My daughter's not so bright friend tried to shut the trunk on a cooler when it didn't fit. I think he must've tried to force it closed and damaged the right side arm. trunk closes but their is a huge gap on the right side near window. I duck taped it to cover the gaps cause it was raining and I has very tired. the next day when I pulled the tape some paint came off with the tape @$#!. I was going to adjust the hinges &/or bend the arm so the trunk closes tighter but it seems that to reach that bolt you have to remove the rear deck lid. I didn't print out that part of manual so I pushed down on trunk to try and close the gap(worked a little) until the next time I get a chance to work on it.
any suggestions on which way to adjust the hinge to lower the trunk?
I'm thinking that there isn't enough adjustment in the hinge and I should bend the arm or maybe the mounting area of the hinge has damage and I'm gonna have to undamage it(too bad my sledge won't fit)
any suggestions before I pass the point of no return?
thanks, Deano
2001 CIVIC EX 4DR daughters'

 

my friend had the same problem. without looking at pictures, what worked on my friends car is we took the whole trunk off, took each arm off and used the good one as a template to bend the damaged one as close as we could. we used a bench "clamp", sorry cant think of the proper name now. But it worked....good luckk!!!

 

bench clamp... you mean a vise?

 

Update: well, took everything off and found the brackets weren't bent wt! the trunk lid was a little damaged on the right side where the bracket bolts to, tried to pound it smooth and had to shim the smashed in part with thin washers to even out the mounting which pulled the trunk lid down. doesn't seem like it would but it does, must be the angles.
-Deano
2001 CiViC EX 4dr