Trimming the Bonnet

[LateApex]

Body prep for forthcoming paint work on the Type 65 is not for the faint of heart - Hah! Or maybe it is just me and my relationship with a kit (more likely than not ...)

The doors went pretty well. Make sure you really anchor the door frame against the rear of the door well. Else one may install a strike post that is ... "proud". It is also useful to align the body on the chassis yourself, and not rely on the slap dash screws that are used for shipping the body attached to the chassis.

The bonnet is a problem unto itself:


First, the current build instructions are out of date, by at least 4 years. The hinge is different, which is okay, but there is no guidance on fitting the new style hinge correctly. Okay, trial and error. But every trial involves installing the bonnet, and then de-installing the bonnet to make cuts or other adjustments. Take care with your hole for the hinge drilling in the bonnet. There is little room for error.

There is significant fiberglass trimming required to give the clearance needed to open the hood / bonnet at all. This is not apparent until one installs the hood and then tries to open same. Dry Fitting 'R Us.

More in the PITA category, is that the AL radiator side duct work also needs trimming, else the bonnet cannot be raised to its limit. Sure wish that the side panels were correctly trimmed in the first place so I don't need to drill out rivets and trim them correctly at this point in the build (per the sequence in the manual). I need to uninstall the radiator to do this properly, for example.


So, I am whining. Yes. But this whole process of aligning fiberglass is really confounded by basic design oversights and lack of assembly instructions.

There are so many fine aspects of this kit. If wishes were fishes, I would would wish for better documentation for the builder.

[LateApex]

Here are some items I found related only to the bonnet fitting that other builders may find useful to know and consider in their project.

1) The current revision of the manual (Rev 4R, April 2021) does not reflect the current bonnet hinge (which I understand dates to 2018).
2) My running light "cones" have a difference in depth of 3/8". This is relevant, as the back side of those cones is what the bonnet bracket (in part) mounts to.
3) The underside of the nose needs to be cut aggressively to the rear line of the "new" triangular box hinges. Else, you will get no more than 20 degrees of bonnet opening.
4) You will likely need to shim between the bottom of the hinge and the bottom of the nose. I am taking the opportunity at this point of laminating fiberglass shims to the nose at the hinge attachment points to at least reinforce this critical mount point. Six 5/16" button head bolts through fiberglass is all that secures the hinge. There is a lot of wind loading and stress during opening the bonnet on this joint, and current approach is weak IMO.
5) The radiator side ducting is the next item that needs trimming, else those interfere with the hinges and limit the bonnet opening to maybe 35 degrees. Doing this before one rivets the radiator ducting to the frame is a good idea. I am trimming to the the lower frame member. Doing this dry fitting before installing the radiator is also a good idea.
6) The pontoons are for the most part not square. The mating between pontoon and the lower edge of the bonnet is quite visible in the rear of the front wheel well. I am currently looking at ways to align and stiffen that interface (over and above the locating pins)

Fiberglass molding can be quite a PITA in general. This area of my kit is pretty rough. I'd encourage a lot of dry fitting of the body / chassis very early in a build. It is a lot easier to make changes before motors or sheet metal or other bits are in place.

FWIW

[edwardb]

Comments regarding your points:

1. Factory Five routinely uses stock pictures for their manuals. I've had manuals for three different models and noticed this in each. Not excusing it. It's just what they are. I caution everyone not to take the pictures too literally. They often are not 100% reflective of the current model or parts you're working on.

2. The difference in thickness can be compensated by the adjustments built into the hinges.

3. Agree the underside of the cowl needs to be cut to clear and this isn't mentioned in the manual. If you're installing A/C, you'll need to cut even more to clear the A/C condenser.

4. Every build, including mine, has mentioned that the angle of the hinges doesn't match the angle between the back of the light buckets and the cowl bottom. A "feature" I don't understand. Seems like an oversite or mistake for sure, and should have been corrected by now. I've read some who cut and re-weld them. I shimmed mine like you're describing. The primary strength is from the buckets. The added connections to the bottom stabilize it a little bit more. Mine has been done for three seasons and has been opened and closed repeatedly including open when it's breezy. It's plenty strong.

5. Also agree about needing to trim the radiator side pieces. I trimmed mine in place without any issues. Bummed me a little because they were already powder coated. But touched up the edges and no big deal. With the cowl on, those areas aren't noticeable either up or down.

6. Highly recommend not trying to line up pontoons without also mounting the aluminum pieces that hold the ends in place.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Manual has many Gen1 & 2 photos. Not sure if there are later revisions (probably not).

Lot's of variables on the front edge profile depending on radiator, A/C condenser & hose configuration.

