3000m?

Why should the 3000 guys get left out of the leather strap and louvered bonnet?

I already have the bonnet strap:



And now the louvers:



I envision hours of fun, priming, sanding and blocking before the new bonnet is ready for paint. Should help release some of that V8 heat.

I used to have a louvered bonnet on the 64 , didnt like it went back to original and sold the louvered one . Your painter is going to hate you , they hate doing louvers as they are so hard to get really smooth and no sanding lines .

Healey Nut said:

Your painter is going to hate you , they hate doing louvers as they are so hard to get really smooth and no sanding lines .

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I did all the bodywork on the car except for the final paint coats. So I'm very familiar with the priming, blocking, sanding process. I couldn't imagine how much it would cost to have to pay someone to do all the hand sanding that this is going to take. I'll do that and probably just take it to a painter for the color and clear coats. If it wasn't a metallic color, I might try that myself, but metallics scare me.

The painter who did my bodywork basically pleaded with me not to use the louvered bonnet and he even gave me FOC a regular bonnet to use . The problem lies with the way you have to block n sand in different directions around the louvers . You need the patience of a saint to do it so the lines dont show and keep it completely flat with no valleys in the sanding etc which with the narrow gap between the louves requires extreme patience and skill .
You have the added problem of doing it in metallic which is even less forgiving for shadowing in the colour . Plus all those edges to get paint on without runs etc .
Good luck with the project .
check back in a couple of years when your fingers are raw from blocking and re blocking and priming snd sealing and reblocking etec etc etc .

So, will you put a "M" after the 3000 on your grill after you're done?

John Turney said:

So, will you put a "M" after the 3000 on your grill after you're done?

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Since it's got 5 litres instead of 3, I should probably have a 5000M badge made up.

Yes, 5000M!
Chris...

Rick,

Don't forget the 100-Six had bonnet straps before any 3000!

Derek,

You're right, of course. When I was considering putting the strap on my car, I looked at the 100-Six race cars to see how it would look stretched over the hood scoop. Needless to say, I liked it.

HealeyRick said:

Derek,

You're right, of course. When I was considering putting the strap on my car, I looked at the 100-Six race cars to see how it would look stretched over the hood scoop. Needless to say, I liked it.

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I like it too, but if I was ever going to do it, I'd go with the little shorties in the leading-edge corners of the hood. As you know, it's quite a mental hurdle to drill holes into painted bodywork (though I have little reservation when it applies to paying customer's cars...)!