foney_email

I saw this guys camaro the other day. When he popped the hatch, it lifted up on its own...

Mine doesnt do that.. Are they supposed to? I know that 4th gens you still have to lift up. What gives... If I put a stronger or longer hatch strut in back than what is supposed to be there, will it make it lift automatically?

Also, what is this about a hatch pull down unit? What is that? I assume it is like the caddys where you set the hatch down and it uses the motor to close it completely, right?

Okay and my last q...

Will an 85 nose fit my 82 t/a without mods?

(do you think that I need the side skirts and other gfx, to make it look good? cause I really just want the nose...)

1986redbird

you could probably get it to lift on it's own if you put new lift struts on it (not different just new), my struts have never been replaced and they almost do it so I would think new ones would.

about the pull down motor, you said it exactly. works like the caddys' do.

about the nose---- what kind of nose from the 85 are you looking at, if it's the 85 T/A nose and you car doesn't have side skirts on it it will look odd, just look at the pic I am attaching. it's my race car and I'm missing the skirt on the front drivers side and I think it looks odd.

PyRo9862

Lift struts wear out, once they get older they won't open the hatch on there own, eventually they probably won't hold it up at all, but that will probably take a long time. Its the same reason you see lots of camaros and firebirds with extreemly cool hood sticks, because the struts wear out and won't support the hood any more.
My new camaro, the girl who owned it before me had just replaced the hood and hatch struts :lala:

Spdfrk1990

my struts r strong if i let it go up on its own it will hit hard at the top

onebinky

iTrader: (1)

on my old 85 Z28 I replaced the hatch shocks with ones intended for a camaro with the rear wiper. If I let it, it would slam open hard.

Spdfrk1990

lol maybe i should buy the weaker ones then

Trans_AM_88

i put new struts on my 88 gta a few months ago, but the hatch never opened with out he helping it up about 10 inches at the begining. its that damned 10 ton rubber spoiler... i took the spoiler off of my other 86' trans am and it popped by it self...and those were worn out struts too!

Spdfrk1990

yeh those spoilers add alot of weight

25THRSS

mine does it, but only everyone once in a while for some reason

BIGJsTA

i'm on my 3rd set of struts...I get the ones with spoiler, defogger, brake light & rear wiper (i have all but the wiper) and even brand new they dont go up all the way by themselves..And in like a year or less they will stay put, but not go up at all...I have a pull down motor too, so now i NEED to use my key or remote release, otherwise i end up playing tag with the motor...I push the button to release, and by the time i get to the back of the car it's pulling it back down again......

I'm going to give it 1 more try when i get the cash for a fiberglass aerowing (i need a new one anyway it's rotted) and if it still wont go up i think i'm just gonna hook actuators on the damn thing heh

foney_email

Hey redbird...

yeah, that does look odd..

I can find the fron clip easy, but I really dont want to have to put on the side skirts on the doors. I know that it looks nicer, but it is more work if my doors didn't have them factory (as the 82 T/A's did not.)

How hard is it to instal the side skirts that are on the front fender?

Can I do it without having to drill in for the mounting clips? I mean will the clips that I have for the factory flare (the little fender thing that came stock) still work to put the gfx on the front end?

If not I guess I will go all out and either replace the doors with gfx doors or just instal the clips.

I am right in assuming that I have to drill those clips in, right?

I don't mind if the hatch comes up a little hard, but I am really not liking my visegrip-strut combo.

thanks guys

85f-bird

foney , if you look at redbirds pic he does have the sideskirts / rockerpanel gfx on the car. He is missing the front fender piece , and yes they look odd w/o them. I found complete 85-90 T/A Gfx at a bone yard, and salvaged all of them (different vehicles of course, but got them all). Before i went back to school i only had enough time to put the nose on, and didn't get the front fender pieces on, the car looked mean from the front, and stupid from any angle but front, i later added the front fender pieces and they worked great. I was a little scared about drilling holes into my car, but after doing the first set, realized that it wasn't any big deal, and just went ahead and drilled the things. The car looks good w the front fender completed, i've still not had the time to put the rocker panels, rear bumper, or 1/4panel pieces on yet, but hopefully i can do that by this winter.

Thirdgen86TA

My hatch opens great during the day, but once it gets dark it doesn't stay up

PyRo9862

Its scared of the dark

foney_email

so it isn't that bad drilling the holes for the gfx?

All I can get is the front bumper and the fender parts... Could I use the camaro sides instead.

It would look kinda weird with the little air extractor thing that the camaro pieces have though, wouldn't it?


How much do you guys spend on your hatch struts?

they are expensive over here. 70-80 bucks I think at AutoZone...

onebinky

iTrader: (1)

I'm pretty sure you could use the camaro sides, and you can get them without the air extractors too. The only years those were used is 91-92. 85-90 have the normal ones.

Hatch struts are about $40 ea. in illinois too.

Agent13

iTrader: (6)

My '82 does it. The RS doesn't though .

87PontiacBeast

when i had my 87 ta i put new struts on it and it didnt go up on its own but when i got my 92 f-bird i swapped the struts and the hatch flys open now when i press the button. so i guess its the big giant eraser for a spoiler on the ta's that makes it not open on its own.

89V6FBIRD

Yep, higher temperature = more pressure in the strut = stronger lifting ability. My hatch will open by itself on 95° days.