What a Spanner ........................

[dellyend1]

What a spanner I am !!!!!

Have been very excited since sourcing and procuring my second hand 400 se style bonnet.

I've measured it up, checked for damage, made sure threads for strut ball joints are in place etc and all good. Then it hit me .......

The bonnet louvres do not have any vents in ?!?

No idea how this occurred, the bonnet appear to have been moulded correctly but what a muppet for not picking this up when I collected it.

Anyway a couple of questions if I may :

1. Would anybody with a vented style bonnet be so kind as to take some close up picks of the vents so that I know exactly how to cut out the holes. I know it sounds daft but I want to get the width of the slats etc spot on.

2. Other than a pilot hole and jigsaw, is there a better way to deal with cutting out fibreglass, any other preferred tool smaller than a jigsaw and bigger than a dremmel ?

3. Would it be a good idea to install a stainless steel mesh / grill on the underside of the newly cut out vent holes in order to catch any debris , leaves etc

As always thank for you help in advance

Cheers

Jeremy

[wooly350i]

You can let me buy the bonnet off you and problem solved, you are obviously not meant to have it. Alternatively a jig saw now the louver's are in may be a bit vicious, consider buying yourself a black / decker power file with 40 or 60 grade belts, fantastic little tool but they don't like too much trade work, fine around the house and garage, you can control the amount you take off more easily, concentrate it in one spot and you'll put a hole through, I've bought about 4 of em over the last 8 years or so but I've ordered a Makita version now, go on give one a go, wooly

[Colin RedGriff]

Are any of these what you are looking for?


Berks TVRCC Meeting by Colin RedGriff, on Flickr


Berks TVRCC Meeting by Colin RedGriff, on Flickr

[dellyend1]

Thanks for the pics Colin, now drooling at the prospect.

Wooly350i, I'll keep my out for another vented bonnet and you will be the first to know if I come across one ! Thanks for the advice on the tool to do the job, on tinternet now trying to find where I can get one from

[ElvisWedgely]

If all else fails, here is a spare bonnet for you. Bit unconventional but it's vented.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tvr-Tasmin-350i-Wedge-Re...

Tony. TCB.

[wooly350i]

dellyend1 said:

Thanks for the pics Colin, now drooling at the prospect.

Wooly350i, I'll keep my out for another vented bonnet and you will be the first to know if I come across one ! Thanks for the advice on the tool to do the job, on tinternet now trying to find where I can get one from

Seen em in B & Q as well as internet, I got my last one from a local toolstore, should set you back about 40 quid although the Makita version is about 160. I couldn't live with out one now.

[jon haines]

I dont know and I am sure someone will come along with the answer why tvr put louvres over the battery would it not have been better for the louvres to be in the same position each side? Its a good way to get the battery to swim in water but not sure how much heat escapes.

[wooly350i]

jon haines said:

I dont know and I am sure someone will come along with the answer why tvr put louvres over the battery would it not have been better for the louvres to be in the same position each side? Its a good way to get the battery to swim in water but not sure how much heat escapes.

Ive got a pair of louvre vents to cut into my bonnet but im a coward at present, if I do it though I would have thought an air scoop on the underside above the battery would be the way to go if there's room of course so any water dripping in the vents would be deflected away from the battery, maybe into an ice cube maker or something!

[wild rover]

Maybe to cool the brake master cylinder, the other for the air intake?

[Wedg1e]

jon haines said:

...would it not have been better for the louvres to be in the same position each side?

Then the HT coil would get a soaking instead of the battery

[wedgeinald]

Colin RedGriff said:

Are any of these what you are looking for?


Berks TVRCC Meeting by Colin RedGriff, on Flickr

Good Job my car was vaguely clean before you took that pic.....unless its of another 280i in the berks region....lol