T350 bonnet

[hollowpockets]

has anyone replaced the manual lifting mechanism for the bonnet with gas lifting type like on most modern cars?

wonder how tricky it would be.

Edited by hollowpockets on Monday 30th April 16:51

[FrancoTam]

Def worth looking into, its a pain in the arse having the catch on the passenger side and the bonnet support on the other. It would evan be a great improvement if the bonnet support wason the same side!?

[hollowpockets]

my bonnet catch is bange in the middle, the support is on the driver side wing.

[targarama]

Some early Tamoras (not sure about T350s) had the bonnet release on the 'wrong' side :-)

[NickT]

Since my engine rebuild I've had the ball joint on the wing end of my bonnet stay missing so I've nothing to hold the bonnet up other than my head

An aluminium gas strut would be a nice addition but you would have to be careful as opening the bonnet too wide causes it to rub on the bodywork. I'd be happy with the standard method with all the bits in tact so you could use it!

[marT350T]

I have often thought about this, but do you think it would be a much bigger job to get hinges on the back of the bonnet so the bonnet opened the other way. This would make maintenance and checking fluid levels so much easier.

[David Godfrey]

marT350T said:

I have often thought about this, but do you think it would be a much bigger job to get hinges on the back of the bonnet so the bonnet opened the other way. This would make maintenance and checking fluid levels so much easier.

Would make fluids much easier to check but I actually think its as it is so if the catch failed it doesn't rip the bonnet straight off the car.. haven't a few sag's lost there inspection pannels?

[hollowpockets]

David Godfrey said:

marT350T said:

I have often thought about this, but do you think it would be a much bigger job to get hinges on the back of the bonnet so the bonnet opened the other way. This would make maintenance and checking fluid levels so much easier.

Would make fluids much easier to check but I actually think its as it is so if the catch failed it doesn't rip the bonnet straight off the car.. haven't a few sag's lost there inspection pannels?

probably why it opens the way it does^

aslong as the gas strut was measured to open the correct distance im sure one could be swapped on fairly easily

just where to find them?

[DJC]

Getting hold of the struts isnt really a problem Graham, you could pick and choose your suppliers. Your design would not be gauranteed to work first time out though and its the tinkering, redesign and testing that would be an issue, i.e. get it wrong and there is a high chance that it wont be just a "minor" tweak needed! If you did it, go overboard on the safety aspect first and then slowly work backwards to you have a simpler refined system that you are confident wont get your bonnet blown off, ripped off, collapse on ppls heads (stories are legion of bonnet mods that have done that!) or the unintended consequences of the the struts and your design blocking off access to various engine areas.