New Extended Boot Strut From SGS Engineering
Discussion
Excellent service from SGS 
http://www.sgs-engineering.com/
Yesterday I called them to see if they could help me solve my mildly frustrating LPG filling nozzle access problem. Thomas in the SGS tech team kindly helped me create a solution extending the existing strut length by 55mm with a new custom strut.
I can now fill the car with the bulky UK style LPG nozzles without needing to pop the boot strut off, the clever bit from Thomas was making sure the new longer strut still allowed the boot to close and that it didn't apply too much force on the boot lid itself.
The extra 55mm doesn't sound like a lot but in practice it has the effect of putting the open boot lid in a far more vertical position when fully open.
My new SGS strut works perfectly and solves the filling problem a treat, I'm also pleased to confirm the hinges on my facelift Chimaera are more than capable of taking the extra boot lid articulation without galling, so anyone wanting to benefit from a wider opening boot lid could easily complete the same mod.
The new longer strut was delivered the next working day for £25 all in, so it didn't exactly break the bank either.
I should have done this months ago
Dave.
http://www.sgs-engineering.com/
Yesterday I called them to see if they could help me solve my mildly frustrating LPG filling nozzle access problem. Thomas in the SGS tech team kindly helped me create a solution extending the existing strut length by 55mm with a new custom strut.
I can now fill the car with the bulky UK style LPG nozzles without needing to pop the boot strut off, the clever bit from Thomas was making sure the new longer strut still allowed the boot to close and that it didn't apply too much force on the boot lid itself.
The extra 55mm doesn't sound like a lot but in practice it has the effect of putting the open boot lid in a far more vertical position when fully open.
My new SGS strut works perfectly and solves the filling problem a treat, I'm also pleased to confirm the hinges on my facelift Chimaera are more than capable of taking the extra boot lid articulation without galling, so anyone wanting to benefit from a wider opening boot lid could easily complete the same mod.
The new longer strut was delivered the next working day for £25 all in, so it didn't exactly break the bank either.
I should have done this months ago
Dave.
phazed said:
There is an easier option Dave.
Buy a later car, transfer over all the LPG system and you will find that the revised hinges on the boot lid will let the boot open at 90° therefore negating the need for a custom strut!
HTH,
Good job BTW.
Nice one Peter, I did look at that but decided to build a Mk3 car out of my 96 early face lift instead Buy a later car, transfer over all the LPG system and you will find that the revised hinges on the boot lid will let the boot open at 90° therefore negating the need for a custom strut!
HTH,
Good job BTW. 
So far I've:
1. Deleted the TVR gear linkage (Mk3 cars didn't have this as they used the later tail housing)
2. Converted the car to Mk3 faired headlights
3. Extended the boot strut
All I need now is Cerbera seats and a 4.5 litre engine, plus a revised dash and door popper switches on the mirrors.... and I'm there
I really should have bought a Mk3
You can see why dealers like the Mk3 why they typically sell them for over £20k
Mines becoming a kind of gas powered Mk3 clone with improved engine management and Brembo brakes that averages over 55 mpg, works for me
WokingWedger said:
What year did the boot hinges change ?
Mine is a 97, so would I benefit from the longer opening strut ?
It would help with the roof, fueling, and let more light in when opened in the garage
I believe you got the much better vertical opening boot lid hinges from mid to late 1999 on, I'm sure someone will have the exact date.Mine is a 97, so would I benefit from the longer opening strut ?
It would help with the roof, fueling, and let more light in when opened in the garage
You can still buy the late model hinges from Powers Performance but I'm not sure they'll prove an easy retro fit to an earlier car, I have a feeling the boot aperture, drip rail and filler location is all subtly different?
Power says their boot hinges were used on both late model Chimaeras and all Tuscan models except mk2 convertible.
http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/store/slug/boot...
My £25 extended boot strut idea is a way off being a competitor to the far superior Mk3 arrangement, but it is a cheap half way house that can be retro fitted to lift the boot lid a bit more vertical.
pb450 said:
Just ordered the same item from Thomas at SGS for my Chimaera. Nice guy!
