bugeye locking trunk panel

[ichthos]

At a British car show in Portland, I saw one bugeye with a locking trunk panel. There is currently one for sale on Ebay, but after one day, it is already up to $250 and will soon be way out of my budget. They look easy to make. Does anyone happen to know of a source for a pattern for these? Has anyone ever made one of these themselves?
Kevin

 

[Hot Wings]

Has anyone ever made one of these themselves?

I've not done so but had planned to make something similar for my project. The idea was to reduce the cockpit volume to make heating better for winter use, not for lockable storage. Now that I see someone has already worked out the basic configuration I'll have something to copy that serves a dual purpose. Looks like a pretty basic project that shouldn't take a lot of effort. I think I'd prefer a composite sandwich construction rather than the Birch plywood. It would be lighter and longer lasting.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

So us there a picture of same? Curious.

 

[Whitephrog]

 

[paulsherman]

Ray, do you have, or can you make me/us a paper pattern? A few years ago, you sent me paper patterns for all of the other panels, which I have rough cut into 1/8" Masonite panels, ready for final fitting and then vinyl covering. This is still part of my THIS WINTER projects, but time is fleeting and I am procrastinating.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Ray is that a commercially produced item that is still available or a custom one off? Thinking access to remove tire as needed might be tough. I'd want it set up with some sort of internal clips, latches to make it easily removable but still somewhat secure and hidden but still be able to easily wrangle the spare out if needed.

 

[Gerard]

Ray is that a commercially produced item that is still available or a custom one off? Thinking access to remove tire as needed might be tough. I'd want it set up with some sort of internal clips, latches to make it easily removable but still somewhat secure and hidden but still be able to easily wrangle the spare out if needed.

I had a friend with one of these. Pretty nicely made, but it's something that was available decades ago. It was well over 10 years since I have seen it, and he had bought NOS even before that. What was available NOS was sold long ago, so the only source is something like this embay auction where someone is parting with one.

 

[AN5Sprite]

That piece looks symmetrical and flat so it would be very easy to make your own pattern.

1. Scribe one side of the wheel arch etc on some card stock with a pencil compass to make a 1/2 pattern
2. make it fit nice
3. check fit on other side
4. measure distance side to side
5. on some 1/8" MDF or tempered hardboard, trace 1/2 pattern, measure over and trace pattern on other side...

Use this piece as a full size pattern if you want to make it out of something stronger.

Cut, fit, make door, hinge, lock, trim etc.

Boom done!

 

[HealeyRick]

Once you get that locking trunk panel installed you should probably go with a Nor Cal trunk conversion to make it easier to access the stuff you've crammed into the boot and locked up:

 

[Whitephrog]

Ray, do you have, or can you make me/us a paper pattern? A few years ago, you sent me paper patterns for all of the other panels, which I have rough cut into 1/8" Masonite panels, ready for final fitting and then vinyl covering. This is still part of my THIS WINTER projects, but time is fleeting and I am procrastinating.

Not mine. This is a photo of the one available on eBay.

 

[mightymidget]

masonite asbords moister and will grow (warp,bow) during high moisture air content. a 1/4 lauon would work well, especial in a hardwood as mention in earlier post

 

[sqbsprite]

BMC had a good fix for this problem. They called it the Mk. II. Sorry I couldn't resist. Seriously, it does look easy to make. I think the opening would be large enough to get to the spare. Use some stiff cardboard to make a pattern and transfer it to lauan plywood. I would be tempted to use a piano hinge across the bottom. and an X brace on the back of the door.

 

[pbraun]

This thread is a bit old, but anyway............ I am investigating building an opening trunk lid. Has anyone done this recently? I am wondering how a MK II lid would adapt to a bugeye?

 

[nomad]

My bug eye has stud's for a short tonneau. I always figured on the right tonneau or a specially made up piece would isolate the rear fairly well. Plenty of noise comes from back there as well.

Kurt.

 

[lewmac]

For some reason I can't see that pic from Whitephrog, but is it this one ?

 

[Gerard]

That's the one I was referring to in my prior post.

For some reason I can't see that pic from Whitephrog, but is it this one ?

View attachment 37153

 

[lewmac]

Hi Gerard,
Just realized this is an old thread ! But I had saved this and a few other pics, must have been from that eBay advert ......


Cheers
Lew

 

[pbraun]

That's very nice for a front closure. Frankly, I don't care about security, I just want to get stuff in and out of the boot area with greater ease. So, I got a used Mk II trunk lid. $75. With hinges and handle. Cut off about 3" from the bottom.

It actually fits up to the bugeye pretty good, in terms of conformity to the body lines. Will have to do some reinforcing I think, and make a drip channel, but I think this will work. Pictures coming soon.

 

[pbraun]

OK, so here is the template, and the bit cut off the Mk II lid.

 

[pbraun]

The curvature conformity is astounding.