Hood frame advice sought

[Davo1805NZ]

Hi all,

I'm just getting around to re-installing my hood - I didn't really take much notice of it when I removed it, other than that the black mohair cover and rear window were in good nick; probably been replaced in the not-too-distant past. Now, however, I'm seeing the nasty bits - seals and velcro strips that are shot - plus what may be misdemeanours of previous owners. Please can somebody advise regarding a couple of items in the attached photo -

1. Is the shape of this spring correct, or should it be at 90 degrees?

2. The large bush which the spring fits over has been welded to the frame - is this correct, or as I suspect, a bodge for some reason?

Thanks in advance - Dave


Hood frame 1.jpg

[Wheelz]

The spring looks pretty good, with the top leg pointing down a few degrees. It also should be angled when you look down on it.

The large bush is also OK, welded to the plate.

Check all parts of the frame for distortion and compare sides to see if they are both the same. Almost every part of the frame can be distorted!

[stag8manod]

Hi Dave, I am also in NZ, building/checking my frame which will need a new hood. At the moment I am replacing the hard top seals so it can go back on the car and return to service.
Will you be coming to the Xmas do if you are out of lockdown and it goes ahead?
We are in Morrinsville.
Cheers Ian A

[Davo1805NZ]

The spring looks pretty good, with the top leg pointing down a few degrees. It also should be angled when you look down on it.

Thanks - from what you say above it would appear that my left one is pretty good, but the right one has been abused somewhat...?

IMG_5150.jpg

[Davo1805NZ]

Hi Dave, I am also in NZ, building/checking my frame which will need a new hood. At the moment I am replacing the hard top seals so it can go back on the car and return to service.
Will you be coming to the Xmas do if you are out of lockdown and it goes ahead?
We are in Morrinsville.
Cheers Ian A

Hi Ian,

I'm in Auckland and had been hopeful of having my car on the road before Christmas, but with one thing and another, progress has been slow - so no, I won't make it to the Xmas lunch this time; should be good for next year!

Here's a recent pic - currently on the stands to investigate a small oil leak.

Cheers - Dave.

171021.jpg

[Wheelz]

Thanks - from what you say above it would appear that my left one is pretty good, but the right one has been abused somewhat...?

IMG_5150.jpg

Left one only needs a twist clockwise of the top arm. The vertical section of the RH one should be like the LH one but mirrored.

[Davo1805NZ]

So I got my hood back in place and it seems to operate OK in terms of opening and closing - though I haven't got as far as fitting the plunger yet and trying to fully close the back part. Right now I'm scratching my head as to why I cannot close the tonneau cover with the hood stowed in the well - the frame seems to be sitting too high at the sides, not allowing the cover to come down far enough to engage with the catches. Would anybody have any clues as to where I'm going wrong? The frame seems to be sitting as low as it is able to on the fixing bolts. Thanks in advance - Dave.

[Ceejay 72]

Dave, I had the same problem a year or so ago, after I had tried adjusting the rear frame section using the three screws each side in the lower frame bars. I found that if you have the rear section set low to improve latching, then as you say, the frame doesn't fold enough to get the tonneau lid down and latched even ensuring there is no hood material caught between the frame bars.
I had to experiment with the angle between the two sections each side to get the best compromise.
(See also the new post I shall be writing regarding other frame problems!)

Chris

[Wheelz]

Right now I'm scratching my head as to why I cannot close the tonneau cover with the hood stowed in the well - the frame seems to be sitting too high at the sides, not allowing the cover to come down far enough to engage with the catches. Would anybody have any clues as to where I'm going wrong? The frame seems to be sitting as low as it is able to on the fixing bolts. Thanks in advance - Dave.

Assuming the frame has the cover fitted (?) then the cover can get trapped in the frame and will restrict it from closing fully. If it is still too high, then a common problem is seized front corner pivots. The front corners are supposed to be free enough to allow the side arms to open outwards, and sit down in the well. Spray some WD40 into the corners where the big rivets are, and try to move the side arms to free them off, then make sure the arms are in the right position.

[Davo1805NZ]

Thanks for the pointers guys. Yes, the hood cover is on, and the corner pivots don't appear to be seized. I'll have another fiddle with it today and see how I get on.

With my last Stag I was always pleased with how quickly I could put the hood up or down... though that was 35+ years ago!

[Davo1805NZ]

OK, it's sorted - looks like it was a combination of fabric maybe getting trapped in the frame and the position of the main fixings to the body. In the end I lowered the hood into the well and then loosened the fixings, which allowed me to move everything into the right position. Having done that I fitted the plunger, and after a couple of failed attempts, seem to have it in a position which allows it to release by pulling the lever. To get the plunger to engage, I had to sit on the back of the hood with my feet inside the car and my body through the zipped-open back window, and I now have it closed at both front and back - but now I cannot zip up the window! The sides of the zip are too far apart and I fear that if I try to bring them together it will break. I have read in the Forum previously tips regarding wetting the hood fabric and leaving the car in the sun to help stretch it - I'm in the midst of that now, though the sun isn't very hot today. Are there any other tricks to this?

Cheers - Dave.

IMG_5177.jpg

[trunt]

I Always zip up the window before slamming it shut. and unzip it once the rear catch is released.

If it will not slam shut maybe the rear hoop needs to be adjusted a tad to help with it catching, along with Chris's tips regarding the pin on the other hood thread.

Also make sure that when the hood is up the rear hoop is not too near the tonnau cover at the point just behind the horseshoe opening, especially as you don't have the chrome trim on yet which adds a little more height to the cover. Mine was marginal and it caused a loud rattle over bumps until I worked out what was happening.

Terry

[Davo1805NZ]

Thanks Terry - I'll check those things. I think my problem is largely due to the cover being very tight - up to a couple of weeks ago it had spent nearly two years sitting, folded, on the floor at the back of the garage. I currently have it fixed at front and back and figure I'll frequently wet it and let it sit in the sun (as opportunities arise) for a while, then release it and zip up the window before trying to close it up again.