Question for you Infiniti people...

[Flybrian]

Why does a $37,000 car like the G35 have a hood prop...

while a $14,000 Cobalt has a gas strut?

[Intrepidation]

[Nick]

I think it's a jdm thing....I dunno, my buddy's accord has a hood prop, and my other buddy's wrx also has a hood prop. The GM trucks/SUV's we've owned though have all had gas struts (and of course, our BMW's do as well).

[Drew Dowdell]

"Because it bases at 27k"

[Flybrian]

"Because it bases at 27k"

Heh. Okay. That's from FamilyCar.com obviously, but the G35 I saw at the mall yesterday was $35 and change. I can also mention $25k Grand Prixs and $19k Buick Centuries with lifters.

[pow]

'Cuz it's a Nissan.

[Camino LS6]

I hate hood props, lots of Fords have them too.

[Variance]

Hood props a pet peeve of yours, Fly?

The new G uses gas struts at least.

Pic (kinda large): http://www.autospies.com/images/uploads/la...0411-161913.jpg

[Sixty8panther]

You bring up a good point Fly, even at $27K

the G should have struts, no excuse. But as

far as my purchase decision would go... that

is a very small inconvenience and would not

factor into what I would choose.

You can always instal struts for $100 or so,

but it would cost about $5000 - $7000 to

"convert" the Grand Prix, Cobalt or what

ever to RWD.

I think the G35 coupe is a hell of a car.

[Drew Dowdell]

You bring up a good point Fly, even at $27K

the G should have struts, no excuse. But as

far as my purchase decision would go... that

is a very small inconvenience and would not

factor into what I would choose.

You can always instal struts for $100 or so,

but it would cost about $5000 - $7000 to

"convert" the Grand Prix, Cobalt or what

ever to RWD.

I think the G35 coupe is a hell of a car.

Some of us aren't quite as insane as you.

Here's another RWD, BOF, Pushrod, manual transmission for you. Link

[ToniCipriani]

Well my G6 has props...

I don't really care because I don't really pop the hood very often

[Cory Wolfe]

Um... who really gives a $h! about how the hood stays up?

[capriceman]

us that actullay know how to work on our cars.

Edited April 28, 2006 by capriceman

[capriceman]

I like my big coil spring style. never fails.

As i have horrible luck with gas struts. And i hate hoot props.

[Flybrian]

Um... who really gives a $h! about how the hood stays up?

Because props tend to get in the way when working under the hood and are simply inconvenient. Also, for all this talk about how things like double-padded deluxe suede trunk weatherstripping and such adds to the luxury image of cars...well...a prop is hardly respectable.

Some expensive LX-cars as well as the Mercury Montego also have props. Makes you wonder is all.

[z28luvr01]

Because props tend to get in the way when working under the hood and are simply inconvenient.

Oh yeah. My Blazer had the prop, and I can't tell you how many times I've rung my head while changing the oil. Its a nuisance and I'm glad my current car doesn't have one.

[Robert Hall]

I don't mind a hood prop. At least you don't have the problem of how to keep the hood open when the struts fail. I had to keep the hood open with my head on my Jeep when the struts failed until I could get them replaced..

(though I almost never open my hood except to periodically check the oil, trans. fluid, washer fluid, brake fluid).

[Intrepidation]

Gotta love my Shadow's coil springs, they never fail (unlike the gas struts for the hatch, which are PoS )

Also, BV got burned

[Cory Wolfe]

I didn't get burned... I'm always under the hood looking at that POS Quad4... never had a problem with the prop rod. Again, I don't see what the big deal is.

[Intrepidation]

I didn't get burned... I'm always under the hood looking at that POS Quad4... never had a problem with the prop rod. Again, I don't see what the big deal is.

Story time.

Ok our Dodge Caravan has the prop for the ood. It was parked in teh garage for a while, between our 2 Cudas. The passenger side (the side where teh prop is) was parked so close to one of the Cudas that there was no way to go on that side and prop it. Now, the front of the van was parked right up agaisnt a bunch of other stuff (a Yamaha motorcycle, a spare 2.5 litre engine, a 3-speed auto that goes with it, and a bunch of other stuff). So there was no way to walk around the front to get at it. Now, imagine having to hold the damn heavy hood up while removing the dead battery (which includes loosening the bolts on the terminals), then leifting it out, then putting the "new" one in, and reconnecting it. Sure I had someone else to help hold it up, but this ment 2 people in about the same spot, with about a foot and a half space between the van and the other cuda. CAN YOU SEE WHERE COIL SPRINGS OR STRUTS WOULD HAVE BEEN SUPERIOR IN SUCH A SITUATION?!?

