I believe Trevor is mistaken when he refers to Abingdon workers
selecting different bonnets until they got the proper fit. According to
Marcham Rhoade's book "Aspects of Abingdon", bodyshells were supplied to
Abingdon fully trimmed with bonnets already attached, from Pressed Steel
company. Abingdon workers would drill through the hinge brackets in two
places with a 1/8" drill, then remove the bonnets at the beginning of
the bodyshell's trek down the assembly line. The bonnets were marked in
crayon with the chassis number, so they could be mated up with the right
car at the end of the line. When it was time to reinstall the bonnets,
two 1/8" rods were inserted in the hinges to align them, then the bolts
were tightened. Presto! Perfect alignment again. This is a good way of
telling if your car has an aftermarket bonnet- the 1/8" holes will only
be visible on the hinge bracket, and not all the way through the bonnet
bracket.
By the way, has anybody checked the fit and finish of the Rover Group
steel bonnets available from Moss. They are about twice as expensive as
their normal aftermarket. Do they fit any better?
Cheers, PK
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