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Bonnet fit opinions please


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So I've been trying to get the bonnet gaps right on the car the bonnet isn't the original it looks like a later one from a TR 250 and its proud by about half an inch down the length of the near side. I've tried the various adjustments to no avail and also a large rubber mallet which was equally fruitless. The difference appears to be with the frame it sits flush on the offside but not on the near side(see photo's). Firstly am I being overly fussy about it and if not what do I do about it, source another bonnet? which looks like a very expensive option, or attempt to cut and weld the frame in order to lose the gap on the near side?

 

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Difficult to tell from those pictures but it looks as if the skin has been seam welded down along the edge of the frame on the left side, so someone has been there before you as the frame should just be spot welded to the skin, if your good at metal work you could split this welded edge and then get the skin down to where you need it and then re-weld. If it hed just been spotted on then it wouldnt have been such a performance.

Stuart.

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Earlier in the summer @ an event, I had a very interesting chat to a lovely chap who used to sell TR's (amongst others) for a large dealership run by Richard Attwood (yes, the Le Mans man). He admired my car but made the point that it was a little too 'tidy'. He explained that when the car came into the showroom new from Canley, as long as the doors, bonnet & boot closed then it was put on sale. Sometimes (in fact often) the panel gaps would not be perfect or similar but that was what was acceptable in those days. My body shop man calls it the 'Audi' syndrome, meaning modern cars are expected to have perfect panels, gaps & paint! My Audi is like that, perfect gaps everywhere!

In the 60's I guess we got what we got.

Since my chat with that nice guy, I am not worrying so much about gaps etc!

Cheers.

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I've had a similar experience to monty, a chap who used to work on the production line thought my car hadn't been restored, as the panel gaps are 'not perfect'.

Back to the question though - that inside wing doesn't look straight along the top edge. could it have been ground down?

 

Pete

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Yes, the chap I talked with was Richard Attwoods best man! Also I believe his sales manager @ Birmingham. A very knowlegeable chap.

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Stuart might opine as to whether it is worth waiting till a trial fitting of the mudguard, to see whether the 'up' bit matches it.

+1 ... Fit the front wing before you do any more "adjusting" of the bonnet, the inner wing could be pushed upwards if needed, but it's the line between the bonnet and the wing that you need to get right.

Cheers Rob

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Yes you do often find the top of the inner wing is well below the wing line and when you look from the inside you can see the beading mounting strips.

Stuart.

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Hi Bruce

 

You've got some unpicking to do if that's been seam welded all along! I think unfortunately you'd have to grind the flange down to separate it. It looks like someone has got an angle grinder to it as it is.

 

It's such a long bonnet that if it's slightly low on the front hinge it will make it sit up, as mine does a bit at the scuttle corner.

 

Kevin

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