what do you use to hood open your hood?
 

my 88 NA came with a long wooden stick
my 87t i made a long wooden stick
these also work as defensive weapons if/when needed

I havent had to replace them yet, but it sounds like your hood struts need to be replaced..

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/cata...&parttype=1404

Hood struts, in stock, at Autozone, $20 each, replace in pairs. Pepboys...Carquest....etc. 2 min job !!
Parts guaranteed for as long as you own the car.

Well, i pulled some struts off of a supra at the junkyard. But my hatch, however, needs a stick to hold it up which came with the car. Now my starter keeps staying engaged, so i also use the same stick to beat it until it starts. Which i think i will start a thread about in the MKIII section.

i used a shower curtain rod to hold up the hood while rebuilding the engine, i now have brand new struts but didnt get em until the very end of the job. just got some hatch struts the other day too cuz the hatch wont stay open at all in the cold and has dropped on my head a couple of times.... i think ill put those in tomorrow if it doesent rain.