I think most people use piano hinges but I've seen some use kitchen cabinet hinges.

Here's a pic of a console lid done by Bux Customs that turned out real nice

Chris does some real nice work.

I use either piano or kitchen cabinet hinges depending on the design of the lid. I dig the cabinet hinge most often cause it lets the door kinda rise up and swing away instead of just pivot from one point. Works well when there's right clearances.

I rob hinges out of the junk yard. Piano hinges work well in many situations, but with a little fab work its fairly easy to modify newer auto parts to work really well in old cars. If the hinge is hidden than anything will work, just head to the hardware store. the options are abundant.

The nice thing about getting hinges from the junk yard is many of them are sprung, or have really nice hidden designs. Just take an hour or two and head to the junk yard and check out center councils, seats, door handles, rear seat armrests (people love those in their 50's pickups). The designers and engineers for major auto company's have already designed awesome, functional parts for the same uses that we need them for. Ya just need to modify it a bit to make it work for you!

I just pulled a rear seat out of an Audi today. The flip down armrest in the backrest has a compartment like a center council with really nice cup holders. The seat cushion has hidden pop out cup holders that would work awesome in a small T bucket bench seat. It took 1 hour of my time and cost me $25.00 If I fabricated it myself that would have been... umm... I'm thinking 12 hours so in reality more like 25ish. I actually don't have a use for it yet, but I will soon enough. I could spend hours at the junk yard just looking. I don't know maybe I have a problem.. glue fumes??
I'v tried many times to re-invent the wheel, on occasion I have been successful. Most of the time what I need has already been invented, I just need to find it and its normally in the junk yard.

Another thing I have been using recently are magnets. Neodymium or rare earth magnets, they are very powerful and easy to hide. Rather than Using a knob that you turn to unlatch a compartment in a trunk storage area. Or a cabinet style fixture to keep a door closed, just hide the magnets under the material. Its invisible and works very well.

repurposing old parts is a great idea. I have to look for a "You Pull It" yard near me. Spending a few hours there could be fun

Wrecking yards are major inspirational at times irs just how far outside the box you think.

I go to them all the time. I do a lot of work for one local yard on all there service trucks. I go there to get new center consoles, seats.. I could spend hours there

I've used the magnetic one-touch latch mechanisms which I first became aware of on glass stereo cabinet doors.
They work great for not only consoles but also for opening/closing panels in trunks.
Push closed till they 'click'. Push again for the 'click & they pop open.
Decent holding strength & totally hidden, too.
Lots of different sizes, in single or double door designs.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=56383&cat=3,41399

That a good idea Al. I like that a lot, especially for trunk panels. Thanks for sharing