This worked to allow full opening on one that I recently finished:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=168078&d=1655129960

Similarly the hinges may need some modification to allow clearance &/or travel as I did here. I cut shims from 2" square PVC stock.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=168079&d=1655129992

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=168080&d=1655130024

Splash panels will allow you to set the front of the pontoons to meet the nose.

Cheers,
Jeff

168078
168079
168080

[LateApex]

Jeff, did you add a second bolt on the bottom of the hinge?

I cut 2"x2" shims from the glass trimmed from the bonnet :-) I am going to epoxy them in place, both under the hinges like you show, and behind the short cone.

Regarding your cut, you actually step it back about another 1/2" between the hinges. Is this a bit of extra clearance to prevent any contact with the radiator? I have not had a chance to install struts yet to limit total hood travel, or check on that clearance area.

Re: sheet metal, I note that the Front Wheel Lower Splash panels are re-designed since the last manual (specifically the sheet metal illustration). I am wondering if you tucked the outside rounded section behind (or in front) of the pontoon forward face. That seems to fit better, given no effort to shape those panels to match the pontoon face. I note dry fitting those specific panels (via my old pal Kleco ...) gets rid of most of the twist in my pontoons that was causing my concern about the appearance of that interface between pontoon and bonnet.

Thanks for your help on this guys !!

[LateApex]

Here are a few shots of work over the past couple of days:

Here is the first cut on the bottom of the bonnet. It is lined up with the rearward edge of the hinges.

168090.

Note my motorcycles are jealous of all the attention doted on this newcomer to the garage, and always watching ;-)

Here is a shot of shimming the hinges

168091

As mentioned, the shim on the back of the cone is epoxied to the cone as well. "More's Law: More is better. Too much is just about right."

Here is dry-fitting the front wheel lower splash guards

I am working to get the body to my painter in 10 days. I am still fitting and cutting, although most of the cutting is done ...

Not an ounce of filler yet, but that is to come very shortly. Busy boy ... :-)

I will likely tuck the flanges of these splash guards under the "Rear Inside Splash Guards" shortly.

168092168093

Last, here are the upper engine bay splash guards dry fitted. These will be riveted and RTV'd very soon. A lot of work to do to get the underside of the bonnet presentable.

168094

Oh, to the careful observer, you will see slots in the bonnet for louvers. Right now however, they are perfect grips for the steady stream of putting the bonnet on, taking the bonnet off, putting the bonnet back on, ..., etc. Haha!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Jeff, did you add a second bolt on the bottom of the hinge?

I cut 2"x2" shims from the glass trimmed from the bonnet :-) I am going to epoxy them in place, both under the hinges like you show, and behind the short cone.

Regarding your cut, you actually step it back about another 1/2" between the hinges. Is this a bit of extra clearance to prevent any contact with the radiator? I have not had a chance to install struts yet to limit total hood travel, or check on that clearance area.

Re: sheet metal, I note that the Front Wheel Lower Splash panels are re-designed since the last manual (specifically the sheet metal illustration). I am wondering if you tucked the outside rounded section behind (or in front) of the pontoon forward face. That seems to fit better, given no effort to shape those panels to match the pontoon face. I note dry fitting those specific panels (via my old pal Kleco ...) gets rid of most of the twist in my pontoons that was causing my concern about the appearance of that interface between pontoon and bonnet.

Thanks for your help on this guys !!

Yes, there are 2 bolts on the bottom of the hinge; semi visible in the first photo and you can see the holes that they go through in the picture of the nose. Also in that photo you can see that it is cut deeper between the hinges; probably close to an inch to provide clearance at the condenser and hoses. As I said the shims were cut from PVC stock and are wedges, just like a door shim. They aren't adhered. Everything was mocked up and adjusted prior to paint and had references added so that it all went back to the same position afterward. I simply bolted the hinges into position on the back of the driving light buckets then pushed the wedge shims in between the bottom surface of the hinges and the nose. With them in place I just drilled through them and bolted.

The aluminum goes behind the face of the pontoon.

Jeff

[LateApex]

Just when I thought I would retire my cherry picker :-)

168135

[Jeff Kleiner]

Ha! Working alone inspires creativity ;) I used 4 straps from the ceiling, same ones I use for putting bodies on and off.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=168137&d=1655318742

Jeff

168137

[LateApex]

Great looking car!!

Things get a little more serious fitting the bits together "after" the paintwork :-)

I have some eye bolts and pulleys sitting on my bench. I suppose it's time to get out the ladder .... Bonnet I can wrestle. Body not so much ...

[LateApex]

That is a nice Blue. I am angling for a shade of Colorado sky, very close to yours, with white stripes (c/o Raceline Digital).

With the delays in parts and my Student Body Right schedule shift, my chief lackey (my now 20 year-old son) is off to college and liking his new digs. Code for a lot of working alone, at exactly the time an extra pair of hands is really useful ;-)

Creativity 'R Us