Time To Tape The Bonnet

 

I’m still halfway through writing another blog update covering the steering column install, however I need around £200 to order some parts and I just don’t really have the spare funds yet, so will have to wait a few weeks until I can finish that update. However this is a great little progression step that I have had planned from the early stages of the build. I don’t want rubber or neoprene seals round the bonnet and engine bay as I wanted a more vintage look to the car. So I have opted for a thin seal of bonnet tape to stop the bonnet rubbing against the body. This acts as a cushion between the bonnet and the flange on the body and will look extremely period when fitted. 

In order to fit the tape I don’t want to use adhesive or clips really, as in my opinion with adhesive it’s just a matter of time before it fails and makes a mess of the paint and bodywork and whilst clips would work they would also potentially scratch any sections that are in contact with them. So I have opted for my own style of installation, weaving the tape between small slots cut into the body, zero risk of any scratches and impossible to work its way loose when installed.

I started off making a template of the correct size slot/hole I needed for the tape with some thin cardboard. Then with some masking tape on the mounting flange I started to measure and mark where I wanted my cuts to be. I have spent some time on this planning the route of the tape, and measuring so that each section is consistent in its spacing and more importantly symmetrical from offside to nearside. This was relatively easy and just took some time planning the tighter curves in the panel on the lower edge and was easy to just continue my way round the full perimeter of the body tub. 

Once all the marks were made I used my dremel multi tool and a small drill bit to make the openings required for the tape to pass through, by drilling two holes at either side of my marks then elongating the holes to make a small oval cut in the body. 

With the tape woven in and out of each slot it was looking really cool and I was extremely pleased with such a trivial issue that now looks superb, and will look even better once the body is painted…. Another tick in the box of “attention to detail” 

I still need to find some bonnet hinges (same as the boot) so I can fit the bonnet but I’m keeping my eyes peeled on eBay for another bargain as they are around £80 from S&J new which I don’t really want to spend when the same boot hinges cost only £15 on eBay….. patience I suppose. 

 The bonnet tape came from Woolies and only cost £15 so not expensive whatsoever for the overall finished effect. I used a total of 4 meters which has given ample excess to cut and secure at the start and end point at the front centre of the engine bay. I will be securing these ends with a small rubber bonnet spacer and fixings once I get my hinges and can actually start fitting and spacing the bonnet.

Last on this update I want to show you why you must measure and check everything for symmetry when working with kit cars and specifically fibreglass kit cars. You can see on the image here the flash line in the moulding of the body, which could easily be presumed as the centre line for the body tub….. it is not!

When I measured a centre line from between the end of each side of the bonnet tape you can see the mark on the masking tape is easily a good 2cm away from the flash line, so if using that flash line as a centre point it would knock everything cock skew off centre and really fudge things up! Granted there is a small tolerance within this because of the nature of fibreglass and its shrinking whilst curing (which takes a year or so technically to fully cure) but it’s much easier to be conscious of these potential pitfalls during the build and act accordingly. In this case I can confirm the centre line by placing the bonnet in situ and the masking tape line should be central to the bonnet scoop opening give or take a millimetre or so….. and it is, boom!! In fact it only accentuates further, how far off the flash line actually is!