Ford might have the better ideas, but that doesn't mean hot rodders can't improve them. One such area that needs improvement in almost all the fat-fendered Fords are the weak hood-hinge springs. Not only are the springs prone to breaking, they generally don't help the fit of the hood against the cowl. Removing the spring can help get the hood to fit better, but as hot rodders, we strive for more that a wooden stick holding up the hood. Besides, those sawed-off broomsticks don't do much to enhance the look of the dressed Flattie.
What I found was the HoodLifter...
What I found was the HoodLifter gas strut kit from Harry & Ginnie's Street Rod Products designed for '41-48 Fords and Mercurys. The kit can be used with the original hood hinges (with the springs removed), but they suggest and can supply new hinges already modified and powdercoated.
Here you can see the new hinges...
Here you can see the new hinges on the left. Harry removes the excess material not needed once the spring has been eliminated. The new hinges are much cleaner in appearance and don't suffer from 50-plus years of use.
I started by swapping the...
I started by swapping the new hinges one side at a time so I didn't have to remove the hood completely. I wasn't too concerned about my paint but still covered the cowl area with a blanket. Once the new hinges were installed, I adjusted the hood, making sure it was even across the cowl and on both sides. I had to enlarge the hole on the hood bracket to 5/16-inch before I could install the strut bracket.
The other end of the strut...
The other end of the strut bracket will attach to the bottom edge of the hood flange. I held the bracket up to the bottom side of the hood and marked the hole in the center of the flange.
Once the hole was drilled,...
Once the hole was drilled, I secured the bracket with the special flathead carriage screw supplied with the kit (a regular bolt would hit the fender once the hood was closed).
The lower mount for the gas...
The lower mount for the gas strut is very simple. I removed the rear bolt from the inner fender where it joins the outer fender and replaced it with the supplied ball fitting.
The strut rods were installed...
The strut rods were installed (big end up, piston rod side down) by simply snapping each end over the ball fittings. I then carefully closed the hood and watched for any binding or strange happenings and found none.
And that was it. The mop could...
And that was it. The mop could now be put to better use in the shop.
Harry & Ginnie's also offers...
Harry & Ginnie's also offers a TrunkLifter kit for '42-48 sedans and since one of my springs was broken and the other was hanging on by a thread, I decided to order one.
The first thing I did was...
The first thing I did was find the indented area on each side of the trunk lid about 7 inches up from the bottom edge. This is where the strut bracket will mount. I put some masking tape on the area, held the bracket up, and marked the two holes to be drilled. I then drilled two 1/16-inch holes.
I installed the brackets,...
I installed the brackets, being careful not to over-tighten the screws to avoid striping out the sheetmetal.
We're also on the lookout for ways to incorporate some new technology into our old cars. These days, gas struts are the norm when it comes to holding up hoods and decklids. With this in mind, Harry Engelhart started to look for a better way to support the hood and trunk lid on his '47 sedan. What he came up with was the HoodLifter and TrunkLifter kits.
My recently acquired '47 sedan suffered the same maladies as Harry's sedan, so I ordered a set to see if they would help much. I was very pleased with both the install and the results. Both kits went on with no problems and work great. The hood not only stays up but the gas struts also improved the fit along the cowl. An added bonus is that opening the hood is no longer a two-man job (one lifting up the hood while another pulls the release) because there's just enough pressure from the struts while the hood is closed to pop it open as the release is pulled.
The kits come with very detailed instructions with photos, so I'll just cover the highlights here, although there's really not much more to show. As far as easy installs with big rewards go, these two were about as good as you can get.
The hardest part of this whole...
The hardest part of this whole upgrade was installing the upper strut bracket to the trunk lid hinge. It uses one of the original hinge studs (arrow), but the other bolt is a little hard to maneuver into place. It's a tight fit between the hinge and the body and doing it laying on your back doesn't make it any easier. I found that holding the bolt with a pair of needle nose pliers worked best.
Once the bracket was installed,...
Once the bracket was installed, both nuts were tightened and the strut was snapped in place on the ball fitting. The trunk lid now stays open, allowing me to load the trunk without getting smacked on the head by a drooping decklid.