Hi all,
Many moons ago, I was told that the cause of B hoods flying open is the lack of
those four little rubber bumpers on the fenders. The story was that without
those little beasties, the hood can bounce around from wind buffetting and
eventually bounce so that both the primary and secondary (safety) latches pop
open. Just a thought.
Denise Thorpe
Max Heim wrote:
> I think you're lucky the bonnet didn't crease in half at the point that
> it contacted the top edge of the windshield. I witnessed this once happen
> to some friends while following in a support vehicle -- the bonnet blew
> open on the highway (actually a 2-lane country road running down into a
> canyon; no shoulder or guardrail), folded over the screen, and gave them
> both a rap on the noggin. The pilot managed to stop in a straight line
> (in the middle of the road, of course), and it was all I could do in the
> '65 Fury wagon not to plow into him (tires smoking, etc). The safety
> catch had torn completely free of the aluminum. We removed the bonnet,
> tossed it into the back of the wagon, and carried on, bruised but unbowed.
>
> Oddly, when I bought my '66 B, its bonnet had a sharp, horizontal crease,
> which severely impacted its structural integrity (i.e. it flopped
> appallingly when propped open). Apparently it had blown open at some
> time, as well. I suspect this is relatively common, particularly with the
> aluminum bonnets, because 1) they're more easily deformed (so the catch
> becomes misaligned); 2) they're lighter; 3) the safety catch is merely
> riveted to the aluminum, and pulls out instead of performing its function.
>
> Anyway, my point is, if your bonnet is not a perfect fit, you had better
> take precautions. Make sure the catch is properly aligned and secure.
> Make sure the safety catch is also secure. What I did as a temporary
> measure until I replaced my bonnet was to remove the safety catch and fit
> a steel plate with blind nuts behind the aluminum section that the safety
> catch then bolted to. You might also consider the "vintage look" leather
> hold-down straps, or racing-style hood pins.
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