OpenTop Reinforced Hatch Springs
 

After many rounds of double/triple pressing the hatch release THEN having to lift the hatch itself, even after trying the pennies trick, I found a French vendor that apparently makes 'rear trunk lift reinforced springs' for the 350/370Z:

https://www.opentop.fr/370z-1?lang=en

Shipped to the US it cost just under $70 at current exchange rates for the springs alone. They should be here in about a weeks time, but since I've read virtually nothing about them I figured I'd play guinea pig and see if this remedies the rear hatch lift woes paired with Z1 struts.

Stay tuned for pictures and full review!

I've been using them for about 6 months or so now. They work great.

I guess it doesn't bother me as much. I just press the button and pull up on the hatch.

Ya, I'll press the button twice and/or pull up rather than spend $70 for springs and it's a matter of principle not being cheap! :rolleyes:

Springs arrived yesterday afternoon - just under two weeks from order to arrival from France. Came in a hand-addressed manila envelope, so I guess it's a real small shop. Anyway, install took two minutes and was five simple steps:

1. Open hatch (duh)
2. Twist spring container to remove the full assembly
3. Pull off dust cap and rubber gasket from OEM spring
4. Transfer over to OpenTop springs
5. Line up OpenTop springs with slots in hatch and twist to lock in place

Here are some photos from the install, showing the OEM vs OpenTop for comparison of how much beefier the aftermarket pieces are:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Zs1SK9U4towq5puJ8

Initial impressions - Good: springs are obviously way stronger and the assembly itself looks well made. No burrs or deformed plastic parts.

Price - Fair: ~$70 for a little pair of springs seems high, but a chunk of that is international shipping and they're the only ones with a solution for the weak OEM units.

Functionality - Great: these are STRONG. Didn't even remove the OEM hatch weight and these don't so much "pop" the hatch as the "bang" it open.

Verdict - Recommended: they work like a charm and the thickness of the springs lead me to believe they won't fatigue like the OEM pieces. If you're tired of trying playing MacGyver to find ways of fixing the stubborn release button, this is easily worth it.