Boot / Trunk Gas Struts XKC 3893

[HDRider]

The lower bracket was laying under the driver side carpet on the wifes 7. Must have been just after the changover thus an "extra" part.

Edward Hamer
Petaluma Ca

[jbsjim]

When did they make the change over to gas struts? My 1980 car has the manual version like Beans' car which works perfectly.
Jim

[saabfast]

My '81 (Solihull) car had gas struts - until I replaced with the older style mechanical strut. First reg was 9-3-81 but no idea when it was built.

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto
Saab 2.3 LPT Auto
'81 TR7 DHC

[FI Spyder]

My Spider with build date July/80 (Solihull) has them. Anything earlier.

Odd does your car not have plate on the door giving build date?


- - - - TR7 Spider - - - - - - - - 1978 Spitfire - - - - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - - Yellow TCT

[Odd]

Not date, but month and year: May 1980.
My BMIHT Certificate gives a more specific time though: first week of May 1980 (1-6th of May) in Canley

And my '8 did NOT have that lower bracket affixed, it had the crappy pneumatic struts and their paraphernalia...
And after having gotten the lid in my neck once to often I decided to retrofit a WORKING and DEPENDABLE solution...

[jbsjim]

So the lower bracket was welded to the body? Mine is attached by rusted screws. Looks like a PO change.

[darrellw]

I guess I'm lucky, the struts on my car are working well, even when there was a luggage rack on. But I do like the conversion to the mechanical strut, it looks just like the one that Triumph used on my TR4A! In fact, there are a number of parts, while not identical, that clearly show the family history between the two cars.

Darrell Walker
66 TR4A IRS-SC CTC67956L
81 TR8 SATPZ458XBA406206
Vancouver, WA, USA

[Chris Turner]

The best idea is to fit 2 struts on either side, use the new pair and the old pair, one of each on either side. It needs longer bolts to go through both struts but your problems will be over.

[Phathead]

Wow. Lot's of info for me to wrap my head around! This is great. I'm going to go on a bracket hunt. Thanks again everyone!

[frankman]

He, Odd great description with the mass - I also have this problme and beans thanks for the info, so better to chane to the old system - good to know and not to go through

Hello from Switzerland

Frank

[frankman]

He, Odd great description with the mass - I also have this problme and beans thanks for the info, so better to chane to the old system - good to know and not to go through

Hello from Switzerland

Frank

[stevie_a]

like this idea because I could then fit my solenoid to the boot and have a boot popper on my remote

( I did this to the MX5 and press the button and the boot fully opened great when you have your arms full)

but it is not a cheap option as these struts are expensive items</b></font id="teal">

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[Raider]

I had to go out and look at my DHC having read this thread.

It was first registered 1st August 1982 and it does have the gas struts but I never knew until I just looked!

This is because it also has the early boot lid stay with the lower bracket held in by 2 screws! I think I'll be looking at that fixing tomorrow[;)]

No plate on the doors with build date though, maybe that's only found on non UK cars.

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Project Manx 2010 (now a bit delayed!) - I wish I could drive a TR7 like Tony Pond
North Yorks/Lancs border

[Odd]

BMIHT will 'give' you that date (and a lot of other stuff) if you order a Production Record Certificate.

[busheytrader]

My struts worked fine until I waxoyled the boot lid after the car was resprayed. I must have doubled its weight.

22 years on and it's kept the rust at bay