Guys, I shrunk the hood!

[Elanman99]

I have not used my car S4 the hood up for about five years. This morning I tried with great difficulty to erect it, but it seems too small for the car!

The hood was a replacement bought about 18 years ago but was only used for 1 year before I took the car off the road for a quick chassis change.... that lasted 12 years.

As I need to use the car this week I have done a temporary bodge (undone all the parcel tray and hood fixings, and let the tray and hood frame drop by 1/2", then fastened the hood only) so that at least I can get from A to B and park it on the street as I have no tonneau cover.

Doe anyone have any reference dimensions of the hood material when lying flat? I suppose that it must have shrunk with damp or old age. Because it is in otherwise excellent condition I am reluctant to buy one and wonder if there is any way of stretching it back to size?

On the same subject, does anyone have any drawings or dimensions of the hood frame contours? I tried to carry out some slight adjustments to the profile so now it is less symmetrical than it was.

Cheers

Ian Phillips

68 S4 DHC



itself

[Elan45]

Park it in the hot sun with the hood partially erected. Then tension it gradually over a few hours until it fits again. Even today, I have to do mine slowly if it has been down for a while and it is a cool day. The rear bow can be placed in line with the front one and gradually pushed rearward as itstretches in the hot sun.

Roger




The hood was a replacement bought about 18 years ago but was only used for 1 year before I took the car off the road for a quick chassis change.... that lasted 12 years.

As I need to use the car this week I have done a temporary bodge (undone all the parcel tray and hood fixings, and let the tray and hood frame drop by1/2", then fastened the hood only) so that at least I can get from A to B and park it on the street as I have no tonneau cover.

Doe anyone have any reference dimensions of the hood material when lying flat? I suppose that it must have shrunk with damp or old age. Because it is in otherwise excellent condition I am reluctant to buy one and wonder if there is any way of stretching it back to size?

On the same subject, does anyone have any drawings or dimensions of the hood frame contours? I tried to carry out some slight adjustments to the profile so now it is less symmetrical than it was.

Cheers

Ian Phillips

68 S4 DHC



itself

[Elanman99]

Roger, 'hot sun' is not available at present in the UK for the foreseeable future.

I might try putting a fan heater in the car with the windows closed though.

Ian Phillips
From: Roger Sieling
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 9:59 PM
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Guys, I shrunk the hood!


Park it in the hot sun with the hood partially erected. Then tension it gradually over a few hours until it fits again. Even today, I have to do mine slowly if it has been down for a while and it is a cool day. The rear bow can be placed in line with the front one and gradually pushed rearward as it stretches in the hot sun.

Roger

[rodney]

Ian

I agree with Roger, heat is the way to go, also as suggested, erect it
without the rear hoop in position then push it back slowly as the material
stretches. A hot air supply might work or an (electric) radiator directed at
the roof from the outside. Then leave it up for a long time and do lots of
fast driving

Rod

Rodney Stevens
CSIRO Minerals
http://www.minerals.csiro.au

Ph. 61 2 97106701
Fax 61 2 97106789

Personal Home Page
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rodjohnst ... mePage.htm


-----Original Message-----
From: Phillips [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Wednesday, 3 April 2002 7:48 AM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Guys, I shrunk the hood!


Roger, 'hot sun' is not available at present in the UK for the foreseeable
future.

I might try putting a fan heater in the car with the windows closed though.

Ian Phillips
From: Roger Sieling
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 9:59 PM
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Guys, I shrunk the hood!


Park it in the hot sun with the hood partially erected. Then tension it
gradually over a few hours until it fits again. Even today, I have to do
mine slowly if it has been down for a while and it is a cool day. The rear
bow can be placed in line with the front one and gradually pushed rearward
as it stretches in the hot sun.

Roger

[Elan45]

I guess you'll just have top move to the south of France or Italy.

Seriously, any sun will help, just stretch it out slowly. Any place you canput it inside a heated garage for a couple of days. An overhead "unit" heater like found in garages blowing on it would help. I wouldn't put heaters inside the car. You might catch it on fire. Please don't do that!

Roger




I might try putting a fan heater in the car with the windows closed though.

Ian Phillips
From: Roger Sieling
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 9:59 PM
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Guys, I shrunk the hood!


Park it in the hot sun with the hood partially erected. Then tension it gradually over a few hours until it fits again. Even today, I have to do mine slowly if it has been down for a while and it is a cool day. The rear bowcan be placed in line with the front one and gradually pushed rearward as it stretches in the hot sun.

Roger

[Elanman99]

When I first tried to erect the hood It would not even get it to reach the top of the screen and the studs nearest the door handles were about an inch away from mating. Now I have lowered the hood frame I can try the heatstretching technique.

Ian Phillips

----- Original Message -----
From: ***@***.***
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 11:03 PM
Subject: RE: [LotusElan.net] Guys, I shrunk the hood!


Ian

I agree with Roger, heat is the way to go, also as suggested, erect it
without the rear hoop in position then push it back slowly as the material
stretches. A hot air supply might work or an (electric) radiator directed at
the roof from the outside. Then leave it up for a long time and do lots of
fast driving

Rod

Rodney Stevens
CSIRO Minerals
http://www.minerals.csiro.au

Ph. 61 2 97106701
Fax 61 2 97106789

Personal Home Page
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rodjohnst ... mePage.htm

[rodney]

Ian

You have certainly got a bad version of the shrinks. All you can do is as
suggested, don't know of much else except liberal use of a plasticiser like
Armourall or fork out for a new one.

Rod

Rodney Stevens
CSIRO Minerals
http://www.minerals.csiro.au

Ph. 61 2 97106701
Fax 61 2 97106789

Personal Home Page
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rodjohnst ... mePage.htm


-----Original Message-----
From: Phillips [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Wednesday, 3 April 2002 9:11 AM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Guys, I shrunk the hood!


When I first tried to erect the hood It would not even get it to reach the
top of the screen and the studs nearest the door handles were about an inch
away from mating. Now I have lowered the hood frame I can try the
heatstretching technique.

Ian Phillips

[Elanman99]

Thanks for all the suggestions regarding my hood. As I said previously I did manage to 'get it up' of sorts and have been using the car for a few days. Gradually it loosening up and I estimate that I should be able to put the hood rails in their correct position in another few days.

The hood is the standard cloth/pvc type and I think it must be the cloth rather than the plastic content that has changed. I plan to thoroughly wet the interior of the hood material and then have a drive at speed to stretch and dry it at the same time.

Ian Phillips

68 S4 DHC

["Peter Lindner"]

Hi Ian,
I think you can make the hood fit by heating it with a car heater for a fewhours.
Peter