Hood doesn't line up

[Fast68back]

How does the hood line up?

 

[Dne']

Lines up well now!

oh, I'm sorry, the hood lines up very well now! I just wish the new hinges weren't so tight. I had to put one in a vice at a time and work it to loosen it. I'm sure in time it will be ok!
dne'

 

[tarafied1]

those are cool, how do you think they would work with fiberglass hood and trunk?

 

[Dne']

Hey Tarafied! (BtW~ I like the way you came up with your screen name~cute!) As for using the hood lift things with a fiberglass hood, IIRC it can be used on either hood(metal/fiberglass), but check the site out. I like them vs. the old springs. I'll take a better closeup of what I'm having to deal with on these hinges, maybe I can get an idea of what to do from ya'll.

those are cool, how do you think they would work with fiberglass hood and trunk?

 

[68EFIvert]

I have actually had both the front and rear lift kit on my car. I scrapped the front setup and gave it to Ken Schall over on the other site to see how he liked the system on his car. I did not like the flex of the bracket that extends forward and my original hinges were in pretty bad shape. I was thinking of adding another barrel nut (or what ever those things are called) to the hood so that I could bolt the front of the bracket down yet retain the ability to adjust the hood.

I got rid of the trunk lift system at the advice of Maier Racing. They felt that the hydraulic cylinders would warp my new fiberglass trunk over time. I did not want to risk it so I now use a clear plastic 3/4" dowel rod with rubber ends to hold the trunk open. What I did not like about it is there was only one pressure cylinder they used for both steel and fiberglass.

 

[Dne']

I know what you mean about the flexing of the upper portion! I'm still thinking about how to remedy that. You think that when they manufacture something, they'd think it all the way through for an awesome product.

 

[68EFIvert]

My solution was to drill a hole in the bottom frame of the hood large enough to hold one of those clips where the bolts go in and then make a slot on the front section of the bracket so that you still adjust the hood. It should fix the flex problem. Once that annoyance is done I feel they have a cool product that works great!

 

[70_Fastback]

Re: a couple photos

I didn't want to have to deal with the torsion supports for the trunk, so I installed these and they work great!

I think those look pretty snazzy.... You have me pondering ordering them. :hmm

Did you do one for each side, or just one cylinder? How does it attach to the hinge?

 

[daveSanborn]

Did you do one for each side, or just one cylinder? How does it attach to the hinge?

I've installed these before.... and then soon after uninstalled them.

My problem may have been an isolated incident since I was installing it on a FG Shelby style FB decklid... they're not very heavy to begin with.

The Aeroform kit for the FB deck lids consists of only one lift strut that is mounted onto the drivers side (or passenger side if you'd prefer) hinge with a ball stud similar to what you'd find on a modern vehicle using these lift struts. The hinge is drilled and tapped to accept the threaded ball stud. On the floor of the trun in the transition pan area is mounted a small bracket with another ball stud on it. The lift strut installs onto both ball studs and works great.... sort of. The trunk opens and closes just fine. Matter of fact the FB we were working on had a remote popper installed and you could "pop" the trunk open from a 100' away.

The problem that we had is the lift strut when compressed is constantly under pressure trying to open the deck lid.... and there's only one strut installed on one side of the deck lid.... this was causing the deck lid center latch to act as a "pivot point" and the drivers side corner of the deck lid was sitting higher than the quarter panel and the passenger side was sitting lower. The strut was in effect "rocking" the deck lid up on one corner. I played around with it for a few days trying to reposition the strut. etc. to resolve the problem, but in the end I ditched the strut and used nothing instead.

The Coupe kits use a lift strut on each hinge and probably don't have the problems I encountered.

 

[70_Fastback]

My fastback decklid is pretty heavy -- all metal. I stays open OK right now, but with the spoiler on it won't stay up.

That's why they appealed to me.

 

[Sluggo]

My fastback decklid is pretty heavy -- all metal. I stays open OK right now, but with the spoiler on it won't stay up.

That's why they appealed to me.

MIne holds the spoiler up just fine. It' a repop though.

 

[tarafied1]

Hey Tarafied! (BtW~ I like the way you came up with your screen name~cute!)

Thanks, I thought it was clever 15 years ago when we got married and wanted to have it airbrushed on the tailgate of my pickup but she didn't think it was that cute :bash(wow, I've been using that a long time). Now It makes a good screen name cuz she don't read these forums (or does she?).
Anyway, I'm still using the stock torsion bar on my FG trunklid and I could lauch nuclear warheads off the deck when I turn the key. I was thinking this would be a little less dramatic... I really don't want to use a prop rod. My hood is okay but the hood will slowly close on me with the FG weaker springs.

 

[70_Fastback]

MIne holds the spoiler up just fine. It' a repop though.

Is there supposed to be a prop rod for the 69/70's? Or are the hinges/springs supposed to solely hold it open?

 

[daveSanborn]

Here's a picture of the once installed lift strut on my sons '68FB.

 

[Dne']

Just one won't work

Dave, I can honestly see how just one those mounted on one side would not work correctly! It would have to have two! The decklid is pretty darned heavy for a one sided lift. But with two(decklid only), work very well! But from you photo, it is a very nice looking unit and goes well with that color. Mine mounts on the floor and the other end looks like it mounts in a different location on the hinge.