Deck Lid Hinges

Like most things with my project, it seems some customization is needed to fit my deck lid. The underneath of the lid is different from my old one (new one is Beck, old one is older IM or ?). Can anyone post pics of their hinges or give any insight to the install. Do different makers have different hinge, hinge base set ups?

I've tried just about every configuration possible on my new lid and can't get it right. No matter what I do when I open the lid the top center rubs on the body. Are there any Beck owners out there that can post a pic of their hinge set up? Or does anyone know if there is significant difference in the Beck deck hinges? The geometry is just not there to make this work unless I'm missing something, which is quite possible.
If I can't figure this out I may have to so hood pins or dzus fastners (ala Cory)!

I'll post a pic this evening. I'm planning on working on the car anyway.

If you are going to have to customize it, don't overlook the visual.

Did you try washers or a spacer between deck lid and hinge mounting surface?

Like THESE Dzus fasteners? I have a whole mess of 'em.

Wolfgang,
I did try spacers, washers, ect... on both the hinges and the hinge mounts. I think it's the actual shape/length of the hinge that is different. Neither me or my wrench buddy can figure how the current hinges will work. The underside of the Beck lid is alot different than the underside of the lid I have. Frankly, I'm not so confident the lid I have was the original. When I bought the car the lid wasn't fit properly and if you opened the lid too much it would scrape the body right in the middle about 3 inches up from where the engine compartment opening is. So I really don't know which way to go with this?

Thanks Lane. I'd appreciate a pic for reference.


I am seriously considering the Hoopty way. I've always liked the way the whole lid comes off. I'm only slightly more leaning to the traditional way.

Hey Cory,
Howsabout the next time you're driving through I take a few of those fastners off your hands?

Mickey, Take a look at street rod trunk hinges, you'll see that they actually "lift" the lid away from the main body before tilting the lid up, this is what you have to design. You can make trial pieces out of 1/8" lauan or tempered hardboard .....The sweep you need is in a larger curved section to the hinge. ~ Alan

Mickey, the Beck hinges aren't much to look at, and it was dark when I took these. If they don't help, I can try again tomorrow when I have more light.

The part that bolts to the body on each hinge has two holes in it that go over bolts glassed into the car. Whenever I remove the lid, I remove the nuts on them rather than on the lid itself. That way the fit doesn't change. Carey might have a car that doesn't have an engine in it yet. If so, he might be able to climb underneath and take a picture from below, showing both parts of the hinges.

Lane,
Those pics tell me EXACTLY what I need to know. Those hinges are considerably different than what I have. The curve is much wider and would allow the lid to go out and then up. Now it make sense why I can't get the geometry.
I just got off the phone with Cory about this. I was telling him that even though I'm an idiot I know that it'll be damn near impossible to get the current set up to work with the lid.

See Cory! I told you it wouldn't work! ; )

I'll still try again tomorrow before I resort to more drastic measures.

Mickey - Look in the CMC build manual at their hinges (link below). If I recall there is an L shape piece that bolts to firewall and the hoop or boomerang piece for the actual hinge - with a flat piece at a 90 degree to mount to lid (very similiar to Lane's). CMC uses cast aluminum (now unobtainium) for there hinges - but both could be fabbed from steel. I could take mine off (oops, wrong build direction!) and make a tracing/pattern with photos for you.

https://www.speedsterowners.com/library/cmcmanual2/images/cmc30.jpg
https://www.speedsterowners.com/library/cmcmanual2/images/cmc31.jpg

Hinges can take hours to figure out Lanes hinges look like a good design to me because they kick up as the lift get a template and duplicate or find a set like it you will spend many hours building from scratch .

That's what I was say'n in my previous post..been there and spent many hours making it work ~ Alan

I'll be there tomorrow, Mickey. We'll conjure up some cardboard and make templates of something that'll work better than the non-working ones you've got.
I'll throw some Dzuses in the car for good measure. Lane, what's the inside diameter of that arc on your hinges?

Greg,
The ones in the CMC manual are very similar to the ones I have now. Being that the underside of the Beck lid is different from the underside of my lid (presumably a CMC because it has what looks to be a CMC grill) makes it difficult to get them to 'work' together.
Cory's coming by tomorrow so we can put our heads together to see what we can come up with.
I'll more than likely have to go the route of dzus' or get a set from Carey.

I tried to take a picture with a ruler in it, but my camera batteries died. The curve isn't circular, but a rough measurement of the inside diameter is about 3". You might be able to get a set of the hinges from Carey, but I'm not sure how you'd attach them at the body.

Mickey,
If you can make a set of accurate templates and all measurments, I can have the hinges made up for you very reasonably. ~ Alan

I had to fab up a set because of clearance issues from the cooling shroud. Just used 3/18" billet aluminum plate . Also installed some quick release pin for and easy rear deck removal. The CMC hinges are cast aluminum so be very careful about drilling large diameter holes in them. They will eventually fatigue and break. I have learned this by experience.

Hinges on the left are the one's I made . The one on the right is a CMC.

It's looking like I'm goin 'ol skool' on the deck lid. Cory came by today and we try a few things, scratched our heads, tried a few more and still it looks like the only way to do this is to fab all new hinge mounts and hinges. Cory and I fabbed up some mock hinge mounts and he got the location of the hinges pretty close but the edge of the lid still rubbed the body when the lid was up. Ironically that had always been an issue with the old lid so essentially we got the new lid setup close to where the old one was.
We went back to the restaurant and Cory sketched out some possible alternative set ups. One was Dzus fasteners, another was hood pins and the third was with leather bonnet straps. I liked last one, it looked very vintage.
So tomorrow I'm gonna swing by the local speed shop and see what they have in the line of hood pins and I'm going to see what the availablity of leather straps is and we'll go from there.
The good thing is that no matter what I do I can undo it down the road as long as I settle on the set up before paint.

Be sure to give Dusty a shot at making you some straps. He'll do the best job you can get.

So I went by my buddies garage this morning and he informed me of the epiphany he had in regard to the deck lid. He figured out if he surrounded the engine bay opening with split rubber hose he could use the old hinges as a "hook" to keep the top part of the engine lid secure and then secure the bottom part of the lid with the old pin/latch. It worked perfectly. The rubber hose "gasket" keeps enough upward pressure to keep the old hinges tight to the underside of the body and the pin taught in the latch. When I pull the engine release the bottom of the lid just pops up and I just slide the lid back and the whole lid comes out easy peasy. It's perfect. I don't know if it'll be a permanant solution or not, but now I don't have to worry about drilling and cutting my deck lid or duct taping it down to secire it until I figure out what to do.
I'll post a bunch of pics Monday in the Carrera project thread of the side curtains I re-did, the deck lid solution, and the engine install.

Sweet! Pics are our friend.

Mickey, that's good for now, but I'll bet Carey would send you a set for a reasonable fee. But only if you ask him nice :-)!

Danny,
The other day when Cory was up he called Carey to check a few measurements on the Beck. The problem is the distance from the edge of the engine compartment opening and the firewall on the Beck is like 13", on mine it's around 6".
At least its good for now and we can get to the engine install.
Speaking of which, I just went and picked up the trailer with my old and new engines on it because Bob R is coming tomorrow to pick up my old engine. I got as many thumbs up's and waves with two engines strapped to a trailer as I do when I drive my car. I don't know if that mwans my new engine is that good looking or my speedster needs some flash?