Ford might have the better ideas, but that doesn't mean hot rodders can't improve them. One such area that needs improvement in almost all the fat-fendered Fords are the weak hood-hinge springs. Not only are the springs prone to breaking, they generally don't help the fit of the hood against the cowl. Removing the spring can help get the hood to fit better, but as hot rodders, we strive for more that a wooden stick holding up the hood. Besides, those sawed-off broomsticks don't do much to enhance the look of the dressed Flattie.
We're also on the lookout for ways to incorporate some new technology into our old cars. These days, gas struts are the norm when it comes to holding up hoods and decklids. With this in mind, Harry Engelhart started to look for a better way to support the hood and trunk lid on his '47 sedan. What he came up with was the HoodLifter and TrunkLifter kits.
My recently acquired '47 sedan suffered the same maladies as Harry's sedan, so I ordered a set to see if they would help much. I was very pleased with both the install and the results. Both kits went on with no problems and work great. The hood not only stays up but the gas struts also improved the fit along the cowl. An added bonus is that opening the hood is no longer a two-man job (one lifting up the hood while another pulls the release) because there's just enough pressure from the struts while the hood is closed to pop it open as the release is pulled.
The kits come with very detailed instructions with photos, so I'll just cover the highlights here, although there's really not much more to show. As far as easy installs with big rewards go, these two were about as good as you can get.
