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Opening the bonnet on a 58.

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M

Mike

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My 58 Sprite bonnet was converted to open forward before I got her. Has anyone ever converted back to the original way it opens? If so, what was the approximate cost?

Thanks,
Mike
 
To convert back you will need the hinges, bonnet click sticks to hold it open,
and the latch ears if yours are missing.
 
Dumb question...how do they open if they are stock, I lift mine at the windsheild and push open towards front of car. is this proper
 
Stock bonnet hinges up at the rear.
 
If you are not into "originality", front-hinged bonnets provide way easier access to the go-bits underneath! The stock set-up makes the engine compartment a dark and somewhat inaccessible grotto! It all depends on whether you want a fun driver or an original show-case!
 
Wonder why they did it the way they did? I'd guess it was somehow cheaper or easier to produce that way.
 
When I got mine, the bonnet was loose, but it also came with a front conversion set. I first installed it using the stock bulkhead hinges and found it quite difficult to operate. For one thing the bonnet is very heavy, and the other is that the struts would sometimes catch on one side, then I'd have to lift it again and the other would catch as the first released. I did get the hang of it, but wondered how many people must have struggled just checking the oil or whatever. If the bonnet were to be let down with only one strut engaged, I imagine it could really distort the whole thing. The front hinging method works great, but you have to be careful pulling it up and letting it down, holding it from the center of the rear edge. I think it is just coincidence that it can be done this way, and not actually designed for the lower rear corners to just clear the body the way they do. Removing the battery, if it is a standard size, is a real treat with the rear hinged configuration, too. The front hinges I have make it very easy to remove the whole bonnet as well.
 
Thanks for the comments guys. I was considering going back to the stock configuration because I thought it would be easier to align the bonnet and easier to use. The front mount hinge plates on my B.E. were not done very well which leaves me with a misaligned bonnet. Are there professionally manufactured front hinge plates that are slotted to make adjustments on the market?

Thanks,

Mike
 
Look at the blueprints on Gerards Garage Web site. I have thought about going back and altering mine to give about another 1/2" of bonnet clearance in the front. I'm not quite straight at the rear in getting seams lined up.
 
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