World's Trickest Engine Lid Prop???

After putting a fibreglass ducktail engine lid on my Carrera 3.2, I found that the lid wouldn't sit right. This was caused by the tension in the stock shock absorber that holds the lid open. The lightweight ducktail is too light to fully compress the shock and is weak in torsion, too, so the shock twists the lid, preventing it from sitting correctly. Problem!!

Solution: Seine Systems "Ulitimate Strut" - a carbon fibre prop rod. All hardware is supplied for hassle-free installation, no drilling* (in most applications, read on).

Unlike the photos on the Seine Systems website, which show left-side installation, Carrera 3.2's with air conditioning (like mine) require right-side installation. All you need to do is identify the appropriate hole (ahem) on the hinge, *radius it a bit with a drill, and fit the attached hardware.

Cut the rod to length with a hand saw and slip on the supplied "foot", then slip the sleeve over the join and heat it up with a hairdryer or heat gun to shrink it to fit. The foot slips into a bolt head as shown, when in use. The kit comes with a replacement bolt with a recessed head, which you use to replace the appropriate bolt in the engine compartment.

Seine Systems supplies a rubber sleeve to tuck the rod away when not required. This attaches to the ducktail lid and the rod just nestles in there nicely.

Despite what my friend Andy says, this is probably not the world's most expensive 2x4. At about $40 I think it is a useful and elegant solution to a real problem and let's face it, who doesn't love carbon fibre???

The Seine Systems Ultimate Strut is available to fit 911, 912 and 964 applications front and rear, and 993 rear. If you want to buy one, go here.