FITTING THE CONVERTIBLE HOOD

NOW THIS WASNT AN EASY JOB AND FOR A TIME TOOK THREE PEOPLE. FIRST THE OLD HOOD HAD TO BE REMOVED, I DID THIS BY FIRST REMOVING THE RUBER WEATHER STRIP AT THE FRONT OF THE HOOD UNDERNEATH THE MAIN FRAME. THIS DONE I DRILLED OUT THE POP RIVETS. THEN I REMOVED THE CHROME RETAINING TRIM ON THE BACK OF THE HOOD ABOVE THE WINDSCREEN. THIS HAS A RIVET EITHER SIDE AND THEN TWO CLIPS UNDERNEATH THAT HAVE RIVETS IN THEM. THEN I REMOVED THE RUBBERS FROM THE SIDE OF THE FRAME BY THE WINDOW GLASS. THE RETAINING CHANNEL IS HELD ON BY RIVETS WHICH HAVE TO DRILLED . THEN YOU REMOVE THE POPPERS THAT ARE SCREWED OR BOLTED INTO THE REAR PANEL BEHIND THE BOOT. THE COVER CAN THEN BE REMOVED. I RECOMEND THAT YOU BUY NEW CLIPS FOR THE REAR AND USE SMALL NUTS AND BOLTS THAT BOLT THROUGH THE CLIP AND BODYWORK. YOU MUST ENSURE THAT WHEREEVER YOU ARE FITTING THE HOOD IS WARM. AT THIS STAGE THE HOOD FRAME NEEDS TO BE CLOSED AND CLIPPED DOWN. FIRST YOU MEASURE A CENTRE LINE ON THE REAR OF THE CAR AND MARK ITON A PIECE OF MASKING TAPE ON THE CAR BODY. THEN MARK THE CENTRE OF THE REAR OF THE HOOD AGAIN WITH A PIECE OF TAPE ON IT. LINE THESE UP CARFULLY AND FIT THE REAR TRIM SO THAT THE PIPING COMES JUST BELOW THE REAR TRIM. ONCE YOU HAVE THE TRIM IN POSITION FEEL FOR THE ORIGINAL HOLES AND WHEN FOUND RUN A DRILL THROUGH THEM. START WITH THE CENTRE CLIP AND THEN THE TWO SIDE ONES. THEN DO ALL THE POPPERS IN BETWEEN. ONCE YOU HAVE FIXED THE BACK ,THE HOOD CAN BE PULLED FORWARD. AGAIN MARK THE CENTRE OF THE FRONT OF THE HOOD AND THE FRAME. SPREAD SOME EVOSTICK ACROSS THE HOOD AND THE TOP OF THE FRAME. LEAVE FOR TEN MINUTES. THIS IS THE BIT THAT NEEDS THREE PEOPLE. ONE PERSON SHOULD STAND AT THE FRONT OF THE WINDSCREEN WITH THE BONNET OPEN AND PULL THE FRONT OF THE HOOD TIGHT. THIS IS WHERE IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE GARAGE IS WARM SO THE HOOD BECOMES PLIABLE. LINE UP THE CENTRE MARKS THAT YOU HAVE MADE. PULL IT TIGHT AT THE FRONT AND PLACE IT ONTO THE FRAME SO THE IMPACT IS MADE BETWEEN THE ADHESIVE . THEN THE PERSON ON THE DRIVERS SIDE STRETCHES THE HOOD AND PULLS THAT DOWN TO STICK AND THEN THE SAME AGAIN ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE. ONCE THAT IS STUCK THE HOOD FRAME CAN BE OPENED UP AND THE HOOD GLUED ON THE UNDERSIDE AND STUCK. TRIM OFF ANY EXCESS VINYL AND FIT THE METAL WEATHERSTRIP HOLDER USING RIVETS. THEN REFIT THE RUBBER WEATHER STRIP. ONCE THIS IS DONE THE HOOD CAN BE LOCKED INTO POSITION AGAIN AND EACH SIDE PIECE STRETCHED AND STUCK TO THE FRAME. REFIX BOTH OF THE METAL RETAINERS WITH RIVETS AND REPLACE THE RUBBER STRIP. YOU CAN THEN REFIT THE REAR RETAINING STRIP ABOVE THE WINDOW. MAKE SURE THAT THE FRAME LINES UP WITH THE WELDED SEEM. DRILL THE TWO HOLES AND RIVET IN THE FIXING CLIPS AND FIX THE TRIM AT EACH END WITH NEW RIVETS. VIOLA !!!

SOUNDS EASY ITS NOT. VIDEO CLIP BELOW