decklid stand off trouble

[callahan]

well i finally got around to putting my stand offs on today and ran into some issues
the decklid is hitting the bumper just enough to keep it from clearing
the bumper brackets are all the way back and the decklid hinge brackets are all the way forward
i don't know what else to do
anyone else had this issue?

[Bugman114]

take off the bumper, lol.

Seriosly tho, you might be able to loosen the bolts holding the bumper to the brackets, and push down, to lower the bumper a tad that way. same for the mount to body brackets. You said you moved them back, but you might be able to move them down a little as well, maybe even angle the bumper down a little. might just give ya enough clearence. just a thought.

[callahan]

i tried just about every bumper combination i could think of but still no go
i think i may just have to cut some bigger holes in the bumper brackets so it will slide out just a little further

[Bugman114]

did you buy or make the stand offs? when i made mine, i realized i had to put a bend in the flat bar i used, because when it was straight, it was too low to hit the catch for the lever. so i had to bend it up a little, for it to reach. If you bought them, then i had no idea, lol.

[callahan]

i bought them and they're already bent but it looks like they may need a little more angle on them i may try bending them a little more

[Bugman114]

if they're aluminum i wouldn't as they are cast, and very brittle. and will most likely crack if you do, lol.

[callahan]

yeah that was my only concern with that
maybe some spacers on the front side of the stand offs would make enough extra angle for it to clear

[Bugman114]

carefull. if the spacing is already right, or you add too many spacers, then the latch will not catch on the lip on the body of the car, and you won't be able to close the decklid.

[57RTOval]

I have to stack about 4 or 5 washers under the front of the stand offs to get the angle up. That's the only way my decklid clears the bumper on my 66. I also have to shim the latch plate on the apron with a couple washers for the latch to grab. Don't try bending those cast stand offs! They will break for sure.

[buggin70]

mine dosnt latch anyway

[callahan]

maybe if you took the tennis ball off lol

[buggin70]

i dont have it on and it wont catch with the standoffss

[Bugman114]

wow, these early cars must be made differently, lol. On my 74 super, the catch for the latch is a stamped piece of steel welded to the apron. I just had to bend it out a little (remember, its stamped steel, not cast), and it was able to catch the latch fine. When the decklid is angled out, the bottom lip of the decklid hit the apron, and the latch wouldn't reach the catch, thus the reason to bend it outward. I'm guessing the early cars catche's bolt on. I've never had an early car with an apron. my 61 is a baja

[Damn-it Don]

Yeah- Mikes right about the late models, Kyle- just bend that tab on the apron, and the latch should work- thats how I got mine to work properly....and I did wear the paint off my apron- but I have a fiberglass overlay overtop of the OG apron, so there is more thickness there causing that.
I remember a 66 I had that was stock (no stand offs) and I had to give the deck lid a twist to clear the rear bumper.

[ASBug]

maybe if you took the tennis ball off lol

I use a Tee_ball,
Car was hot and was on the way to tee ball practice....
Stabbing the tee-ball was somehow refreshing after all the hours spent...
KC