Power hood controls? Can you identify this

My lads recently acquired mk1 cab has what seems controls for a powered hood.
To be investigated but they don't connect to anything, at least I believe this is what it is . Could it be a retrofit or original?
Worth trying to get this refitted, there is no ram fitted. Looks like one rose joint. On the hood could be where the ram should connect to.
There is no obvious switch either, anyone got a similar set up?

New here so may be plenty more questions to come.
Looks like a great forum.!

Never seen that before!
Power hood pump factory location is in the boot
Welcome to the club!

It’s an after market set up.
Factory power hoods were started in 1990.
There was a company doing a conversion kit earlier.
I doubt whether they are still trading.






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Thank you Chortle! this is close enough to look like the same manufacturer set up. Who knows why they chose to put it in the engine bay! ,maybe just more room in there.
I'll look for the bottom Ram mount points.. This is not a priority at ll, i was just wondering what it all was before the penny dropped.
Is that picture from your car?  is there just one Ram? what does the switch look like?… It may be that the whole lot will end up being  removed as the hood is pretty easy to operate manually anyway. BTW - The car is a Mk1 Golf GTI form 1988 so ahead of the factory kit as you say.

Not my car it's a members on here.
It looks like the ram is attached to the side of the body behind the door card. Not sure how well that'd work as there's lots of pressure when used.
The issue was it had become detatched from whatever fixing point it used.
Looks like a bolt through. I'd of rigged up some form of bracket/plate to counter the forces and beef the steel up.
It looks like only one Ram so whether one off a late cabby would do I'm not sure as youd need to measure the throw of the ram length.
Im assuming the one in my pics was fitted via any instructions supplied. So do they fit as shown?

So I see there are two rams with this set up. one is still there on the near side and the offside is missing, with the pipes still there. Will explore this more if I can find a good replacement ram (or two). could this have been fitted since new as a dealer option?. Certainly looks to have been there a long time.

That’s good to know that there 2 rams.
Or should be.
Have you got photos please.
If you can take some measurements of the rams length etc  I can compare to the OEM ones as I have some in the workshop.
As a hood fitter I see all sorts of oddities and DIY things.
But I’m a nerd for stuff like this.
The set up looks big in the pictures so I guess they wanted to keep the boot space.
I’ve looked online bout came to a dead end on searching for information.
I’d love a copy of the installation manual etc or info for archival purposes.
Or even if one came in it’s give me an idea.


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I will get you pictures of Ram(s) attachment points  and measurements as soon as i have a chance to pull seats out and trim off. Here are a couple of pictures of the rolling restoration!

Looks really nice


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As promised, here are the pictures of the `Ram and mounts of the 'aftermarket system fitted to 1988 Cab.
 330mm between centres on the Ram. Bottom mount is at the seat back pivot point and bridged with a bolt through to the arch seam.. Strong enough?
I am in two minds if it is worth reinstating.. As it is 90% there i am tempted to give it a go.. but where to get the missing ram?

Here’s pics of the OEM ones etc





Extended to the rip of the eyelet it’s 27 inches.
Now I’m guessing the eyelet is screw on.

Can tell how yours are mounted at the bottom.
Not sure how these would compare?


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Clearly a lot longer than what I have. Bottom mount is an eye with the  bolt going through. So how does the oem solution look like for bottom and top mounts?
There must be more of these afterMarket kits about . 
Seems like o might have trouble to find the 13" 330mm  retracted  Ram.

I have always preferred manual tops, as they go up when I want them to, down when the occasions arise, and I never have a Pool of Hydraulic fluid under the rear seat and boot.  Aftermarket kits don't get me started as over here some were installed by the dealer as the original owner wanted a powered top.  They really aren't that common over hear on the Cabbies that I have seen.

Is that frame off a Early Vert?  Seems to sit higher than I would expect, or is that because of the rams on a non-powered top frame?