Rusty But Trusty

For those of you with cars of a certain age, you’re no doubt familiar with the broom-handle method of keeping your hatch open. As an owner of two late 1970s cars using struts to hold up their trunk lids, I’ve been doing this for the last few years. Honestly, though, I don’t really understand why I did. This is possibly one of the cheapest, easiest ways to de-jalopy-ize your old car.

Both my Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT and Lancia Beta sedan use hatch struts. And both of them were failed, the Beta to the degree that they don’t ever hold up the trunk lid. Since I use the Alfetta most, I looked around for a strut online, and ended up finding one from Hatch Struts Depot. So, the reason why this is cheap and easy? Cheap: The strut was $61 shipped and arrived in two days. Easy: Replacing it required removing two circlips and pulling out two pins, then reversing that to put the new one in. Make sure you support the lid with the broom-handle while you’re working on it, otherwise that flat spot on the back of your head (from being hit by the hatch, you know it’s happened) will get flatter. And there you have it – now I have to stand back since the lid opens so quickly. Disclaimer: I’ve got no relationship to Hatch Struts Depot, other than as a customer.