Luke Czaplinski of Eddie Motorsports handled the hood hinge swap in less than two hours, which included dealing with Editor Brennan!
The hinges come in two models...
The hinges come in two models to cover Tri-Five applications: ’55-56 and ’57.
The Tri-Five Chevy is to the post-’48 crowd what the ’32 Ford is to the pre-’49 crowd—an iconic car. The designs of both are timeless and their decades-long popularity has proven their staying power.
On a visit to Eddie Motorsports (Rancho Cucamonga, California) we had the opportunity to follow along as a ’55 Chevy was getting a hood hinge makeover. All of us who have rumbled around under the hood of an old car of any year, make, and model understand fitting modern components can oftentimes be a chore—if not a downright pain in the backside.
Not so with the Eddie Motorsports Tri-Five Chevy hood hinges. This truly is an “after dinner” exercise. The billet hood hinges are CNC machined and designed for ’55-56 (PN EMS149-30) and ’57 (PN EMS149-31) models, available in either machined, polished, or colored finishes. The 6061-T6 billet aluminum utilizes sealed bearings for smooth and long-lasting operation. The “secret” to the hinges over stock springs are the stainless steel gas struts (accompanied by mounting hardware). Trunk hinges are also available.
The hinges come in two models...
The hinges come in two models to cover Tri-Five applications: ’55-56 and ’57.
In our efforts to update our ’55 we visited Eddie Motorsports’ offices and got to work with Luke Czaplinski who handled the swap in less than two hours. We would recommend when the time comes to remove and replace the hood, bribing one of your strong-arm hot rod buddies to come around will make hood R&R go that much simpler. In our particular application we found a firewall brace (that apparently isn’t on all Tri-Fives produced) that needed a bit of grinding to clear the gas strut but that was accomplished in minutes. Another caveat on the ’55 is the factory (OEM) battery location may (not always) require modification from its stock position.
Each hinge is fitted with...
Each hinge is fitted with a stainless steel gas strut and it is directly intended to replace the use of the age-old coil spring seen on the underside of hoods for decades.
Each hinge is fitted with...
Each hinge is fitted with a stainless steel gas strut and it is directly intended to replace the use of the age-old coil spring seen on the underside of hoods for decades.
The factory hinge works well...
The factory hinge works well but after decades of abuse will tire and fail as well as lacking in the looks department.
The Eddie Motorsports hinges...
The Eddie Motorsports hinges utilize the factory mounting holes but new hardware is provided. The hinge holes are slotted, allowing for the required adjustment to obtain a well-fitting hood.
In our case note the firewall...
In our case note the firewall brace and gas strut touched. Not good!
We used tape to mark just...
We used tape to mark just how much we wanted to remove from the brace, thereby giving the strut plenty of space to operate.
Using an air grinder we took...
Using an air grinder we took off the required material from the firewall brace. It was just a matter of minutes and it was only on the driver side.
A close up shows material...
A close up shows material removed without causing any negative structural strength issues.
And here it is—installed,...
And here it is—installed, hood fit, and looking good. The hinges come polished, machine finish, or custom color (powdercoat).