Fixing (glueing?) the hood to the cant rail

[martinclan56]

I will shortly be fitting my new old stock hood. As I recall, when I did it before some 40 years ago, it was a right royal PITA.
Does anyone have any tips or tricks. For example:

What glue to use (there are lots of different contact adhesives)
Should I use a mechanical fixing as well and if so what / how.

Cheers, Robin

[listerjp2]

I will shortly be fitting my new old stock hood. As I recall, when I did it before some 40 years ago, it was a right royal PITA.
Does anyone have any tips or tricks. For example:

What glue to use (there are lots of different contact adhesives)
Should I use a mechanical fixing as well and if so what / how.

Cheers, Robin

This one is simple.

Wait for a warm day, or make sure the hood material is warm.

I placed the lift the dots on the rear of the hood first and then marked where the fixings should be.

Drill and fix fixings.

Using double sided tape fix the can't rail to the windscreen frame.

This is when you could do with a couple of helpers, two of you grab the hood at the front and stretch it as tight as possible over the cant rail keeping it in the center of the surround.

I marked the center line with some chalk.

Meanwhile another person on the inside traces the cant rail onto the inside of the cloth.

I used one of my kids white pencil as my hood is black.

Take the cant rail off as well as the hood.

Using contact glue paste the top of the cant rail.

Now paste the inside making sure you can still see the center line and go right upto the line drawn on the inside.

Let it dry for at least 15mins.

Carefully lay the cant rail on the hood in position and stick down.

I left mine for 12 hours before the next stage.

Now there will be a good amount of spare cloth, this is tucked under and stuck as above, making sure the the two tails that stick out are stuck under.

Pull the tails tight when sticking down.

Leave again for a further 12 hours to cure.

Fit cant rail over windscreen, pull over frame and pop down at the back.

I found it was tight to connect and will be even tighter when cold but you hood will be like a drum and will never blow off. You won't need any fixings in the screen frame at the front.

Lastly fit the lift the dots to the sides where you think best, pull down hard on both sides and mark the lift the dotes and fit.

Phew.

[martinclan56]

Excellent thank-you.
My hood seems to be missing the tails. Although it has never been fitted it seems someone cut them off. Do you think that will make much difference?

[A_Hogg]

I've used a high temp adhesive from Wayside Adhesives with good results for various trimming . A one litre tin is about £20. Based in Radcliffe on Trent, Notts

[listerjp2]

Excellent thank-you.
My hood seems to be missing the tails. Although it has never been fitted it seems someone cut them off. Do you think that will make much difference?

As far as the tails are concerned, just use a couple of wrenches with sufficient padding to pull the edges before sticking.

Adrian

[martinclan56]

As far as the tails are concerned, just use a couple of wrenches with sufficient padding to pull the edges before sticking.

Adrian

Good idea.
If my memory serves me correctly, on the first roadster I built, the instructions suggested drilling some small holes in the edge of the cant rail (where the tails should go) and then stitching the hood to the cant rail. I may try that....

[listerjp2]

Good idea.
If my memory serves me correctly, on the first roadster I built, the instructions suggested drilling some small holes in the edge of the cant rail (where the tails should go) and then stitching the hood to the cant rail. I may try that....

That may have been the case for the Mk1, I can only speak for the Mk2.

Adrian