Hood Tray

[paul_adamson]

Just a quick question.
I've just come back from my local car trimmer. I went to pick up the vinyl
for the windscreen header rail.
While I as there I discovered he had a couple of yards of the perforated
vinyl used on the seats.
So I bought some to use in the door recesses.

My next job today is to repair the hood tray and hopefully fit it.
I was wondering if the tray is covered with anything. I remembered that on
the various Plus 2's I have had,
the rear parcel shelf was trimmed in this same vinyl.

So, finally, the question is, should the hood tray in an S4 DHC be trimmed
likewise? If not, how is it finished?

Paul Adamson
Lancashire
England.

[TimMullen]

Paul Adamson wrote:

Mine is just bare plastic (or whatever it's made of). There is U-shaped finish
trim that goes on the exposed edge of the fiberglass body work and if I remember
correctly, an aluminum piece that goes over the front part (and attaches the
cover) and that's it. The hood and frame folds into the tray, and then the
cover is snapped into place over the whole mess. Since my top is never up, no
one ever sees the tray anyway...

Tim Mullen

Chantilly, VA
72 Elan Sprint (S4 and a DHC too...)

[Elan45]

Tim is right about the edge trims, but the tray itself is painted matt black. Then in the center, there is a stick-on sheet of instructions on stowingthe hood. When I repaired and refinished mine in my S3, I masked of the instruction sheet, since I'd never seen a replacement one and repainted around it. The biggest problem with these is that the holes where the hardware goes through breaks out amd also where the hood rails attach was real thin on mine.

Roger S3SS DHC, type 36 Coupe



Mine is just bare plastic (or whatever it's made of). There is U-shaped finish
trim that goes on the exposed edge of the fiberglass body work and if I remember
correctly, an aluminum piece that goes over the front part (and attaches the
cover) and that's it. The hood and frame folds into the tray, and then the
cover is snapped into place over the whole mess. Since my top is never up,no
one ever sees the tray anyway...

Tim Mullen

Chantilly, VA
72 Elan Sprint (S4 and a DHC too...)

[Citromike]

HI All,

Yes, the hood tray is painted black. There is nothing on it but the
instructions sheet - which is available new as well - I bought a new hood and
it came with a sheet that duplicates the (tired) sheet already in place on my
tray.

However, buying the hood did not get the tray out of the corner of the garage
and into my car - (this is San Diego after all, who needs a roof over their
heads here?)

Michael Roeder
***@***.***
***@***.***

[BrianMartley]

Paul,

The hood tray is normally finished in satin black with a "Hood Storage"
sticker in the middle. I think you can still get these from places like Paul
Matty.

The edges are trimmed with the simple door-shut edging without any rubber
seal attached.

Brian

[TimMullen]

Roger Sieling wrote:

On my S4, the is no instruction sticker (an never was) - I had to read the
owners manual to learn the tricks.

I believe that my tray is actually made of (matt) black plastic. I don't think
it's painted...

Tim Mullen

Chantilly, VA
72 Elan Sprint (S4 and a DHC too...)

[paul_adamson]

I've just fitted my hood tray. I've been and dug out my nice new hood cover
and hood and now I'm a little confused again.
I've read through the workshop manual and looked at the parts Manual and am
only a little wiser how the hood and cover fit.
My old hood has the "Pull to release" tanex fasteners at both sides but the
fasteners around the rear of the hood had been removed before I bought the
car.
Does the rear of the hood remained fastened to the body?

Leaving that matter aside, I tried to work out how to fit the hood cover. On
my S4, I understand that the cover fastens behind the aluminium rail around
the hood tray. Has anyone any experience of how to fit this correctly - it
all looks a bit "trial and error" to me.

Any ideas?

Paul Adamson.

[TimMullen]

Paul Adamson wrote:

My original hood was fastened to the pody in the middle portions, and had the
tanex fasteners on the sides. My replacement hood was lightly longer and the
lower end of the hood would have stuck out from under the cover, so I just went
ahead and attached the tanex fasteners and made it removable. I guess it works
fine, the only time I've had it up was when I transported it on a trailer,
otherwise it stays down...



Didn't have to replace this on mine, but the cover attaches to the tray "hanging
down" in front. The aluminium strip attaches over the cover such that the cover
comes up and over the strip (hiding it) when you install the cover. The seam
appears to be pretty much flush with the top of the front of the tray.

Tim Mullen

Chantilly, VA
72 Elan Sprint (DHC of course)

[BrianMartley]

Paul,

I converted my S3 from fhc to dhc, and got the parts from an original
crashed S4. Even though the hood was awful I took it for a guide when I came
to fit mine. It was the original Lotus one, and all the rear body fixings
were the chrome "pull central button" type. The hood is completely seperate
from the body, whereas the manual I have - printed 1974 - clearly shows the
hood stowage with the rear of the hood remaining fixed to the bodyshell. Pay
your money & take your pick ?

I note someone else has commented on how the 1/4 tonneau fits. All I would
add is that if I did that job again I would secure all the rear fastners &
then mark where the vinyl should be glued to the Al. strip, and err on the
"loose" side. Mine is very tight, and no spare vinyl to extend it.

The hood - I fitted mine by centralising the front lip on the Al strip on
the header rail, and then fixing the two front poppers on the header rail
corners. After that I pulled it as tight as I could with the hood frame up
and did the 2 fastners directly behind the door frame. I released the
tension slightly on the hood frame and worked round the rest of the rear
fastners, middle ones and then worked back to the doors. I set these
deliberately tight and it still slackened off in use. (cloth hood)

best of luck,

Brian