Bonnet belt

[longbridgehealey]

Next question, how far back should the belt be on the bonnet? Getting ready to install it, and don’t want to mess it up. Non-louvered hood, BN4.
As always, Thanks in advance!

 

[Bob_Spidell]

About 3/4 of the way back from the front edge, if this original 100M is an indication:

 

[longbridgehealey]

Thanks Bob. Further than I thought.
Larry

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Bear in mind the 100s' bonnets hinge from the front, so for a 6-cyl car you might want it a bit further forward. Since no louvers, I'd lay it out and move it around until it 'looks right,' then sleep on it before drilling any holes. Or, find someone with a Works rally car, and see where the pros placed them.

 

[Keoke]

Bear in mind the 100s' bonnets hinge from the front, so for a 6-cyl car you might want it a bit further forward. Since no louvers, I'd lay it out and move it around until it 'looks right,' then sleep on it before drilling any holes. Or, find someone with a Works rally car, and see where the pros placed them.

BOB:
I certainly agree with you here good point ole chap

 

[HealeyRick]

Here's mine on my BJ7:

I bought the strap from the 100M Registry as it is of much better quality (thicker and of leather) than the ones sold by the usual suspects. I chose the location (18" from the rear of the bonnet to the rear edge of the strap) based on these pictures:

I later had louvers punched in to help with cooling the V8:

 

[longbridgehealey]

Thanks Rick, that looks pretty good. The funny thing is mine has been stretched across the hood since I read Bob’s post, and it’s 19 inches from the rear of the bonnet.

 

[HealeyRick]

You may have to move it around a bit, also, so the buckles and holes in the strap will line up with the bonnet opening. The other thing to keep in mind is you will probably get some chafing of the paint on the bonnet over time. I've seen people stick flannel and even sheepskin to the underside of the strap to avoid this. I used a 2 in wide strip of XPel: https://www.xpel.com/why-xpel under mine, but I can't say it's been on long enough to give it a complete test.

 

[roscoe]

If you are in the US and have access to a Tandy Leather supply store they have leather belts in various lengths, thicknesses and the buckles that are indistinguishable from original. I made mine with the help of an industrial sewing machine at the local parachute loft. I also made the clamping hardware from some aluminum stock. Total cost about 30 dollars.

 

[longbridgehealey]

Jon, that looks really nice. Good job!

 

[Bob_Spidell]

IIRC, my dad got our strap from a saddle shop.

 

[dougie]

Jon, that looks really nice. Good job!

There are other options then going with a "full belt".......

 

[roscoe]

The belts that are pictured are of the " form follows function" school. Minimal and likley more effective at keeping the bonnet from smacking the windshield should the latch fail than a strap in the middle. I'm not really sure why the 100 models were offered with a mid strap that really isn't needed as the bonnet hinges in front so a latch failure isn't so nasty. That being said, nothing looks classier to me than a big old piece of leather on your hood that looks like it actually does something. I did the louvers because they really do keep my feet from getting overtemped, the belt because it just looks so cool.

 

[John Turney]

If you have the ridge in your hood, the belt in front makes even more sense. Otherwise the paint will wear off the ridge quickly.

 

[AUSMHLY]

If you have the ridge in your hood, the belt in front makes even more sense. Otherwise the paint will wear off the ridge quickly.

As HealeyRick pointed out, placing a strip of the film, aka generic clear bra would address that. If one does not want to see the edges of the film, the installer can clear the entire panel. Some guys clear the entire car.

 

[HealeyRick]

As HealeyRick pointed out, placing a strip of the film, aka generic clear bra would address that. If one does not want to see the edges of the film, the installer can clear the entire panel. Some guys clear the entire car.

From the XPel site I was able to buy a 3' x 2" strip for $5. Installation was easy following their directions. Doing the whole front of the car or bonnet, with all the curves would probably need professional installation. You can see the edges of the film on my car as it extends on either side of the belt. If you really cared, you could probably trim the film so it was narrower that the belt without losing any of the scratch protection.

 

[AUSMHLY]

Doing the whole front of the car or bonnet, with all the curves would probably need professional installation. You can see the edges of the film on my car as it extends on either side of the belt. If you really cared, you could probably trim the film so it was narrower that the belt without losing any of the scratch protection.

Front of the car, can be done in one piece if you find a qualified installer. I had 4 installers look at my Healey, 3 wanted to make several cuts where the curves are at the headlight. The guy who said he will not make any cuts, was more expensive and as that says goes, you get what you pay for. I used him. Here's some photos. The blue line in the photos is to show that the stop edge of the film is right above it. He applied the film to the aluminum grill slates too, so they wouldn't pit from highway pebbles.