here are some pics I took this morning.

 

pics

 

Hey Warrior2291, I just PM'd you with some info on your rear glass issue.

'05 Precision Red Z51 C6
'82 Collector's Edition

 

Warrior;

The struts you have are Ecklers 'reproduction' struts. Eckler's had photos of the original struts in their catalog, but were selling these ill fitting things. I bougt a set and complained to Eckler's that they didn't match the photo and that they also didn't fit the car!

They changed the photo and stopped calling them 'reproduction', but they still sell them.

I could not find any struts that would work, so I made my own set of custom struts and while I was at it I made one other set for a fellow that bought my second prototype set of hinges (copter).

Your hinges are stock. I only made SIX sets of hinges, three different prototypes and three sets of pre-production. The last two sets were not intended for sale, but I got talked out of them. None of them were 'reproduction' hinges. You would know if you had a set.

Unfortuately, there are no 'reproduction' or 'replacement' hinges available so far as I know.

The best you can do it get rid of those crappy Eckler's struts which have rediculously high pressure and will stretch your stock hinges in a matter of weeks.

Pull out your stock hinges and squeeze them back to their original dimention which is 3" center of pivot to center of glass mount. Judging by your glass, yours are probably stretched to over 3-1/2". Unfortunately a solution used in many cases was to slot the mounting brackets, in some cases really butchered them up, in order to pull the glass back forward.

After you get the hinges squeezed back to oringinal dimention, set the glass in place with the hinges loose. Push the glass forward until it sits nice and seals on the weatherstrip, and then shim and tighten the hinges to maintain that position. You won't be able to use the hatch, but it will stay sealed. If you put struts back on, the hinges with stretch again.

I can post a bunch of pics on how to adjust the hinges and latches if you want, but I have no more hinges or struts to sell.

I would be interested to know who said that the so called 'replacement' hinges bend easily and if they were talking about the hinges that I made. Although the topic of making new CE hinges has come up several times in the past, I know of no other hinges that were ever made.

 

BTW, squeeze your stock hinges at your own risk.

I believe them to be sand cast from a soft zink alloy (pot metal) so they should bend back fine, but there is no guarantee of that.

 

Which is exactly why you should start making them again

 

Sir. I thank all of you here for your help. This is why I i love being a part of this forem. With the smarts you guys got you cant help but know I am getting the best information possible. First I need to know how the struts come off. The second thing I would like to know is can you provide to me a drawing or pic of where I need to measure the hinges....so I can bend them back the right way.......

One more thing I am a novice at this but not afraid to get dirty and mix it up.......so with that said I will follow your advice and do it this weekend I do think you are tright I will leave the hatch with out the struts untill I find A CE that has the original ones they want to sell........

 

I FOUND THESE ON E-BAY WHATS YOUR THOUGHTS ON THESE

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Corve...spagenameZWD1V

 

Warrior;

If the struts look like the pictures, they won't fit.

Here are some pics from the install instructions I wrote up. You can see the extension on the tube end of the strut.

One of these photo's should also answer the question about how to removing the Eckler struts.

http://www.thecubestudio.com/picture...ompTextWeb.jpg

http://www.thecubestudio.com/picture...EndCompWeb.jpg

http://www.thecubestudio.com/picture...CloseUpWeb.jpg

The following photo is Jay's CE. This was the first pre-production set of hinges which Jay and I installed on his car . . . painted black as Jay wanted them. He somehow scored a working set of stock struts. Notice the glass end of the strut and then look at the hole where the latch pin goes when the glass is closed. This is the clearance issue. Without the smaller diameter extention, the strut tube hits the black plastic interior piece.

http://www.thecubestudio.com/picture...nSide01Web.jpg

I found the following on ebay . . . don't know if they guy has any left. The fellow who got my very last set of hinges nabbed a set of these struts. I don't think he's used them yet as I think he's getting his car painted or something . . . not sure.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...MakeTrack=true

 

As Steve said those struts won't work.They will get in the way of the trim.My rear glass looked just like yours.My hinges were stretched 1/2" over stock.Seems that is the common amount where they will not work anymore.I did get a set of steve's hinges and painted them body color.Also got a pair of struts he made up and after I was all done it looked and worked better than GM ever thought(Thanks again Steve)There was a guy over on the ceregistry site that bent his back in a vise covered with a towel and for now he is happy.His hatch will open but he don't use it very often but it at least works.Go ahead and try bending yours back.If they break I've still have my originals I'll sell to a brother CE owner cheap.I must warn you that mine are 1/2" off.What we need to do for right now is get the glass sealed and latched down.Don't try and do any bubba stuff,like reaming out openings.I'll look in my stuff.I think I have a set of struts.Not the ones that came off my car but a pair of used originals.They might work fine but then maybe not, at least they are the ones that are supposed to go on the car.

 

Warrior,
As Steve said, I was fortunate enough to get his last set of hinges. I also bought a set of the struts Steve mentioned from corvettepete on ebay. I installed both this weekend and they work beautifully.

I followed the instructions that Steve posted earlier in this thread. It took about 2 hours start to finish, with no surprises. The quality of the hinge set is first rate.

You might want to check out this link for a possible solution:
http://www.corvetteaddiction.com/82c...opic.php?t=252

Good Luck..

 

Sir I thank you for your help. I have been writtng all over the world looking for a set of originial struts. By the looks of things all of you are right on the money here they are almost impossible to find.

What I planned on doing this weekend was to disconnect the glass from the hinges and take those struts off. I figured if I could get the glass to seat properly them I am a winner all the way around. I would love to have those old struts you have. I am willing to buy them from you. I really dont care if the hatch opens at this point I just want to get everything back in shape( like the hinges).
With my luck they will probably break when I try and bend them back. So I have been looking for a originial set of hinges just in case before I go and remove anything from my car.
aGAIN i THANK EVERYONE HERE FOR ALL YOUR HELP tHIS HAS BEEN QUITE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME....... I wish that guy still made those hinges they would be worth the price to eliminate this headache......!!!!

Steve F

 

Thanks for the help I appreciate it very much. i wrote to the gentlemen and I hope he has a set left. I will let you know if I hear anything back from him.

Steve F

 

I wish you would make another set i will paypal you the money right now.....

 

Steve you really need to help this guy out.One more time.I mean the hatch is THE most important part of the CE.I just went out in the parking lot at lunch to take off my tops.I popped my hatch and it was beautiful man.It closes like a vault!!

 

and me while you're at it!!

 

OK here is the deal;

I have other people who have been asking me to make hinges. They want in, so that makes 3 sets.

SuprJames, Warrior and K9 make 6 sets. You all have said you're ready to buy, so we have a go.

e-mail me (I've added my e-mail to my profile here) and I'll get the payment info (paypal) to you.

It will take a couple of weeks to complete the sets.

Reminder, this is a one time deal. I hate making these things and I'm NOT going to start production. There is no CNC . . these are hand made and it takes about 6 hours to make each set and that's only if I can use the same mill setups for multiple hinges.

They look like this after band saw cutout, machining and edge cleanup:

http://www.thecubestudio.com//pictur...to2rough01.jpg

Then on to the belt sander for roughing and polishing . . by hand:

http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/Proto2a.jpg

These are the second prototype. Yours will be the new sleeker production design as shown inthis thread on Jay's car, but the process if the same.

 

Steve, That's awesome. I'm glad you were able to help out the other members.

You guys won't be sorry, these hinges are well made, look great and function like they are suppose to.

 

Heard back from this guy said he has struts left but no hinges........He will be out of town for 3 weeks.....

 

I love this forum!