Tailgate and rear panel removal.

Hi Paul, I believe the mounting bolts are under the headlining in the boot area. I've never got as far as removing the Tailgate as there is surprisingly little demand due to the inability to post. The Tailgate panel just clicks off from memory once you've taken out the Numberplate lights.
 
One thing I know for sure is that there is no electrical plug for the tailgate wiring.

You have to disconnect every wire inside the tailgate and make a note (or take a picture) before you disconnect anything.

The guy who painted our A2s was a bit miffed at having to do that. But it was not quite as bad as he feared.

Steve B
 
The rear carpet panel pulls off away from the bootlid. It's held in with metal clips.

The Boot decor panel can be held in with two bolts hidden under the numberplate. After that you need to pull down the panel then it should lift away from the bottom. If you pull it backwards away from the bootlid you'll break the plastic clips that hold it in place, and you will end up with a flappy decor panel, of which you can't get new clips for. Someone on here did a drawing that explains it a little better.
 
Paul, I take it you wish to swap tailgates to hold on to the Votex rear spoiler - good idea!

Three stages...

Remove the interior trim cover by giving it a hefty tug - you can start at the top nearest the window or from the pull-handle. It's only held in with spring clips but they are very tight. Caution once its loose, you'll have to pop off the emergency pull cable from the boot lock. It's held in place by a twin barb system through a small hole. When re-fitting, pop the cable back into it's hole, ensure it's within the two guide channels on the reverse of the trim panel. Make sure to engage ALL clips in the tailgate and then thump - yes THUMP the panel home. It's best to have someone else hold the tailgate against the force you apply to locate and engage the spring clips.

The external number plate panel is removed by unscrewing the number plate and lights. Within the aperture in the tailgate you will see two small screws that will probably be corroded. Remove these and disconnect the wiring from the light sockets and tailgate release button. From the outside, tug the plastic panel in a DOWNWARDS direction to release four poppers at the top lip and four hooks near the bottom. Care should be taken not to break these hooks as Stuart mentions - it's easy to do. Replacing is the reverse though you may want to pre arm yourself with a new set of poppers and number plate lights.

The tailgate can be removed by loosening the four bolts that hold it to it's hinges - easy but its best done with six arms :eek:. You will need to remove all wiring which requires you to remove the trim around the rear glass to release the harness. I strongly advise you mark and take pics prior to disconnecting anything. Aligning the rear tailgate is not a big problem - can be tedious to get exactly right and don't forget to do a water test when you're done. By the way - the tailgate is heavy - take care!

Good luck.

blue skies
tony
 
Just been out to look at my breaker in the garage. Can't believe I hadn't seen the 4 mounting bolts at the hinges last time I tried to remove the Tailgate. I attempted to remove it from the hinge mounting points inside the headliner. You learn something new everyday. My excuse is my garage is very dark and I'm sticking to it :eek:

Planning to remove the engine and gearbox tomorrow so I'd better get some extra lighting :)
 
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