So that's my story, and why I hate props, plus they cheapen the feel of the car. FYI i didn't park it there, so don't blame me.

Edited April 28, 2006 by Dodgefan

[Enzora]

CAN YOU SEE WHERE COIL SPRINGS OR STRUTS WOULD HAVE BEEN SUPERIOR IN SUCH A SITUATION?!?

So that's my story, and why I hate props, plus they cheapen the feel of the car. FYI i didn't park it there, so don't blame me.

Umm, I don't mean this as a defense of hood props, but why didn't you just move something?

IMO, nit-picking over a hood prop is worse than the stupid gripes that most magazines have over GM cars, especially since most G35 owners won't ever even know if their car has a prop or struts.

It frightens me to see BV and Sixty8 acting as the voices of reason.

[Cory Wolfe]

Story time.

Ok our Dodge Caravan has the prop for the ood. It was parked in teh garage for a while, between our 2 Cudas. The passenger side (the side where teh prop is) was parked so close to one of the Cudas that there was no way to go on that side and prop it. Now, the front of the van was parked right up agaisnt a bunch of other stuff (a Yamaha motorcycle, a spare 2.5 litre engine, a 3-speed auto that goes with it, and a bunch of other stuff). So there was no way to walk around the front to get at it. Now, imagine having to hold the damn heavy hood up while removing the dead battery (which includes loosening the bolts on the terminals), then leifting it out, then putting the "new" one in, and reconnecting it. Sure I had someone else to help hold it up, but this ment 2 people in about the same spot, with about a foot and a half space between the van and the other cuda. CAN YOU SEE WHERE COIL SPRINGS OR STRUTS WOULD HAVE BEEN SUPERIOR IN SUCH A SITUATION?!?

So that's my story, and why I hate props, plus they cheapen the feel of the car. FYI i didn't park it there, so don't blame me.

Um... okay...? If you can get at the latch to open the hood, you ought be able to get to the prop rod. Well, unless it has some sort of f@#ked up prop rod that doesn't go across the front, like most cars...? That and... would it have been so hard to move some stuff? My garage is packed full of $h!, too, but I move some of it when I need to. Seriously, it's not that hard. Are you sure you're not some blonde chick?

It frightens me to see BV and Sixty8 acting as the voices of reason.

Yes... very, very scary. Edited April 29, 2006 by blackviper8891

[pow]

Because props tend to get in the way when working under the hood and are simply inconvenient. Also, for all this talk about how things like double-padded deluxe suede trunk weatherstripping and such adds to the luxury image of cars...well...a prop is hardly respectable.

Some expensive LX-cars as well as the Mercury Montego also have props. Makes you wonder is all.

Yep, yep, yep. Our Ody has a prop and it seems pretty wobbly.

[Intrepidation]

Um... okay...? If you can get at the latch to open the hood, you ought be able to get to the prop rod. Well, unless it has some sort of f@#ked up prop rod that doesn't go across the front, like most cars...? That and... would it have been so hard to move some stuff? My garage is packed full of $h!, too, but I move some of it when I need to. Seriously, it's not that hard. Are you sure you're not some blonde chick?

Yes... very, very scary.

ok tell me something. if you're on the driver's side, the prop is on the passenger's side, and the latch to release the hood is in the middle (between the driver's side and passenger's side of the car), don't you think...just maybe...through intensive studies and scientific research, that the object that lies between said prop and yourself would be closer to you and easier to access due to it's relative position? Sounds crazy, insane perhaps, maybe even defying logic,..but hey...that's just how it happened to work out. Go figure.

[Cory Wolfe]

ok tell me something. if you're on the driver's side, the prop is on the passenger's side, and the latch to release the hood is in the middle (between the driver's side and passenger's side of the car), don't you think...just maybe...through intensive studies and scientific research, that the object that lies between said prop and yourself would be closer to you and easier to access due to it's relative position? Sounds crazy, insane perhaps, maybe even defying logic,..but hey...that's just how it happened to work out. Go figure.

Do you not have arms? Seriously. It wouldn't be hard to hold up the hood with one hand, reach over with your arm to the other side, get the prop and prop the hood up with it. Wow... super duper hard. Again, unless it has some stupid prop rod that doesn't lie across the the front like most vehicles... I don't see what the problem is. Really... how sure are you that you most certainly aren't a blonde chick? I think you're in denial or something...

