[BigV]

This was very successful, but not completely successful. I got the hatch to the point where (I believe) it contacted seal all the way around but I could not get the latch to grab the pin. This meant that I don't want to change the shape of the hatch any more, I just need it to click. I needed to change the pin now, not the hatch. It appeared to be centered, and angled correctly, but it was too low. In my enthusiasm, I'd pounded the pin down too far. As you can see in the first picture, the latch hits the pin, which is shaped like a giant nail. The head of the nail is supposed to slide across the top of the latch. But not in this picture. The head of the pin needed to be raised up less than half an inch. This proved to be hard to figure out.

I thought about getting a jack and pulling up on the pin. Sure, but how to **grab** the pin? By the head of course. I tried chains. I tried a wonder bar (really, a fucking metal bar called a wonder bar. Look it up.) I tried a claw hammer. I thought about backing it up close to a big tree and attaching a comealong and hoisting up the back of the car by this hatch pin. I secured a comealong, but I had no way to hold onto that pin.

Enter the stainless steel carabiner.

Pic 1

This first picture is taken from inside the car with the hatch shut but not latched. As you can see I'm really, really close! I just need to raise this pin a liiiiiittttttlle tiny bit more to let the latch slip under the head of the pin.

Pic 2

You can see in this shot how I've managed to catch hold of the top of the hatch pin. I ran a couple of links of steel chain through the fat part of the 'biner making a bight. Through the bight, I put the blade end of my new tool, a Collins Axe. Because I don't have another long, strong lever to lift the car with. I braced it on the inside with a large block for the fulcrum. You can also see the wrist loop of the dog leash I used to pull the hatch down from inside as I kept adjusting and checking.