Hood stiffening

[regularman]

Has anyone heard or seen any way to stiffen the midget hood? That dang thing seems to flimsy from side to side. Seems like there had got to be a way and I'm sure it has been done before.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

No, but that is another thing that I wished I had done to my car before painting it.

I have seen dual gas prop rods that hold it straight when it's open.

 

[fmichaels]

i agree that's one of the weaker panels on the car.

 

[spritenut]

I use 1/4" rebar for all kinds of reinforcing.
Especially Bugeye bonnet wheel openings.
Bugeye doors where they rip over time along the inside latch side.
I'm sure the 1/4" rod will work on the square body hoods, just keep it inside the drip channel.

 

[regularman]

I have already painted the inside of the hood now and it looks pretty good. I need to come up with a sheet metal x frame of some kind that can be screwed or bolted onto the existing framing.

 

[racingenglishcars]

True enough, X frames are good for reducing torsional movement and that 1/4 inch bar sounds like a good material for it.

If I were doing it, I think would laminate some thin foam and carbon cloth directly to the inside of the bonnet in an X shape. 1/4 inch foam about an inch wide and cover with 2 1/2 inches width carbon cloth, resined nicely up. It will be the stiffest part of the car.

 

[ncbugeye]

Frank,

What kind of a welding machine does one need to do this stuff? (with the re-bar, I mean)

 

[regularman]

I already have some 3/8 slick rod. Just cold rolled stuff I bought for another project. Hmmm. I could cut me two long pieces and flatten the ends down in my press to where they would be wide enough to drill a bolt hole in the ends and mount them to the existing frame rails. I would also need to flatten them in the middle where they crossed, or maybe not.

 

[Atrus]

Kim, instead of flattening in the center, why not do a cut 1/2 way through each and weld them together?

 

[spritenut]

I only have a mig welder. Just tack weld it.