Spring trunk prop or gas strut?

I have several sets of early Barracuda hinges and have tried to repair one that was very worn. I know others on this list have repaired them successfully, but I have not. I've given up on trying to get the pin out, it will not drive out, and I failed at drilling it out as well. Having one good original and found one good replacement, I am of the opinion that the hinges came from the factory with the pin fitting tightly as do both of my good, original hinges. That is, the pin offers resistance to the up and down movement of the lid by design, and as they wear they get loose, the pin is not designed to act like a conventional door hinge that moves with little resistance. I'm not saying that a successful repair cannot be done on these hinges, but it is difficult, and the tolerances are critical to get it right.