Those later boots and hinges are soooo much better, but as said, there's a lot more to it than a quick substitution of parts. I've compared side by side and the differences are considerable but not from the ouside.
No matter. My 55mm longer stick is on its way!
Nice Peter Nice guy! Those later boots and hinges are soooo much better, but as said, there's a lot more to it than a quick substitution of parts. I've compared side by side and the differences are considerable but not from the ouside.
No matter. My 55mm longer stick is on its way!
A couple of points on the new strut I've observed:
1. The ram body diameter is slightly greater than the original - This means it just brushes the side of the boot seal on the last bit of travel when closing the lid, when it does this it makes a very slight squeak
2. When you lift the boot lid with the new extended strut it comes up well offering good assistance, but the lid does stop more or less at the same point as before, don't worry though as all you need do is apply the lightest upward finger pressure to get the lid to move through the extra bit of travel
Two very picky observations more than issues as such, neither detract from the function of the new strut at all in my opinion.
My 20 year old strut needed replacing anyway as it was losing it's strength, changing it for the new longer one from SGS was therefore a no-brainer. I've now got much better access to my LPG filler point and a boot lid that shoots up and stays up nicely.
Let us know how you get on with it on your car Peter.
Dave.
MisterT said:
Dave
I've no doubt you've got this covered but do you have a vent in the bottom of the boot space to let out any gas that escapes from connecting/disconnecting the gas filler?
When I had an lpg Range Rover there was always a small puff of gas escaped when filling but it wasn't a worry because the filler was by the tow bar and just blew away with the wind.
In your case with the filler in the boot the heavier than air gas could accumulate in the bottom of the boot with let's say undesirable consequences.
Don't panic Mr Manering,I've no doubt you've got this covered but do you have a vent in the bottom of the boot space to let out any gas that escapes from connecting/disconnecting the gas filler?
When I had an lpg Range Rover there was always a small puff of gas escaped when filling but it wasn't a worry because the filler was by the tow bar and just blew away with the wind.
In your case with the filler in the boot the heavier than air gas could accumulate in the bottom of the boot with let's say undesirable consequences.
It's a professional well thought out and executed installation with special attention paid to safety, the tanks are vented to atmosphere not the boot space, house pressure relief valves and safety solenoids.
While its true you need to lift the boot lid to fill the car the important bit that a lot of people struggle to get their head around is that filler isn't actually in the boot. I have simply utilised the original petrol filler point which also doesn't reside in the boot, as we all know it actually sits in the rain channel not the boot void.
LPG is heavier than air so will always sink to the lowest point it can find, and the truth is the little rush of gas you describe after I've released the nozzle is so small in volume its long gone before I've even finished returning the nozzle to the forecourt pump.
When the boot is shut after filling, any residual gas would naturally fall down the rain channel anyway in exactly the same way petrol does when you over fill a standard petrol Chimaera (we've all done it).
Belle427 said:
Has anyone had any issues with the longer strut?
I suppose I could try it and sell it on if it doesn’t work, my car is a 1995 model.
I've been running the extended boot strut for over 4 years now and have had no issues at all with it, it remains as strong as the day I fitted it and the extra boot lid articulation has proved to be an invaluable improvement. Since fitting the extended strut filling with LPG has become super easy, I appreciate I'm pretty much the only Chimaera out there running on gas (always a surprise to be) but this mod is still relevant for the wider Chimaera community.I suppose I could try it and sell it on if it doesn’t work, my car is a 1995 model.
Achieving a little more boot articulation is always helpful when stowing the roof panel, TVR themselves knew this as later cars had better hinges that gave a vertical opening boot lid, I also believe some petrol nozzles are getting bigger these days so this extended strut will prove a useful mod for anyone with a standard earlier car.
Belle427 said:
Wow, quite clearly SGS reads Pistonheads :
I found them super helpful so would recommend SGS to anyone
The other option is the modified boot strut bracket that's being sold on Facebook by Tom Wassell.
https://www.facebook.com/twassell
This bracket gives some extra boot lid articulation using the standard strut.
It definitely gives a bit more lift...
Just not quite as much as my extended boot strut idea from the look of it
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