assuming your 96 hatch is similar if not exactly like my 97, the strut towers are underneath the plastic and there is no good way to get to them. where the plastic wall comes to the center of the "trunk" area the furthest, that lil hump is where the tower is.
I'm guessing you have a rear upper strut bar waiting to go in, once mine comes in from back order, I plan on VERY CAREFULLY cutting the plastic enough with a dremmel to let the bar in, likely gonna be a pain to install, have to take the panels off to minimize cutting.
Then use fiberglass, leather, old shift boots, whatever to clean it up some. If you can wait a week er three, I'll have pictures for you.
