Trunk Prop

By Frank Colgoni

Simple is good and this is a simple solution executed by Dream Machines Ltd. A trunk prop is one of things you need and while there are a myriad of solutions out there, from broom stick to motorized lift, I was looking for something simple and functional. Someone suggested a hockey stick and I actually considered it but.

In any case, we had been using a broom handle at the shop and, believe it or not, it was the position of the broom stick that gave me the idea for this particular prop. After discussing it with John, he also like the concept of a transverse prop and started to think about how to fabricate it. We decided to use a ball / pull-down catch to anchor the rod at the trunk lid and a ball swivel at the bottem end. John used stainless steel for the rod.

Here's some photos:


Here's the finished setup. How does it work? You unconnect the prop at the trunk lid by pulling down on the spring loaded catch, swing the rod down to the left and secure it in its holder, then lower the trunk lid. More details below.


Detail at the trunk lid end. A small "L" shaped bracket was fabricated to hold the ball end. A slot was made in the trunk skin for the bracket to slip through. A bolt threads into the bracket to secure it to the lid. The spring loaded pull-down catch holds the ball securely.

Detail of the swivel end of the prop rod during fabrication. The swivel threads into the small tube bracket which is, in turn, affixed to the small piece of square tubing added to the body steel just under the trunk lip.

This is the trunk lid end of the prop rod stored in a holder that Dream Machines milled out of a nylon-like material. The outer side of the holder is thin enough that it flexes to hold the rod tight.

Here you can see the entire rod stored.

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