So today it was time to mount the bonnet hinges
I had a rummage through my bits boxes and found the two Peugeot hinges that I'd originally bought for the Murcielago kit that I was going to try years ago but never started. These would have been used on the boot lid and are made such that they bring it out-n-up. So ideal for rear mounted hinges for the Miglia bonnet I thought.
Everything planned and I fabricated some mounting posts, welded in some captive bolts to make my life easier and bolted them between the frame and the bulkhead. Here's the drivers side one just in front of the brake master cylinder:
Then I mounted the hinges and carefully fitted-removed-fitted-removed the bonnet so that I could fabricate spacer blocks
With everything in place I trialed the arc of the hinges to see if my out-n-up theory would work and it looked promising
But...... At the back of the bonnet opening there is quite a big lip!
And that coupled with how quickly the bonnet tapers means that it just wouldn't work!
By this point I'd lost a bit of skin from knuckles and gained a few minor burns and it was a bit of:
Then I remembered......
The other day someone mentioned using Mini door hinges.... Now chance has it that I already have a set that I am going to use for mounting my doors!
So.....
Looking at the angle of the LH side hinges and seeing where that naturally sat on the curve of the bonnet.
Then looking at the angle of the RH side hinge and seeing where that naturally sat on the curve on the other side of the bonnet.
.
.
.
20mins later
.
.
.
HAPPY!!!!
Yes you can see in those pics that I need to do some minor fettling of the bonnet, but that is largely due to the current reinforcement and should be easy to alter (famous last words?)
At the rear edge it's a bit more pronounced atm, but nothing that a load of slits with a 1mm cutting disc shouldn't sort!
And better still, the mounting posts from the original hinge idea are in exactly the right place to mount my bonnet pins!
So all in all, result!
I'm not totally how sure it's going to look with 3 sets of those hinges (bonnet and doors) but if it does look too "in your face" then i'll just paint the bonnet ones
Now I need to spend time with the family before they forget what I look like, but before I go a few of you asked what my bonnet strengthening looks like atm, so here's a pic:
