Just got back from my 4 hour trip across state with a "new" hatch. Well, it sure as heck wasnt as advertised (no pics, bad description) but i think thats something i can live with. It will need to be stripped down and cleaned up but overall its in good shape. That being said, is there a thread somewhere on this site dedicated to these things? Thanks

 

Does it have the glass?? Doesn't look like it. Hope you didn't pay too much for it. Factory original or aftermarket?

 

Congrats on the rescue of the notchback hatch. It looks OEM. A glass shop should ba able to cut you new glass to fit and send it out to be tempered. I hope you got the brackets that hold in the glass.

Lon

 

Yep, its OEM and considering its rarity, no, i didnt pay much at all. After i saw what it was i couldnt let the thing just get thrown into the trash. I dont have the glass brackets but ill figure something out to take care of that problem. I was going to clean it up myself but is there anywhere out there that could do it for me? Also, what style/year spoiler went on these (besides the obvious that it was from an 88/89)? Looks like the same one i currently have except with a 3rd brake light. How hard would it be to convert my car to use a third brake light if its not setup to use one right now? It would be nice to have a thread dedicated to these things to provide info and help to people with them.

 

Oh wow, now I see why you were looking for weak hatch struts... you found a notchback! Cool! I can send you my old struts, or there should be some struts available meant for the notchback (Hawks?) specifically. Or try struts meant for another car entirely (early '80s Corolla hatchback?).

Try http://www.gtanotchback.com/ for people that might be able to help you with all your questions. They may also know where to get parts.

Good luck and have fun! :-)

 

Yep. I was actually expecting an entirely different hatch. lol

These hatches actually dont use the normal style struts so ill have to figure something out.

Right now i just need to find someone or someplace that would help me restore this. Its missing some parts and needs to be stripped down and cleaned.

 

Hawk's sells a fiberglass notchback hatch... I wonder if they have any of the struts and other hardware for it, too. I know their notchback hatch doesn't come with anything other than weatherstrips, but maybe they have some hardware laying around in a dark corner of their shop that they might sell to you? Worth asking.

 

The thing is that the OEM notchback isnt the same as the hawks hatch. The strut mounts/struts are different, the way the window attaches is different, it is setup with the electric contact for the third brake light, etc. I did email hawks to see if they could help though. I figure they are one of the few places that get a steady flow of parts and may have some help to offer.

 

Very nice, bought mine last year from MI. As of yet I havent been able to find any supplier for the factory strut. Wound up modifying to work with original glass struts.

 

That's a bummer. Maybe they've had an OEM original notchback show up at one time that they still have the struts/mounts from....? Hopefully they give you some good news when they respond to your email.

 

85 - I figure since they were made here there probably a few more than normal floating around but who knows.

star - Yeah, ive got my fingers crossed.

 

Hey guys, what is the exact type of spoiler that came with these? How hard would it be to set my car up for the third brake light since it wasnt equiped with it originally? Lastly, what in the world are the latch plates for on either side of the hatch? They look like large open ended wrencheson the end (cant think of any other way to describe it).

 

Could i use the spoiler off of my 82? They look identical aside from the third tail light.

 

The factory notch was only available on the 88 GTA and only came with the pedestal style spoiler. You can use the tail light wiring from a later model firebird, or simply remove the third brake light and fill in the hole

 

I know the notch was only used for the 88 (and a few 89 apparently) but i wasnt sure if the spoiler was used on other years/models. Ill probably just fill the hole and use the spoiler i have since it seems like itll bolt right on anyway.

 

It should have the standard Firebird spoiler on it, yeah - other than the 3rd brake light it's the same.

Here is what I welded in to make my hatch struts work on mine. It's similar to what is in the actual notchback cars.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/optilevers/5606119280/
It worked well. Used with standard power struts, didn't have any issues.

 

Thats a good idea. Im actuall going to try some different struts and see if i can get them to work. If not doing the bracket or just using a prop is what ill end up doing.

Since you have a notchback, what are the metal plates on either side of the hatch for? Theyre called latch plates if i recall correctly. I can take a pic of mine but theyre all bent up.

 

I don't see how any set of struts would work - the problem is clearance; the deck is simply in the way and will hit the strut on the way down. You have to have a bracket that lowers the strut mount on either the car or the hatch itself - unless I'm crazy

I don't know why they are there functionally, but they line up with the strut mount where it touches the car. They are totally superfluous as far as I can tell. I took mine off, when I still had the hatch. I just sold it actually, for an aftermarket one (personal thing - I had one 15 years ago and have always regretted selling it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/optilevers/6825660635/

 

PS - I couldn't get ANY glass shops to make me a piece of glass for one I bought before I got the one with a window in it. I do know someone, in MI, who has a notchback with glass and the right strut mounts - he's been trying not to part it out - but he may be persuadable

 

If you wouldnt mind talking with your friend about parting it out i would GREATLY appreciate it. The glass thing is really starting to bother me so if i could buy an original window and mounting hardware it would help a lot. Ive only seen a few people with that style hatch and they seem to love them. I really didnt plan on buying an OEM notchback but overall im glad i did. The guy selling it had id advertised as something else so i was surprised when i went to go look at it.