Attaching An S2 Hood

[Matt7c]

I'm restoring an S2 (my 1st Lotus) and am having difficulty stretching the hood to fit. Indeed, when I collected it from the previous owner, he had actually broken a rib trying to get the hood to fit!! The hood has a canvass look and appears to have shrunk; it was in dry storage (not fitted) for 13 years. However, having never tried to fit a hood that does fit, I don't actually know how tight it is suppossed to be. But at the moment, it just isn't possible to get all the fastenings done up. With one side all attached, the other is between 1 and 2 inches short, and forcing it just doesn't work and makes the fibre glass of the cant rails crack alarmingly.

So, should I accept that this is how is suppossed to be and force it into place (if poss), or buy a new hood from Mick Millers or somesuch? Or do you chaps have any other cunning ideas of how to stretch an old hood, or better fitting techniques?

Matt

[type36lotus]

Hi Matt,

You said "Canvas look", if it is vinyl that looks like canvas then you might try warming it up in the sun or maybe with an electric blanket. My auto upholsterer friend who also does convertible tops has to often warm up the pre-made ones to get them to fit.

[Matt7c]

Not sure what the correct name for the material is or, indeed, what the possibilities might be, but it is definitely not a plastic/vinyl, but rather more like a canvass or woollen woven fabric, stitched at the seams. I'll try warming it up in the airing cupboard before the next fitting attempt - not sure the sun is that warm at this time of year.

[cabc26b]

things to check ,

do you have the strips front and rear ? ( plastic in front, metal in back)
was the top fitted to the car ? meaning , the location of the fasteners was mapped to the top ? or was it bought made up ?

the order I use to put my top(s) up.

fit cantrails and cross pieces ( make sure the top cross piece is all the way down)
pull up windows.

fit front strip into windshield and front two snaps ( on top of windshield) strech top front to back with rear metal batten and pull over clips.

work side to side front to back with snaps ( the ones I have typically have the most trouble with are the one where you turn the corner on cantrail and the last one bottom of B piller .

tension the whole thig with the back-rod (always a pain)

overall there should be tension in all directions otherwise the top won't stay on at speed.

[Matt7c]

Thanks cabc26b, yeah thats the order I would use if I could get that far. There is certainly no lack of tension, but that's without attaching all the fastenings! The more I try, the more I think it has shrunk. The hood was a replacement part, but has been fitted and was used for several years, up to about 13 years ago when it went into storage with the car, but not fitted.

[1964 S1]

Hello, if possible, leave it in your "furnace room" for a few days. Somewhere warm, over 85 degrees F. Pull and stretch on it some by hand while warming. I've been through this with my S1 and it's amazing how much they shrink. Make sure the rear cross bar is down while installing, it's the last thing to push into place. I once placed a TR4 under a commercial gas forced air furnace overnight to get the new Robbins replacement to fit. It did the trick.