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Automatic Rear Deck Opener

FM Former Member
This was being discussed on another thread, but I wanted it to be a bit easier to find. I've created an automatic rear deck opener with a single 28lb strut. All you have to do is pull the release and it pops up all the way!

Mangosmoothie did one of these and it got me thinking, and I made a few changes; primarily using one strut and moving the mounting position of the top and bottom.

Here is a video:



Bottom Mount: The key to using a single strut of reasonable strength (mine is 28lbs) is to mount the bottom of the strut as low as possible. It must have as much seperation from the line of the hinge so that it can push the deck up. The narrower the angle, the less likely it is to work regardless how how strong the strut is.

Top Mount: I got some additional increase in the angle by mounting the top of the strut on top of the deck hinge. It mounts to the top of the hinge using the existing bolt. I did find that having only one bolt caused that bracket to twist and so I put in a second bolt and now it stays put.

Strut: I purchased my strut from one of those companies that builds toppers for pickups. My stroke is 4" and you find the length of the strut by holding them in place and seeing how long of one you need. Be careful about going too low on that bottom strut or it will hit the fan shroud when it closes.

Attached are photos of the top mount, bottom mount and the entire strut. It was an hours work (most of that time was spent finding the right mounting location) and it works perfectly!

Besides being fun, I no longer have to mess with that silly pin to hold the lid up! Another advantage that I never hope to use is that if I have a fire, I dont have to get my hand in there and try to hold up the deck lid and use the fire extingusher.

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FM Former Member
This was being discussed on another thread, but I wanted it to be a bit easier to find. I've created an automatic rear deck opener with a single 28lb strut. All you have to do is pull the release and it pops up all the way!

Mangosmoothie did one of these and it got me thinking, and I made a few changes; primarily using one strut and moving the mounting position of the top and bottom.

Here is a video:



Bottom Mount: The key to using a single strut of reasonable strength (mine is 28lbs) is to mount the bottom of the strut as low as possible. It must have as much seperation from the line of the hinge so that it can push the deck up. The narrower the angle, the less likely it is to work regardless how how strong the strut is.

Top Mount: I got some additional increase in the angle by mounting the top of the strut on top of the deck hinge. It mounts to the top of the hinge using the existing bolt. I did find that having only one bolt caused that bracket to twist and so I put in a second bolt and now it stays put.

Strut: I purchased my strut from one of those companies that builds toppers for pickups. My stroke is 4" and you find the length of the strut by holding them in place and seeing how long of one you need. Be careful about going too low on that bottom strut or it will hit the fan shroud when it closes.

Attached are photos of the top mount, bottom mount and the entire strut. It was an hours work (most of that time was spent finding the right mounting location) and it works perfectly!

Besides being fun, I no longer have to mess with that silly pin to hold the lid up! Another advantage that I never hope to use is that if I have a fire, I dont have to get my hand in there and try to hold up the deck lid and use the fire extingusher.

FM Former Member
Someone asked a question about the length of the strut when compressed and I relized that I left something very important out of my instructions. The compressed length is not very important as the strut does not need to be fully compressed in the deck lid closed position. What is critical however, is the position of the deck lid when the strut is fully extended, and here's why.

In the Vintage Speedster the deck lid hinge does not have a stop, it will continue to open until the lid hits the car body. Not good. So you must first attach the upper strut mount, position the deck lid to where you want it, then see where the lower strut hits the firewall. This is how you determine the lower stut mount position.

If the strut is too long in the extended position, get a shorter mount, or visa versa.

When properly sized and mounted, your strut will open the lid to the correct position (fully opened, but not having the deck lid hit the car body) and when closed, it clears the fan housing. When opened, the strut is fully extended but when closed, it does not need to be fully closed.

Hope this helps clarify the instructions!
FM Former Member
If you go to one of the truck cap companies they will have a whole wall of gas struts that you can hold up in place to check the size. They'll also have a box of brackets.

The next time I get the speedster (I have to park my car in town, it would not survive the drive to my house, see pic) I'll see if my strut has any markings that will help. But remember that my strut may not work for you unless you use the same brackets and positions that I use.

FM Former Member
Yes, I am a photographer and The Angel Gabriel is my work. Thanks!
www.ColeThompsonPhotography.com

Here's an update on the strut, the strut is made by these guys:
www.suspaparts.com

The strut is 16" long extended (this is the important dimension) and the part number is: C16-09202. This is a 38lb strut, not a 28 like I mentioned earlier. It is listed as $95 on their website, but I think I paid $28 at the store.

Here is an updated picture of the top strut mount, after I installed a second bolt to stop the bracket from twisting.

Here are pictures of the brackets. The picture of the lower bracket is the exact one that I used. The picture of the upper one is similar, but not exactly like the one I used. I think this one will work. Just be sure it doesn't hit the deck lid from inside the deck lid cavity, and that the strut clears everything.

I drilled the second hole to stop the upper brack from twisting just behind the existing bolt (by behind I mean toward the rear of the car).

FM Former Member
You could put the upper mount below the hinge or even at hinge level, but that reduces the angle of the strut, making it closer to the angle of the hinge. That makes hard work for the strut.

It's hard to explain, but the angle of the strut should be as different from the angle of the hinge as possible. The closer those two angles are to each other, the harder it is for the strut to push up the lid.

What you want to do is put the upper mount as high as possible and the lower mount as low as possible, this create a bigger difference in the angle of the strut compared to the angle of the hinge.

Here is a crude drawing to illustrate.
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