Respray - part 2

[surveyor]

Now that I'm going for a respray I've been looking very closely at the stress cracking on the bonnet of my +2 and reckon it might be better, easier - and cheaper in the long run - to replace rather than repair. A lot of cracking near the catch-pins and over the radiator cap where a previous owner had mis-fitted the radiator.

SJSportscars list bonnets at a reasonable price, has anyone any experience of the quality/fit of these?

dennis

[mikealdren]

I've no experience of SJSportscars' panel fit but the metal fixings which are pop riveted to the inner edge affect the profile of the bonnet. You can adjust the bonnet curvature to match the profiles of the front bib and the windscreen scuttle.

I haven't done it myself yet but I probably will soon as I am replacing my original bonnet (with Stomberg bulge) with a flat bonnet. I prefer the look.

My next job is to finish the body work repairs then I'll fit the body to the chassis and then fit the bonnet. It will be fun because I'm replacing the knackered hinge bobbins so I'll have to line them up first.

regards
Mike

[Elanintheforest]

Dennis, reparing gel coat cracks is all part of having an Elan repainted...it's no big deal. The cowboys will fill them, and they will re-appear within a few months and ruin your new paintwork. To repair them properly, the crack has to be dug out with an angle grinder, then the area re-tissued to give the surface its strength again. Most cars have many cracks..they are 30 years old plus now. An expensive paintjob, like that carried out by Option 1 (used by Paul Matty) will tissue the whole car, so no cracks can be missed.

Unless your bonnet is in bits, I would get it repaired...the rest of the car will need some repairs, especially around high-stress areas like door handles, boot hinges etc.

One last thing. If the repairs are done properly (i.e. fibreglass repair rather than filler), they will need a few weeks to cure before paint is applied. If the job is rushed, the paint will bubble up where the gel coat carries on cureing...make sure your painter knows how to fix gel coat cracks and he knows to leave the car after repair / before painting!

Mark

[surveyor]

Mike, Mark,
Thanks for the advice guys, especially about leaving the fibreglass for a couple of weeks, didn't know that, and good to know the curvature can be adjusted. Will pass this on to the bodyshop.

The reason for contemplating a new bonnet is that the old one has so many cracks it's going to be a very time consuming job to repair. Probably more cracks on the bonnet than the rest of the car put together. A previous owner had fitted the radiator too high and there's a lot of cracking radiating out from where the bonnet had contacted the rad cap, and then there's the cracks at the rear end around the bonnet catches. Most of the bonnet would need to be ground down and re-glassed. Time=money.

Took the day off work today and started to strip her down. Nice way to breakup the week.

cheers
dennis