Wing to bonnet gap adjusting.

[Bassy]

Hi,

One for the body panel experts.

I took my bonnet off last night as it sat very high at the front and am in the process of bending the hinges back to the right shape (If I can ever get the rusted pins out.) However the gap between the wings and the bonnet is huge 15mm on one side and 10 on the other, and the top of the wings are quite gappy on the top panel.

So the question is do I have to remove the entire wing and realign the whole thing, or can you just detach the top welds and push the top of the wing in before retacking it. Im not sure why they have been welded so far out, maybe they are being held out somewhere else. The wings themselves are in decent condition so I would rather not destroy them removing them. I may also put a front panel on as the one on it is beginning to bubble where it meets the chrome trim

[Motorsport Micky]

If you doing the front panel take the wings off and use as movable patterns to resite the front panel, wings and bonnet into their correct positions. Lot of work but the only way as far as I know of getting what you require.

I 've not done it myself but If you want to remove the gap at the cost of a bit of work on the bonnet but nothing else the long edges of the bonnet could be lead loaded out as much as 10mm and if done correctly they will not be deformed. The leading sticks like **** to a blanket and will NOT be dislodged even if hitting with a hammer ! It's a bit old school but will give you the gaps you want almost as a localised repair without you having to "destitch" the car, if you get around in a few years to carrying out the panel work itemised above attack the edges of the bonnet with a blowtorch and in about 15 minutes all the lead will have dropped off.
If you want more information PM me and I'll go into the leading in greater detail.

Micky

[Bassy]

Thanks Micky. My initial bodgey way to tackle this was going to be to build up the inner edge of the wing with filler. Your method sounds
A.. less bodgey!
B.. better lasting.

Ive never tried leading. I may well pm you when I get closer to refitting the bonnet. Currently the hinge pins and I are doing battle. They are winning, but I still have the drill up my sleeve.

[Motorsport Micky]

Thanks Micky. My initial bodgey way to tackle this was going to be to build up the inner edge of the wing with filler. Your method sounds
A.. less bodgey!
B.. better lasting.

Ive never tried leading. I may well pm you when I get closer to refitting the bonnet. Currently the hinge pins and I are doing battle. They are winning, but I still have the drill up my sleeve.

The lead loading was probably less fancied when Stags were being built, going back to the 60s and earlier where there were complex curves on cars that the less technical body formers and machines couldn't cope with, lead loading was the answer. Waterproof and inert for painting the lead accepts paint readily and sticks extremely well to steel, such as on a coupe E Type there is a weighed 147lbs of it !!

One of the pro TR restorers used to do quite a few E Types and leading is still one of major methods of reducing wing to door, sills and around the boot gaps of a TR. Unknowingly I attacked my boot seam to gas weld where there was a small hole and looked aghast as an area about 14" long and 1" wide bubbled and dropped onto the floor ! All the Triumphs were built by men in Brown coats and probably smoking a pipe. The good news is if they did it so can you, and self taught learning is so much more satisfying.

At least with lead if you're not happy you can warm it up and drop it on the floor then drop the bits into some angle iron and remelt it again into a bar and have another go. Obviously you have to work the lead carefully and avoid machine sanding or grinding and the like to finish the repairs not wanting to poison yourself, but filing off with a surform is an acceptable practice and then hand preparation when quipped with a face mask. Lots of safety information available off the internet.

Micky

[new to this]

Thanks Micky. My initial bodgey way to tackle this was going to be to build up the inner edge of the wing with filler. Your method sounds
A.. less bodgey!
B.. better lasting.

Ive never tried leading. I may well pm you when I get closer to refitting the bonnet. Currently the hinge pins and I are doing battle. They are winning, but I still have the drill up my sleeve.

i cut mine out and fitted new pins,if you get stuck ive still got some of metal i used for pins

Dave

[jakesmig]

Trouble with leading as far as I can see, apart from my total lack of skill in this area, is that heating the metal to take the lead would destroy the remaining paint on the inside of the inner wing, and if it has also been ziebarted or waxoiled the resulting fire could prove entertaining.
On the basis that a bodge is a fix, I would be tempted to spot weld appropriate width steel bar along the edge of the bonnet, then fill and paint as required. This would relatively easily done and the line of the joint between the front panel would not be compromised. Weld through primer and seam sealer should help avoid post bodge rusting.

John

[Motorsport Micky]

You've got the wrong idea John, you lead load the edge of the bonnet not the wings, if you do it carefully it should be reversible as mentioned above, obviously apart from having to repaint the bonnet.

Micky

[new to this]

Hi,

One for the body panel experts.

I took my bonnet off last night as it sat very high at the front and am in the process of bending the hinges back to the right shape (If I can ever get the rusted pins out.) However the gap between the wings and the bonnet is huge 15mm on one side and 10 on the other, and the top of the wings are quite gappy on the top panel.

So the question is do I have to remove the entire wing and realign the whole thing, or can you just detach the top welds and push the top of the wing in before retacking it. Im not sure why they have been welded so far out, maybe they are being held out somewhere else. The wings themselves are in decent condition so I would rather not destroy them removing them. I may also put a front panel on as the one on it is beginning to bubble where it meets the chrome trim

Bassy

on my car the bonnet sits high at front end,Ive tried two bonnets both don't sit right to high and hinges don't line up,i tried fitting both my bonnets on another car, and lucky for me again they sit high and hinges don't line up,good that its only the bonnet at fault and not front end alinement, need to try a 3rd bonnet now

dave

[Motorsport Micky]

See if these photos give you an idea about how to lead load a Stag bonnet edge. These aren't my work but they are good examples of how it would be done.

jeffstr5071.jpg

How it looks the other side with a little work.

jeffstr5073.jpg

Micky

[jakesmig]

You've got the wrong idea John, you lead load the edge of the bonnet not the wings, if you do it carefully it should be reversible as mentioned above, obviously apart from having to repaint the bonnet.

Micky

Neither idea is wrong, just a different approach to overcome the problem. The correct approach is to take the wings off and re set them.

[Motorsport Micky]

Neither idea is wrong, just a different approach to overcome the problem. The correct approach is to take the wings off and re set them.

Correct which is what I suggested at post #2, but your comments about heating the wings or inner wings to take lead is not what I suggested.
As you say heat in that area will likely ignite undersealing or other combustibles, wheras any adjustment to the side of the bonnet is localised and whether leaded edges or a welded box section and filled joint method is used both will work to reduce the bonnet gaps.

Micky

[jakesmig]

Appreciate that Mickey, I got the wrong drift from your post, my mistake.

[Bassy]

Thanks for the tips Guys. I think I may attempt this leading lark . Simply as Ive not tried it , and its always worth (try) learning something new . The other option is cutting both wings off, which Im sure will get damaged as I remove them .

[edd]

Thanks for the tips Guys. I think I may attempt this leading lark . Simply as Ive not tried it , and its always worth (try) learning something new . The other option is cutting both wings off, which Im sure will get damaged as I remove them .

fitting wings is hard work I had to use lots of various tricks to get mine to fit . I must have trial fitted 100 times . when they do come off the can worms can also be discovered it's a matter of how far your going with a restoration . For me it was wings off . I can't see anyone saving a wing and refitting it the front panel alone is impossible to get at .
edd

[jakesmig]

Tend to agree with Eds to an extent, although in my case I was replacing the front upper panel and lower balance ends anyway, so cut those off with the wings then trimmed them off. Managed to salvage the wings for reuse that way.