of the driver location. More convenient than either of yours, I'd guess, only because I don't have to open anything to pop the trunk lid.

Still I'd love to know where the factory designated the location for these switches.

it never came on a 71b
it can be added easily, as the trunk latch is the
same on many different mopar models..

All the donors I used had the switch in the glovebox was my point, guess I wasn't clear.

Its located in the glove box so there is less likely hood of an accidental opening while driving, there's no lock out when in drive,as fare as an option on 71 Bs I think I recall seeing one with it.

Weird. really weird. I've never seen a glove box with a hole cut out of it to accommodate a power trunk switch from the factory. In fact the only hole I've ever seen on an unmolested glove box insert was for the light.

My 2005 Chrysler 300 C has the trunk switch right there by your left knee. It's got a lock out but lock out's were around in 1971 too.If you guys are telling me that the factory location was in the glove box, I'll accept it.

But the switch bezel that I pulled out of that satellite in the 80's was shaped in such a way that you could read the words "trunk" only when you looked down from the drivers seat on the curvature of the dash. Wish I had a pic of the bezel but it's long gone.

L.R. you probably right I personally never saw a trunk switch on an early B body probably moved to the glove box in the 80s to cover there a$$.

from what i have read in the past and have seen first hand,
i believe that in 71 electric power trunk release
was not a available option.
i'm not sure when it changed over but i have seen a 71 polara with a vacuum operated trunk release.
(i'm guessing in 72 was the change)

the electric power latch was used into the 80's
and that latch will interchange with latches all the way back into the 60's.
(i have seen it done in a 69 charger.)
i have also heard of cars that were coded for it
and don't have it and i also have heard of it in 72 cars??
now i could be all wrong,but that is what i thought
it was.
i have also seen that bezel mentioned in a 72 glovebox before.(that is what it was claimed to be)
someone might correct me as i'm not 100% on this
maybe someone with a 71 dealer option book can set us straight or shed some light on this..

Not correct for your car, but here is where it would be located in the glove box.

is that even a b body glove box?
i have never noticed cut outs on the bottom edge like that before..

I think it's for a later year.

The pic of the glove box insert and of the switch and bezel are 100% correct. I remember the switch exactly as so and chose to install it near the left knee area on the dash just below the Rallye gauges. The switch in Butterscotch71s photo is actually near the top edge which would makes "some" sense but I suspect that you can't read the words from the drivers seat and the angle is too extreme to read from the passenger seat. You would have to know that a switch is already mounted in that location to operate it.

This is the switch that I remember pulling from that Satellite all those years ago. Don't remember opening anything like a door to get at that switch and I know it was a Satellite based car that had it possibly a 69 or 70 if that makes sense.

From page 8-165 in the Dodge Chassis Service Manual for 1971, Fig. 22 - Instrument Panel Accessory Wiring - Coronet and Charger.


I believe the earlier black glove box inserts had a relief line in the form of a circle molded into the side reflecting where the switch was to be placed. It is in this location -




Whether Plymouths were similar, I can't say but the Roadrunner did share many of the same parts.

And they were located in the glove box so that they could be locked away preventing valet access to the trunk in the circumstance you were attending an affair with valet parking (since ignition and glove box keys were different).

I'm grateful for your submission, Charger440sixpak. I have an early black glove box insert. I should go back and review to see if mine has the relief lines but it really is starting to make sense to me now. Wish I could find that bezel it may be kicking around somewhere. Of all the desirable options to have, power trunk may, in fact, be the most used for me. Rather than fumble with my keys when I'm parked at a car show, I always go for the little white button to pop the trunk. it's just the easier thing to do.

Anybody got a part# for the switch? That's pretty cool.

I had 4 Imperials with it.they were all vacuum and the button was in glove box.Even the 71 I had was vaccuum.Might have changed over that year to electric.They had a resivoir that held some vacuum when the engine was off so they worked.Rocky

Just as a matter of interest, this is the vacuum operated trunk release Fly and Rock speak of.
Although not correct for all, it lines up with and will mount in A B,C, and E cars.

I put an electric trunk release on my 70 Sport Satellite . . . donor car was a mid 80's Chrysler 5th Ave. You can get everything, switch, wire harness and trunk release (mounts directly where the old "key only" one does) and install with no issues . . .

I have had 69, 70 C bodies - all were vacuum release.

If I recall correctly, several decades back, my father had a 1971 Newport that had a vacuum truck release. I'm positive it was vacuum powered unit, I'm not 100% on the 1971 model year.

Those pics speak volumes. it is interesting to see how Chrysler used different sources of power to activate different devices on a car. Blown away that 4 completely different car lines "could have" used the same trunk latch........but didn't. Maybe they just saw it as a C body thing.