[Intrepidation]

Do you not have arms? Seriously. It wouldn't be hard to hold up the hood with one hand, reach over with your arm to the other side, get the prop and prop the hood up with it. Wow... super duper hard. Again, unless it has some stupid prop rod that doesn't lie across the the front like most vehicles... I don't see what the problem is. Really... how sure are you that you most certainly aren't a blonde chick? I think you're in denial or something...

Maybe you can't comprehend that the width of the van is greater than the length of my arm? Or that, since it sits higher than say, the shadow or the cudas, I can't just "bend over it" And no, the goddamn thing lies parallel to the side of the van, not across the front. See the problem now? OR ARE YOU SOME BLONDE CHICK?

Edited April 29, 2006 by Dodgefan

[Variance]

Guys, take a couple of these:

[Cory Wolfe]

Maybe you can't comprehend that the width of the van is greater than the length of my arm? Or that, since it sits higher than say, the shadow or the cudas, I can't just "bend over it" And no, the goddamn thing lies parallel to the side of the van, not across the front. See the problem now? OR ARE YOU SOME BLONDE CHICK?

Heh... blame Dodge's retarded locationg of the prop rod, but the prop rod itself.

Guys, take a couple of these: 

Haha... I don't need to. He does. I'm just mellow and using my usual sarcasm to make a point.

[capriceman]

yeah i fell ya having to reach across laying on the engine working while having a hood on your back.

[XP715]

I've always used "the rod" as one of the factors in determining whether a car is a cheesy piece of garbage or not. Gas struts or the big nasty coil springs all the way!

[bobo]

My IS300 has the downmarket hood prop (I do realize the car is more Toyota than Lexus). On the other hand, I don't even remember the last time I opened up the hood. The main problem I see with hood props is trying to find the hole in the in the bottom of the hood when it's dark.

[Sixty8panther]

Some of us aren't quite as insane as you.

Here's another RWD, BOF, Pushrod, manual transmission for you. Link

"Insane" is a relative term. I think only an insane person would

buy a 2006 Toyota Camry for $27,000 or spend almost double

that on an Acura with a V6.

[Caprice SS]

I actually don't mind hood props mainly due to my distrust of gas struts. When my parents had their pos Concorde, the struts never worked, so someone always had to go out and hold up the hood when two hands were required down below.

[capriceman]

still coil springs are the best!

But i just grab a 2x4 to prop a hood if it has a prop or gas struts just to be safe. I have had a hood prop rust throughand break with a gust of wing and a 50 pound chyrsler hood falling on my neck.

[Intrepidation]

Umm, I don't mean this as a defense of hood props, but why didn't you just move something? 

IMO, nit-picking over a hood prop is worse than the stupid gripes that most magazines have over GM cars, especially since most G35 owners won't ever even know if their car has a prop or struts.

It frightens me to see BV and Sixty8 acting as the voices of reason.

Hah, well the van was bastically up against the stuff that was there: a large yamaha motorcycle, a 2.5 4, a 3 speed automatic, and some other heavy spare parts.. Even when we got the other battery finally in it, there wasn't enough juicy to start it. Ended up having to put the van in refer and push along the sides to get it to roll out of the garage. XD

still coil springs are the best!

But i just grab a 2x4 to prop a hood if it has a prop or gas struts just to be safe. I have had a hood prop rust throughand break with a gust of  wing and a 50 pound chyrsler hood falling on my neck.

Deffinitely...do any cars even feature those anymore?

Edited May 2, 2006 by Dodgefan

[capriceman]

at least it wasnt an intrepid you have to take teh tire off to get to the battery and take the front off to change the belt Chrysler

And for coil springs my truck has them but I really never open my truck's hood only to clean the guck of the intake with some carb cleaner and to add windsheild washer fluid. I get free oil changes and tire rotations so why do it my self?

[Intrepidation]

at least it wasnt an intrepid you have to take teh tire off to get to the battery and take the front off to change the belt Chrysler

And for coil springs my truck has them but I really never open my truck's hood only to clean the guck of the intake with some carb cleaner and to add windsheild washer fluid. I get free oil changes and tire rotations so why do it my self?

WHat year is it? I'm just wondering if any new cars or trucks have coil springs. I love them, they never fail. Glad my car has them

[capriceman]

01 silverado

and my Dads 02 GMC sierra has um too

[Cory Wolfe]

I found out something I didn't know. Aleros have gas struts. Huh.