Second Hand Vauxhall Rascal Bonnet Strut

No — the Vauxhall Rascal (produced from the late 1970s through to 1990) uses a simple prop rod to hold the bonnet open rather than a gas strut. This was entirely normal for commercial vans of that era, and no variant of the Rascal, regardless of engine or body style, was fitted with a bonnet strut from the factory. If your prop rod is missing or bent, that is the part you need to search for — try searching for 'Vauxhall Rascal bonnet stay rod' or 'bonnet prop rod' when contacting breakers.

You are not searching wrong — the Rascal simply never had a gas bonnet strut fitted. The bonnet is held open by a metal prop rod that locates into a hole or bracket under the bonnet, a design used across Bedford and Vauxhall light commercials of the period. The correct search term is 'bonnet prop rod' or 'bonnet stay' rather than 'strut'. Breakers parting out a Rascal should be able to supply the rod and its retaining clip if needed.

Because the Rascal does not use a strut system at all, there is no direct swap from another model that would work as a like-for-like replacement. Some owners do retrofit aftermarket gas struts as a convenience modification, but this is a custom job rather than a standard parts substitution. For a standard repair, contact a Rascal breaker specifically for the original prop rod — it is the correct and simplest solution.

The part you need is the bonnet prop rod — a steel rod, sometimes with a rubber tip, that slots into a designated hole in the bonnet or inner panel to hold it open. It is a straightforward part and breakers dismantling a Rascal should have one available. When contacting a breaker, confirm the year of your vehicle as there were minor changes across the Rascal's production run and the bracket or rod length may vary slightly.