Just offered my new bonnet onto the car, haven't trimmed it yet, but it looksas though its to low, anybody ideas before i start trimming it.............






[Edited on 26/5/05 by rayward]

It doesn't look good from the photos, unless you're going to gain an extra couple of vertical inches by trimming it.

Did the bonnet and scuttle come from the same source?

I wouldn't cut anything until you're certain it's all gonna fit.

ahhhhhhh, the wonders of Stuart taylor bodywork!!!!

Yep all from the same supplier, bought as a 7 piece set.



Ray

[Edited on 26/5/05 by rayward]

I think a big sheet of alloy is called for

Drop it in the channels and pull a ratchet strap round the car to get it in place. The top looks like it will level out and give you some leeway.

Is it because the bonnet is sagging in the middle - like Pete says it looks like it may fit if you sit it on the lip of the scuttle and pull it down.

Nick

I think the sides of the bonnet will be to short if you place the bonnet on the lip of the scuttle and tighten it.A small strip of ali riveted to the bonnet could take care of that but I dunno if that will look good.

Cheers Cita.

ST bodywork?

Cheers Guys, looks like I'm gonna have to trim it to find out, Oh well........

Yes it is ST Bodywork.

Ray

Answers a lot of peoples questions on what body work to buy......

or NOT to buy................

I don't like to be hasty to criticise, but I was far from impressed by the bodywork I have from Stuart Taylor Motorsport.

In fact I was far from impressed with a lot of bits, but then looking at "most" of the comparable stuff available (not all!!) it was comparably unimpressive!

I certainly had to do a huge amount of fitting on my rear arches (to the point that I have entirely sanded away part of the mounting flange and have had to re-glass it to get a mounting flange back again.

The gelcoat seems to lack adherence to the glassfibre too.

I am seriously considering making an alloy bonnet anyway now (even though I have the GRP one) as I need to cut a ruddy great hole one side for the exhaust and one the other side for the air filter on the throttle bodies!

My experience with a number of kit suppliers (one exception being MNR!) has been fairly disappointing, and has reinforced my opinion that to do it right, do it yourself! (having said that, there are several suppliers in the market that I have never dealt with, so please don't be put off!!)

Maybe I am biased as my mate and his dad run Ultima, and I see the level of quality that they supply, which is just on another level compared to anything I have seen elsewhere, but at a price! I have seen a chassis which they rejected as "total crap" from a potential new chassis supplier, which was welded to a FAR better standard than most 7 kits are.

Against this, this is the cheap end of the market, and what should I expect!??????

I consider my "kit" of an assortment of chassis and bodywork bits from ST as a basis, and no more than that, of a car. Anything I am not happy with is re-engineered.

[Edited on 27/5/05 by NS Dev]

... but just to redress the balance slightly, mine is fine.

Nice surface finish, everything lines up, bonnet fits fine.

I know it's not exactly a statistical sample, but at least it shows they're not all bad.

Adam.

I agree, the bodywork which is being replaced is ST anyway(but was damaged in an accident), and the fit of that was good.

I like the low lines of the ST bodywwork, that is why i decided to replace it like for like.

I think I'll just have to percevere and see what I can do.

Ray

NS Dev, you said 'Against this, this is the cheap end of the market, and what should I expect!??????'

We should all expect what we buy to fit and be of good quality. Poor quality is unually a result of poor workmanship/standards and not becuase something was done cheaper.

Jeremy Clarkson had it right when he said there is space in the market for the best product, everything else is irrelevant.

I've had enough of 'making-do' because it's 'Locost'.

I fully agree, which is why I have refabricated a lot of parts on the car now (pedal box, diff mounts, extra triangulation on the chassis)

I can't abide crap quality but then as long as people like me keep buying the stuff then it will still be sold.

What I do like about the Stuart Taylor stuff it that he hasn't compromised parts to "fit the available donor", and has looked at suspension geometry etc. I also like the compact and more original to the proper 7-ness of the car.

Pretty sure I am going to make an alloy bonnet now though!

Update, not quite there but looking a lot better........

Rayward
Not sure what if anything you have between the bonnet and chassis rails at the moment, but you can put a thickish piece of rubber between the 2 an say the height difference is deleberate for fitting the rubber padding strip.

if you told me that, i'd be pissing myself inside. and more to the point, what if you're not there to justify it?

it's not perfect, but to be honest, it's a lot closer than i've seen a lot of tiger bonnets fit.

can you file some of the underside of the top part of the bonnet, and also on the underside of the corners to get it to drop any at the sides?

i found it helped a fair bit with my MK bonnet.

hth
tom