Front Hinged Bugeye Bonnet/Getting to curve back i

[Jim_Gruber]

Looking for some help and advice in getting final fitment on a front hinged Bugeye Bonnet on my '68. I can get things close with the front hinge bracket but I'm still about a 1/2" too far forward. The tolerances and clearances are extremely tight and I did need to do a little trimming on the inside of the Bonnet to get the Oil Cooler to fit.

I've also got an issue with back side of bonnet where it fits across the cowl is absolutely flat instead of curved. I need ot put some curve back into the top of the bonnet. I'm thinking of disconnecting the front hinge setup and rebolting to rear hinges to see if gravity and correct positioning on the rubber seal can get some curve back in the bonnet. That and once it is in proper alignment I can mess some more with the front hinge and see if I can get it to line up.

Anyone got some good tips or tricks on forward tilt bonnet alignment.

Anyone got some tips or tricks on putting the curve back in the bonnet.

 

[fabmandan]

Could you epoxy in a piece of metal matched to the curve of the cowl?

 

[Jim_Gruber]

No that might work if there was too much curve but bonnet top is flat, i.e. bonnet must have been laying down and someone put something on top of it thus removing the curve. It appears to not be kinked but....

 

[JPSmit]

seems to me Jack had a similar issue and got good results with a 2X4 on the engine and careful pushing

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Yes I've thought of that. This is a two person job. I'm thinking if I put the bonnet back on the Spridget Hinges, I might be able to get it to come down, fit against the cowl, and try to get the curve back in. That might also allow me to see what else is holding it from the front hinge side, from going back another 1/2 ". Gaps on fender sides, wheel wells do not line up. I have removed the side stays in there to make it more flexible at least for now. If worse comes to worst I may need to work up a template, body buck, of cowl and use the BFH. Another thought is to drill out the brace under there, put it on the body buck and reweld into place.

That's the worst scenario that I do not want to do. Well worst scenario is decision that this one will not fit and go back to Spridget hood and fenders. But it looks so cool hinged forward and access to engine is absolutely so easy. Not there yet however.

 

[jlaird]

2x4 in a towel on the battery lower the bonnet and push as needed. Now someone tell me how to get a bit of curve out?

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Jack, spent time with front hinges last night and it appears since I did not have all he way bolted down, just lower bolt in place that hopefully I did not have enough spacers in there and reason I could not get all the way back was hinge bracket hitting against the bumper iron and not rotating all of the way back. That and I need to reroute oil cooler hoses. They were hitting against bottom of bonnet as I ran them around the radiator. Ran out of time last night and didn't have a helper. Even with bonnet suspended from ceiling via a pulley manhandling by yourself is not recommended.

One tip, before you try to do this yourself, disconnect and cover the positive battery terminal with tape. Too easy to accidentally short things out manhandling a Bugeye bonnet by yourself. No I didn't have that happen but I saw where it could easily happen.

I'll try the 2 x 4 trick once I'm sure the bonnet is aligned properly. Looking closely last night, inside brace looks good, top of bonnet needs to be simply "sprung" bak into shape. Thanks all.