Adjusting trunk (deck lid)...

[Gregg Benedict]

How do you adjust the horizonal side-to-side mounting on the deck lid? Where would you shim it if you needed to move to the left about 1/4", for example?

 

[1966newport]

u need to bend the hinges

 

[Gregg Benedict]

Oh, joy...

 

[azblackhemi]

First make sure the latch isn't pulling it over. Take the latch off and close it. If it's centered in the opening it's the latch that has to move. If it's still too far to one side just give it a push from the side back near the hinges. It should move that far pretty easily.

 

[Gregg Benedict]

Yeah... that isn't gonna work... Did I forget to say this is an Imperial?

I've been pushing on the side of the deck lid for awhile now. It hasn't budged a millimeter. The only thing I can think of next is to remove the deck lid and THEN bend the hinges. Only thing is, I don't want to overbend them, and I'm not too keen in removing the deck lid in the first place.

Who designed this trunk where you can't use shims anyway?

 

[413]

They are all like that. Just get a 350lb friend to bend them for you. It really is the way the factory and body shops do it.

What year is the Imperial? Are they stamped metal arms or cast material? Got a photo?

 

[Gregg Benedict]

It's a '68. And its neither cast, nor stamped steel. It's actually a hollow square. You can see in the picture. The top part of the deck lid closest to the hinges is the part the fits poorly. It looks fine at the bottom near the latch. I included pictures of the top left and right gaps to show what I'm dealing with...

 

[cbarge]

The gaps shown are very common by 1968 mass produced standards.
You can spend hours trying to get perfection and may not acheive it.
Been there with my 68 Newport.
I can suggest tack weld a couple washers onto the hinge that helps move the trunk over to the left.
Yes removing the trunk is required.

 

[HWYCRZR]

A 4’ chunk of 2x4 right through the hinge to pry the direction the lid needs to go. Pull on one a little then switch to the other. I think you will find that a little leverage will make short work of it. If is not enough to move both, you could loosen the opposite one of the sides to bend one at a time. Using a blunt soft object like a 2x4 will prevent scratching or creases in the hinge.
put the 2x4 through the hinge as drawn below.

 

[Pax2001]

If you remove the lid to try to bend the hinges they will most like pull right back into the same position when you re-bolt the lid on. You need to bend them with the lid bolted in tight. You want to bend the actual hinge and not just the end of it.
I suggest not being too shy and give the lid a really good shove while it is fully open. Worse thing that can happen is you need to push it back a little. You will be fighting the tensile strength of the hinge metal, and back in those days it wasn't some tin foil rolled up.
I am inclined to agree with the 2x4 method if you want more control over the operation.