Bugeye bonnet sheetmetal question

[mightymidget]

I found during teardown the bonnet on my wife's Bugeye was repaired many years ago from a major front end collision. resulting in the headlight buckets welded to hood and 1" of bondo being applied etc... atleast three gallons of bondo installed

The wings and lower valance are good. I have found a used Bonnet with a perfect center (top) but rusty wings etc..

I have ordered the new fender beading from Moss

Has anyone repalced the center of the Bonnet? How is it done?
I was thinking of takeing an air disc cutter and cutting the wings off next to beading to investigate.

I want to take the center section from one bonnet and install in another used bonnet

 

[jlaird]

No clue on how to do it but, it is a sandwich. Center section, bead, wing. Spot welded every little bit all the way along. So, that lip that sticks down on the inside is actually four peices of sheet metal.

 

[mightymidget]

If it is like everthing eles on the car it cann't be coplicated ...right..


famous last words

 

[jlaird]

Not difficult but your are going to need some vice grips for sure. Get all your friends for starters.

 

[mightymidget]

How is the bead installed. how is it all welded together. does the bead just have ears that drop between wing and hood and you spot weld the hood to wing holding the bead in compression?

 

[jlaird]

The bead is a folded peice of sheet metal so has two kind of ears, goes between ears on center and wing and is spot welded many many times. Spot weld through all four peices.

Prop sometimes is that it gets rusty in there.

 

[mightymidget]

Think I might let the professional body shop handle this on. My welding sucks so far

 

[jlaird]

This is going to be a serious job with specialized equipment required.

 

[racingenglishcars]

If your not good at welding, don't tackle this one.
If your welding is good, it's vrey difficult to get the bonnet straight.
If you are a die-hard and insist on doing everythng yourself, it can be done, with very good results. Patience, set the bonnet up on the car for proper allignment, Vise-Grips to hold the pannels together correctly. Measure 3 times, weld once.

 

[mightymidget]

I have a body shop next door to work, I talked with him and he is aware of there construction, he deals in a lot of 50-60s american cars. He said he could handle it no problem.

 

[jlaird]

You are a very lucky guy to find someone close and friendly.

 

[DWeeB]

I actually just finished a single side replacement on a spare I had lying around and as already noted the hardest part was alignment. As for the welding, I just clamped the 2 pieces together and tack welded the seams where the bead usually goes. Once it was solid I just trimmed the bead ears off. Then I drill a few small hole through the top of bead and tack welded the beaded piece right over my seam welds. A little sanding of the tacks and BAM. Came out pretty good, and sturdy as well. Probably not the right way, but it worked for me!

 

[mightymidget]

You are a very lucky guy to find someone close and friendly.

I was trying to find redline tires for my 14" chrome wire wheels all over the country. Then someone up north told me there was a place in South Carolina that volconized redline/whitewalls on tires. The place was 10 miles from me. "Diamond Back Tires" Conway South Carolina.