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Sprint Boot Lid prop-rod
Hi Herve
These are from two '57 Sprints and a ’55 Sprint, but the mechanism is the same, the end of the metal rod tracks in a "U" shaped channel welded into the underside of the boot lid, this channel has a small "punched" dent in it, which will accommodate the end of the rod.
As you lift the boot lid, the spring keeps the end of the rod in the channel and when the lid gets to the dent, the end of the rod fits into the dent & upon releasing the lid, the rod now hold the lid in the open position.
Of course Alfa being Alfa, I've seen punched dents, punched & formed “pockets”, little straps welded across the channel and welded lumps, all designed to stop the rod from sliding back down the "U" channel, unless the rod is mechanically or deliberately released from its "stop" position, by one hand, while lifting the lid slightly with the other hand – properly set-up, the end of the rod is once again held firmly in the channel by the spring & it slides down the channel as the boot lid is lowered.
A word of caution here, the support for the rod mechanism is taken by the middle horizontal brace under the rear shelf, below the rear window - this brace ties the vertical support panel, (in effect the 'backrest' of the rear shelf between the rear wheel arches & shock absorbers) to the underside of the rear of the body just below the rear window, directly at the point where the hinge of the boot support rod is located - if this is not welded firmly, the weight of the boot lid is only supported by the 3" strip of sheet metal under the rear window & will flex a lot, with resultant damage to paint.
If all is as Bertone intended, with the spring tension against the rod, the end of the rod will never come out of the channels and there will be no risk damage to the underside of the boot lid.
Hopefully this answers your question
Ciao
Greig
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