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Hatch alignment woes

 
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Alphius
Peanut


Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Posts: 2429
Location: Grand Mound

1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 5:03 pm    Post subject: Hatch alignment woes Reply with quote

Well, as I'm sure some of us have experienced, we've become more detail oriented in our old age. Laughing As such, I've decided I can no longer abide the hatch misalignment on my car, and since I've currently got the entire interior torn apart I figured it'd be a great time to deal with this issue that's been bugging me since I painted the car a decade ago. Hatch alignment is off... but not in the usual way where the decklid protrudes past the taillights. Mine is off towards the left at the hinge area as near as I can tell. The decklid, however, is properly centered at the rear of the car. Check it out:

Right side. Big gap. Ignore the peeling clearcoat for now, that's a problem for another day. Very Happy


Left side. No gap.


Here's where I think the key to this issue lies. As far as I can tell, the hinges shouldn't be bent like one of mine is. Right side (the side with extra gap):


Left side appears mostly normal, but still has a hint of bow to it:


So, the question I pose to you is: what ought I to do with this here stupid hatch? The hinge-to-body interface is already adjusted as far as it will go towards correcting the problem. Gap from hatch to trailing edge of the roofline is 3/8" which seems reasonable. Do I need new hinges? If so, are the TGO idiots right about factory hinges bending and wallowing out often? If that's the case, should I buy the redonkulous expensive Hawks billet hinges? I can find good used sets for around $40-50 it appears (unless I get lucky at the junkyard).

http://www.hawksmotorsports.com/82-92-camaro-firebird-billet-aluminum-rear-hatch-hinges-pair/

As far as how this happened, I have only one theory: There's evidence that my hatch has been replaced prior to my ownership of the car. I haven't ever found any broken glass in the tail area, but the tail filler plate is likely not original to the car for reasons that don't matter here. Either my hinges are original and were bent in whatever situation required hatch replacement, or they're off of a wrecked car that the hatch came from many years ago and were damaged in that car's accident.

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84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow
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QwkTrip
11sec Club


Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 3942
Location: Peoria, IL

1989 Pontiac Firebird

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My hatch moved to the driver side this summer. Almost touching paint with the rear quarter now. I was going to try to center it again over winter.... so I'll watch you first and avoid your mistakes. Very Happy

In fact, every panel on my car has moved this year. Everything is finding a new home with all the new-found power twisting up the car and it looks like my car was put together by a special ed school.
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Alphius
Peanut


Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Posts: 2429
Location: Grand Mound

1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, my panel gap on doors and hood has been variable over the years as well. The hatch has never been right, but I had all the others pretty darn close when I painted it a decade ago.
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84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/T56
85 Silverado - Low and Slow
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aaron_sK
Member


Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 8834
Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton

1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That is nuts. I went through several hatches between Banana and Bondo Bucket and John's car and I have never seen any hinge do that.

I'm guessing a wreck had to cause it though. Either to your car or one that was salvaged for parts as you said.

I'd just hit the yards. Thirdgens come up often enough and literally every single one will have the same hinges.
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