I have an 89 IROC that is a low mileage mint condition car except for the rear hatch that does not want to align properly on closing. It appears that the prior owner replaced the gas struts with aftermarket ones that seem to be a bit aggressive/over powered. (When opening the hatch goes up very quickly and takes a bit more effort than it should to close) My thought is they may be moving the hatch and not making it align properly. The issue is not with the rear lip sticking out too far but rather with the entire hatch not lining up properly left to right. It wants to sit closer to the left leaving a large space on the right. Is there a fix for this? I came across a few posts on it but there seems to be debate on the issue without any clear fix. I presume the top hinges that have the bolts that go through the glass can be loosened and the hatch can be adjusted if there is enough play. Any other solution? I would prefer not to have to take apart the rear spoiler cover piece as its sealed etc and the issue seems to be with the overall alignment of the entire hatch itself.

 

I'd try removing the struts and see if it exhibits same behavior. Then you can rule that in/out. Next up would be alignment of lock. And yes, struts come in different powers. The Formula's/Trans Ams have very heavy spoilers and need more force to lift them. That may be what ya have in there. When guys go to the aftermarket fiberglass Formula spoilers, the struts are too powerful.

 

I aligned mine by adjusting the bolts on the hinges, but NOT the glass side. Loosen the bolts that sit under the plastic interior trim. ....I've seen several posts saying there's no adjustment there but I certainly found a good amount. VERY easy to do. ...but you'll need a second person. Struts of course need to be removed for adjustment/alignment.

 

He's so right about the extra person!!!!