I'm finishing up a '70 GT-500 for my client and when he helped me set his trunk lid today, the springs wouldn't hold it up. And of course, they worked just swell before I tore the car down. We were wondering if Viagara or Cialis would help?
I can't remember whether or not I took the hinge springs off during the stripping/cleaning phase but I just got thru taking the hinge back off and removing the spring - counting the number of turns as it relaxed. It was one half-turn. That half-turn (times two hinges) really seems like it would be strong enough to do the job with the next alternative being a full turn. But I don't know if the spring can even be wound that far - or how far across the state I'll be flung if I can't hold on to it. And if it can go one full turn, will it bow the deck lid like the hoods tend to do? Does anybody know this valuable information and are willing to share? The correct number of turns of the coiled trunk hinge spring, that is?
If the answer is indeed one half-turn, then that begs the question as to why these once proud springs have sadly gone - flaccid. They were never blasted, dipped in acid, heated, or any other process that would drain tension from them. There only seems to be one way to increase the tension on these '69-'70 hinge springs and that's bending the stop tab. That tab looks like it might be bent forward about 1/8" tops - definitely not enough to make much difference.
