Patrick, how did you get from "complete" Maroon to "just starting" Green?
I looked at your pictures and the lift gate fits fine on the Maroon burb. When it was hung before you started it looked like it was tight from the outside and had a gap from the inside. The belt line on the clam shell itself was aligned. Could it be that the header got twisted from poorly lubricated hinges?
I would remove the hinges and check the pins too. They could be worn and this might be giving you the extra travel. This is a common problem on many burbs, because the PO used to drive with the lift gate open, tearing the lift gate . That's why many lift gates have patches and welds on the lift gate or header or both.
It could be that the original hinges broke and these are replacement hinges. The later hinges are different at the top (header installation) I am just taking a stab at it, but these are all possibilities. I will look and see if I have any pictures of my 1951 set of NOS hinges. Please post a picture of yours so we can compare.
