While watching TV today, I saw a Dodge commercial showcasing the Caravan's power rear hatch. So I got to thinking, and I thought: Hey, f-body's have a hatch, I wonder how hard it would be to rig a power one up on a f-body. I probably wouldn't spend the time/effort to do it myself, but I think it would be pretty damn cool.

Anyone think that would be possible?

 

im sure it cant be to hard, would look awesome on a show car

With some nice 12s sittin in the back..
or even a power up hood too.. hit a button they both come up

 

that's what i'm talking about!

 

anythings possible but it would take too much time and frustraton trying to fit the hoses around the hatch. plus you would need a power source. you could probably use on of those electric emergency pumps for flat tires, although it would'nt have enough pressure to lift the hatch.

 

who says it has to be air powered? i can be hydrolic or even mechanical.. an arm that moves up and slides along the side of the hatch or something

 

it wouldn't work because when the hatch is lowered the shocks point downwards, therfore they're not pushing up just shearing the mounts. Also even though there's probably a large enough safety factor, it may not be safe to double the pressure in the cylinders.

 

i think i could make it work if i had the money and the want for it

 

I don't know much about hatches, but how is it that much different to a mini-van? Just a little but of a different angle

 

What you need is called an actuator. you can get them from here. www.selectproducts.com/frameindex.htm then you need to mount it. It runs of of 12v. the trick is to pop the trunk and then have the actuator do its thing. otherwise you will burn out the actuator pushing up on a closed/latched trunk lid.

hope this helps

this is really easy you guys, you need to replace one of the shock/spring thins on the car. the other will help assist in moving it. use the actuator on one side and your done. the hardest part is a. buying one and b. mounting it. its done all the time in car audio. mini vans is totally different concept all togeather (engineering wise)

 

there's a big difference between the camaro hatch and a minivan, the camaro's hatch is horizontal, the minivan's is vetical, therefore the cylinder's are also vertical making it much easier lift the hatch. it could be done but you would have to rip out eveything and start from nothing.