Chuck writes...
>I have two questions related to Spitfires that I hope someone will have
>the answers to:
>1. Has anyone experienced tearing of the metal at the upper corners of
>the cutout
Yes yes yes. :-( Almost every Spit I've seen has this problem.
I'm anticipating painting my bonnet this summer and I'd like to take a
shot at a long term fix but I'm not optimistic. My feeling is that
chassis flex is responsible for a lotta stress in this area even if
the latches are not adjusted overly tight. I suppose that the
stamping process that was used to create the original cutout may also
be a factor. If this was the case I would guess that welding the
cracks might solve the problem.
In an effort to hedge my bets I'm going to take a different approach.
I'm going to re-inforce the backs of the cutouts with another piece of
20 gauge steel that's spot welded to the original wing for a distance
of four inches or so. The bonnet latch mounting screws will then pass
through both pieces. What I'm hoping to do is spread the loading over
a greater area...we'll see. :-)
Cheers!
Tom O'Malley in Southbridge Massachusetts
'74, '77 Spits
|