Check yer bonnet bolts!!
Discussion
Had a rather worrying,sphincter-clenching moment on saturday morning,whilst doing 90 overtaking the euroboxes up Bluebell Hill on the M2.
My 390's bonnet decided that i wasn't going fast enough and decided it was going to have a go itself .
basically the left hand bonnet bolt had fell out into the inner wing at which point the forward edge shot up,
(fortunately was restrained by the gas strut),however this was enough to dislodge the bonnet catch,causing me to have a rather novel view forwards,from under the bonnet,now floating 18 inches in the air on the left hand side!
After having let off the gas and coasted into the hard shoulder i found the bolt where it had fallen , and put in back . As luck would have it there was no damage to the bonnet ,only a scuff mark on the inner wing where the bonnet edge had dropped back down.
So beware!! Check yer bolts
My 390's bonnet decided that i wasn't going fast enough and decided it was going to have a go itself .
basically the left hand bonnet bolt had fell out into the inner wing at which point the forward edge shot up,
(fortunately was restrained by the gas strut),however this was enough to dislodge the bonnet catch,causing me to have a rather novel view forwards,from under the bonnet,now floating 18 inches in the air on the left hand side!
After having let off the gas and coasted into the hard shoulder i found the bolt where it had fallen , and put in back . As luck would have it there was no damage to the bonnet ,only a scuff mark on the inner wing where the bonnet edge had dropped back down.
So beware!! Check yer bolts
Could try drilling the bolt heads and lock wiring them in? Mine need a tighten up every now and then.Not had that experience ... and don't want it thanks (once had an RS2000 bonnet fly up on a Rally Special Stage - at around 90mph 
).
But I did have an amusing experience the other day. Having finished a meeting I took the hood off and drove home. Apparently, though, I forgot to push the boot-release in (mine's stiff - oo, er, Missus!) and the boot remained unlatched.
Amazingly, I did not have to stop or slow down significantly until around 44 miles had passed under the wheels. When I did, in the town centre, the boot rose majestically (thanks to new gas struts from RT Racing) and my rear-view went all dark. It bug99rs the handling, does little for the aerodynamics or the car's look, and induces embarrassment (not that Wedge owners have any need to be embarrassed by their cars
).
Streaky
>> Edited by streaky on Monday 19th January 12:36
). But I did have an amusing experience the other day. Having finished a meeting I took the hood off and drove home. Apparently, though, I forgot to push the boot-release in (mine's stiff - oo, er, Missus!) and the boot remained unlatched.
Amazingly, I did not have to stop or slow down significantly until around 44 miles had passed under the wheels. When I did, in the town centre, the boot rose majestically (thanks to new gas struts from RT Racing) and my rear-view went all dark. It bug99rs the handling, does little for the aerodynamics or the car's look, and induces embarrassment (not that Wedge owners have any need to be embarrassed by their cars
). Streaky
>> Edited by streaky on Monday 19th January 12:36
Ive never had a bonnet bolt go loose but I did loose the roof panel. There i was in the outside lane of the M3 nicely doing 3 figures when the whole roof section ripped off the car. It managed to clear 3 lanes of traffic and the hard shoulder and land in a ditch. I promptly came off and the next junction turned around and went to retrieve my muddy roof. 4 new locating pegs and its been fine ever since.
...helps with the cooling tho' eh?....
.....my last 'bonnet' lifting experience was in my first car, a Hillman Imp (therefore it was the boot and not the bonnet in reality) ...i was 'eagerly' approaching a humpback bridge and 'took off' ....landed with a crash and suddenly all i could see was Rootes finest sheet steel.....emergency stop !!!! Left a nice crease in the leading edge and a dent in my pride 
.....my last 'bonnet' lifting experience was in my first car, a Hillman Imp (therefore it was the boot and not the bonnet in reality) ...i was 'eagerly' approaching a humpback bridge and 'took off' ....landed with a crash and suddenly all i could see was Rootes finest sheet steel.....emergency stop !!!! Left a nice crease in the leading edge and a dent in my pride 
Good stories! I think threadloc's the way to go, as there's not really anything to attach the lock-wire to in the vicinity.
This is getting a bit of a habit,cos in my youth(sound like an old man now!) i watched the bonnet of my Westfield SEi fly over my head 1/4 mile from home! although i think i forgot a couple of clips!:0)
As luck would have it the thing did about 2 complete flips and landed right way up ,suffering only minor scratches underneath where you could'nt see them!
This is getting a bit of a habit,cos in my youth(sound like an old man now!) i watched the bonnet of my Westfield SEi fly over my head 1/4 mile from home! although i think i forgot a couple of clips!:0)
As luck would have it the thing did about 2 complete flips and landed right way up ,suffering only minor scratches underneath where you could'nt see them!
But how much do you tighten them? Mine look as if they will tear a hole in the bonnet if I tighten them any more? Suggestions?
Now I do have experience of the opening bonnet syndrome though. Many years ago I bought a rather rough MGC, that lacked a grille, most of the sills, one wing in primer. You get the idea. Anyway I was tinkering under the bonnet, when the girl friend insisted that she needed a loaf of bread, or beer or something... Yes I forgot to tie the bonnet down... Nice crease. However I found that welding studs on the underside and a sort of turnbuckle thing popped it out nicely. It did have to remain under the bonnet to keep up appearances... It worked very well until I was doing a demo to a prospective buyer. 95mph along the A40 and the turnbuckle/long steel bar thing rattled loose, fell down the side of the engine and shorted out the electrics across the starter motor terminal! Lights went out so too did the overdrive, giving me rather more revs than required. No sale either...
Then there was the time in my old American Ford F-100 Pick-up.....drone, drone, drone, zzzzzzzzzzz.......
Now I do have experience of the opening bonnet syndrome though. Many years ago I bought a rather rough MGC, that lacked a grille, most of the sills, one wing in primer. You get the idea. Anyway I was tinkering under the bonnet, when the girl friend insisted that she needed a loaf of bread, or beer or something... Yes I forgot to tie the bonnet down... Nice crease. However I found that welding studs on the underside and a sort of turnbuckle thing popped it out nicely. It did have to remain under the bonnet to keep up appearances... It worked very well until I was doing a demo to a prospective buyer. 95mph along the A40 and the turnbuckle/long steel bar thing rattled loose, fell down the side of the engine and shorted out the electrics across the starter motor terminal! Lights went out so too did the overdrive, giving me rather more revs than required. No sale either...
Then there was the time in my old American Ford F-100 Pick-up.....drone, drone, drone, zzzzzzzzzzz.......
montegogt said:
But how much do you tighten them? Mine look as if they will tear a hole in the bonnet if I tighten them any more? Suggestions?
On mine I nip them up until the shut lines are even, and not a strain on the bonnet. Then back off a turn or two. Currant car doesn't have holes or glue on the bolts as I tend to check under every time I drive it. More for oils and water but a quick scan at the other bits.
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