Gaz - I have a pair of new ones - Your welcome to try them on yours as your only up the road. However they are intended for my car so will need them back!
A friend tried to close his trunk lid and the interlock didn't transfer and that corner now sits proud. you'll never fix something subtle like that so he's looking for a new trunk lid to paint to body colour. He's now looking to put on gas struts on so it doesn't happen again.
Now that's expensive.
TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra
Next allteration is to move the battery to the boot thus giving me more room in the engine bay,,, have bought a boot stay as the weight of the boot spoiler the boot shocks dont hold up the boot lid
In Australia they recharge them. Pretty much everywhere else they replace them. You can get them recharged here (Vancouver) but guess what, the guys from New Zealand. They must do that there as well.
I replaced mine and that was 4 years ago. I wouldn't go stay as a friend has a stay and it didn't release when he put the lid down once. Now his trunk lid stand up on left side. The only answer is a new trunk lid and a paint job on it to try to match the rest of car. He wants to go to struts but doesn't have the place to attach them.
Ron (Orange Rag) dropped by yesterday and mentioned he found a pair at Canadian Tire for $18. Just need some minor alteration. You might find something similar at a local auto parts store. Take one in and physically match it up.
I put a strut from and early one on mine ('81 DHC), less than a fiver off the auction site IIRC. The threads are already in the lid for the bolts and a quick flash with the welding torch on the gutter. I have found it reliable and easy, you just have to remember to lift the lid to release the catch before pushing down.
Alan Saab 9000 Stg 1 Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto '81 TR7 DHC
Radical idea here - what about a pair of bonnet struts of something like a Rover 800? If they hold the weight of that bonnet they should hold the weight of a wedge bootlid, even with a spoiler on it! Can go and measure mine for size if it helps deciding which cars bonnet struts to use (not mine though lol!) but some struts have a safety thing so you have to start closing then push it open again before it will close fully.
Failing that, what about tailgate struts from something like a Maestro? Should be loads of those in scrapyards and even a tired tailgate strut should hold a bootlid open.
Saabfast's suggestion is the way to go,IMO...I have an 80 and a 75,both with the "lift once and lock,lift again to close" strut. Never have to worry about the lid coming down on your head,super cheap, and original to the car-what's not to love?
I've been told that there might be a cheaper alternative to buying trunk lid hydraulic arms online. I was wondering if anyone had any info on that. I live in Canada.