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Hey....   Those look GREAT!

Look for hardware at either a local ACE hardware store or, as Ray mentioned, Marine hardware would be a good choice, too, and you've got...  what?  Three West Marine stores near Pensacola?  

Look for counter sunk, "Oval Head" (sometimes called 'dress') SS machine screws.  Get some stainless Nylok nuts and SS washers for the underside of the body, too.  It's always fun spending money at West Marine.   😖

Take along a hinge to match up the hardware size (mine were 6mm, IIRC, but your mileage may vary) as well as see how the different screw head designs (flat, domed, etc) look in the hinge.

Hey....   Those look GREAT!

Look for hardware at either a local ACE hardware store or, as Ray mentioned, Marine hardware would be a good choice, too, and you've got...  what?  Three West Marine stores near Pensacola?  

Look for counter sunk, "Oval Head" (sometimes called 'dress') SS machine screws.  Get some stainless Nylok nuts and SS washers for the underside of the body, too.  It's always fun spending money at West Marine.   😖

Take along a hinge to match up the hardware size (mine were 6mm, IIRC, but your mileage may vary) as well as see how the different screw head designs (flat, domed, etc) look in the hinge.

Gordon …. Ace hardware is the tajmahal of fasteners for hardware stores.  On my California trip my door pull handle came loose.  The screw  a SS needed a bigger body and a same size head as the hole was bigger ….. the clerk helped me and they had the exact screw that I needed !!! Wow is all I could say I bought a few to say the least!  

Last edited by IaM-Ray

Toying with making some gaskets to go between them and the body.

Also, they didn't come with mounting hardware, which didn't surprise me

I’d get a bit of black leather like the seal for a lexan windscreen. And even though Phillips are easier to deal with, I’d get SS slotted oval head screws. If you can’t find any pretty ones, a fine wire wheel on a grinder or a dremel will pretty them up.
mceclip0
Belmetric has them if your local Ace or a marine store doesn’t.

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Last edited by dlearl476

I am going to start on this project later today after I finish installing the Aperta rear wind deflector I just got from Cabrio Supply in the Netherlands.

I was inspired by Stan's.

They reportedly make long drives a bit more comfortable, and I think it will make it easier for my wife.

Shipping was expensive, but even paying for the cheapest option, it arrived in about a week. The installation brackets were all wrong but I fabbed new ones from them and I think this will work out just fine.

You can also just tilt it back under a tonneau and it disappears.

I removed the roof as I never use it, so that makes installation and storage a cinch.

The brackets arrived this afternoon.

Here are three pictures of them in the approximate position I intend to install them.

Toying with making some gaskets to go between them and the body.

Also, they didn't come with mounting hardDeck lid brackets 3Deck lid brackets 2Deck lid brackets 1ware, which didn't surprise me

Bob.  Are you sure the fibreglass in both those areas is going to be strong enough for this to work?  This was one option I thought about on my car, but too late in the build.

I asked Henry about it, and he said the reverse engineering needed for this to work would be too much to do, once the lid was set up with regular/internal hinges.

I'm no engineer - just stating when Henry told me on my build.

It's a great look.

Wrenn:

That's a real elegant look. I'm not sure my car is worthy!

I'm wondering whether the long reach version allows for too much play. I guess it depends on the pin and the barrel tolerances no matter what you use.

The cap plugs finish off the look and keep the socket head clean.  Used a lot on motorcycles- Cruisers especially, and I'm sure your car is worthy.    If you go for this, remember that flat head socket screw allen-hex size is different (smaller) from standard socket head scew allen-hex size and the OD at the top of the head is larger so there may be a different cap-plug needed.  It's just a nice touch..   Audi left the socket head screws exposed on the TT's fuel cap mount...  You do you, and be happy with it.

The engineer in me would like to see a larger spread on the bolt pattern of the mounting flanges (more square).. I notice Emory did that on his hinge.   The decklid is not really heavy and there's no real stress on it.. so it's probably just me being too analytical.  (that's how we'll pronounce it anyway)

I imagine that one will need to mark and drill for the new hinges with the old hinges in place.  An aluminum reinforcing plate might be needed on the reverse side, but that isn't too difficult to accomplish.  Then the old hinges will need to removed and the new ones installed with the engine lid off the car, the lid then placed back on and the pins installed.

On a coupe the lid flops back against the window and stays open. On a speedster I'd slowly open the lid to see if there were any issues with having it put too much strain on things when it's all the way open 180*.  Probably not, but you never can tell. A prop rod is a pretty easy solution if it's needed.

This will make cleaning idle jets, etc. MUCH easier. Can't wait to see the finished project, Bob!

For a while, back when I was waiting for my VMC speedster to complete and I was dreaming of cool things to do with my adult doll, I considered external hinges for the rear lid.  They have fallen below the bar on my wish list, in part because I think someday I might want to install a luggage rack and it just seemed to me the added weight would be a challenge for the hinges.  

I then had a crazy idea to mount faux hinges that would look legit until close examination. The pin would be missing its middle section, I would cut the screw heads off and epoxy them to the hinge flanges so no holes needed, and I’d use emblem tape to install.  But it occurred to me it would just look cheesey.  

I imagine that one will need to mark and drill for the new hinges with the old hinges in place.  An aluminum reinforcing plate might be needed on the reverse side, but that isn't too difficult to accomplish.  Then the old hinges will need to removed and the new ones installed with the engine lid off the car, the lid then placed back on and the pins installed.

On a coupe the lid flops back against the window and stays open. On a speedster I'd slowly open the lid to see if there were any issues with having it put too much strain on things when it's all the way open 180*.  Probably not, but you never can tell. A prop rod is a pretty easy solution if it's needed.

This will make cleaning idle jets, etc. MUCH easier. Can't wait to see the finished project, Bob!

I was coming on here to say the same thing. I would trace the base of both sides of the new hinge and cut out a base plate for the underside of the body and the deck lid, just in case. When I added the gas struts to my frunk lid I did the same thing because people were telling me the gas struts would put too much stress on the fiberglass. I never had an issue after eight years.

An alternative to Danny's bicycle inner tube would be one from a car or (preferably) a truck.

Places that sell/service car/truck tires usually give away old tubes for the asking (especially if they know what's going to be used on).  On a scale of thickness, it would go bicycle, car, truck with the truck being 3/32" thick or better.  I've used inner tube rubber for gaskets like that often.  It's easy to cut with an X-Acto knife or scissors and you can use a single-hole paper punch for a nice clean hole.

Bob - while examining one of your photos, I notice you have what appears to be a gigantic dead pedal.  I’m having a hard time understanding what I’m seeing here, it looks impossibly large.  I did a search and found a thread where you asked for suggestions on dead pedals but during my admittedly brief search I didn’t see any posts you provided showing your end result.  Curious minds just need to know!

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