Driving without a bonnet

[dan101smith]

Legal? Advisable?

I need a new bonnet. There's one available 20 (motorway) miles away. I can't transport it back.

Two options:

1. Remove current one, drive, fit new one, drive back.

2. Drive to new one, swap, leave old one behind.

I have a feeling option 2 is the winner, but thought I'd check...

[T16OLE]

Option two for me, although I cant see any pedestrians being on the motorway

[Tazio1]

The atom is road legal....

[wombat172a]

Option 2 for me.

Option 3 - find a friend with a van
Option 4 - rent a van for a morning. Shouldn't cost too much, and make the most of it. e.g. do the tip run you've been meaning to do for ages etc.

[anonymous-user]

option 3, get mate with 7.5t to pick it up...

[Gareth79]

Tazio1 said:

The atom is road legal....

Rear engined though.

The main problem with a lack of a bonnet is that if you hit a pedestrian they would fall into the engine bay hard rather than crump the bonnet and windscreen.

I'm pretty sure that most traffic officers would pull a car and ticket it for a missing bonnet.

[Stu - B]

Shouldn't be a problem.

[kambites]

I'm not sure, but I think it's illegal to drive with any sharp bits exposed, and if you haven't got a bonnet, I guess the whole engine bay is exposed.

[Dunclane]

My dad got 3 points and a £60 fine for driving without a bonnet about 10 years ago. I wouldn't advise it

[Raize]

I wonder if you tied an old sheet of wood over where the bonnet should be to cover the engine would it be ok?

[hornetrider]

The cavalier in me says Option 1, the sensible person in me say Option 2. I'd say go with 2.

[RSGulp]

Option 2+++: Drive to new one, swap bonnet, stand old bonnet against a wall, jump on it to bend it in half*, place old bonnet inside car, drop-off at nearest scrappy or council tip on way home...

(*I've never tried to bend a bonnet in half, but maybe take a hacksaw to cut through anything structural which might be too tough to bend)

...or one of these...

Edited by RSGulp on Wednesday 9th March 18:18

[N88]

I'd try find a mate with a van.

[Bridgewaterfalls]

Dunclane said:

My dad got 3 points and a £60 fine for driving without a bonnet about 10 years ago. I wouldn't advise it

This. I'm positive it is illegal, I remember a police camera action type program showing a stop for this exact reason once.

[Mr2Mike]

Why can't you transport it? As said above, fit new one at destination and fold the old one up and stick it in the boot/rear seat/passenger footwell (wrapped in polythene etc. to prevent marking your interior). A friend did exactly this when he drove to get a GRP bonnet for his tarmac rally car.

[williamp]

I'm pretty sure its illegal, as it means sharp objects, etc which could harm pedestrians in an accident- the same law which covers bodywork also covers the lack of it.

[Toffer]

williamp said:

I'm pretty sure its illegal, as it means sharp objects, etc which could harm pedestrians in an accident- the same law which covers bodywork also covers the lack of it.

Why would he have pedestrians on his bonnet anyway?

[dan101smith]

Mr2Mike said:

Why can't you transport it? As said above, fit new one at destination and fold the old one up and stick it in the boot/rear seat/passenger footwell (wrapped in polythene etc. to prevent marking your interior). A friend did exactly this when he drove to get a GRP bonnet for his tarmac rally car.

I can't quite see how an E39 bonnet folded up small enough to fit in a footwell would be any use to me

Thanks for confirming what I thought people, option 2 it is.

The reason, in case you were curious, that I want to keep both bonnets is to donate the old one to someone who needs one repainted. Hence why I'll probably avoid the origami route

[mrmr96]

dan101smith said:

I can't quite see how an E39 bonnet folded up small enough to fit in a footwell would be any use to me

You drive up with the old one fitted, swap the new one on at the sellers house, then crumple the old one up to bring home and dispose of.

[Mr2Mike]

dan101smith said:

I can't quite see how an E39 bonnet folded up small enough to fit in a footwell would be any use to me

You didn't actually say that you needed to keep the old one, I think most people presumed it was knackered.