Fitting The Hood Kit

[Guest Fred2b]

I have started to fit the hood kit now that SVA is out of the way. The hood itself has gone on quite well, nice and tight. I put a small electric heater in the car once the front poppers were on the windscreen and the hood pulled over the roll bar and frame. The sewn joins are on the frame bends as the instructions say and the whole lot has pulled nicely around the back. I think the windscreen is probably about 10mm too far forward because it is perhaps a bit too tight but I hope it will loosen up with use. There is a large gap between the hood and the pillar at the top so it must leak like a sieve. I have left it on now for about 2 weeks so I hope it will stretch even more.

The sidescreens are a different story, they fit really badly. Do the hinges go on the inside or outside of the pillars, the way I read the instructions is they go on the inside and they do fit nice and tight aginst the pillar but now I can't open the screen so I rekon they must go on the outside to be able to swivel on the hinges. The screen is not parallel with the pillar and only just meets the side of the hood at the mudguard the whole thing and looks bad to me.

I have a choice, I can use the hood without sidescreens or sidscreens without the hood but would prefer to use both in a downpour.

Any advice much appreciated guys.

Peter :angry:

[Joel]

Just out of interest, what's your magic measurement from the top of the windscreen to the centre of the roll bar?

[Guest Fred2b]

Joel

It's 42.5 inches (1080mm) from the fromt of the windscreen frame to the centreline of the roll bar.

 

Peter

[Guest piddy]

Hi.

The hinges go on the outside.

I think that the problems you explain are normal or they were with mine anyway.

I added a new piece where the gap is near the stone guard.

There should be a flap on the inside of the hood near the top of the screen pilar.

[Big Jim]

Peter,

To do the job properley, the hinges go on the INSIDE of the pillar, and on the outer side of the sidescreen.

if you put them on the outside, you'll have horrible gaps like what I have on mine. (see the report on Exeter!)

[Joel]

It's 42.5 inches (1080mm) from the fromt of the windscreen frame to the centreline of the roll bar

Hmmm....that's fairly conclusive then, if the hood's tight on your car there's no way it will fit mine at 45.5" (1156mm)

 

:boohoo: :gdit:

[Les Welsher]

As Jim said, the hinges go inside the pilar and outside the side screen, the fitting is very poor to say the least but you can get it to fit good enough to keep most of the wet weather out.

 

Les

[Les Welsher]

Here's another pic of the back, I stitched some extra velcro to back of the side screen and the flap on the hood to help to stop it gaping open at speed.

 

Les

[Guest Fred2b]

Thanks for the help guys.

Les, How does the saying go? A picture says a thousand words.

You have the hinges mounted inside the pillar as Jim says and on the outside of the screen. It looks like that will stop rain going in along the length of the pillar, I notice the screen runs along the edge of the triangular piece, I have mine mounted too far forward so it actually covers that piece so I am totally wrong there. I will probably have to add some extra leathercloth and velcro as you have.

I'll have to have another play around with it but it's difficult getting out in the garage at the moment with family staying for the festive season.

Regards

Peter

[Guest Fred2b]

Joel

I have fitted my windscreen about 10mm in front of the vent holes and have about 25 to 30 mm overhang at the dashboard. I have also used very short screws through the bonnet underneath into the windscreen to stop sagging. So the only way to decrease the dimensions I gave you is to move the whole bonnet backwards by the required amount or live with it because to do so means modifying the nosecone and bonnet catch mechanism etc. and I can't be doing with that at the moment.

Good luck when you fit yours

Peter