flappy half hood !

[Terryathome]

On 4/19/2017 at 13:04, marcusb said:

Looks like nobodies found the grape vine thread thank goodness :-/ @Terryathome

You mean this one? @marcusb

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

...and image saved for posterity! 

Thank you Terry, superb photo!! 

[Rory's Dad]

Westie66 - Please can you tell me how the tubes rest on your roll bar and windscreen and is the cross brace fixed like rugby posts or can you take it apart??

Thanks

[Westie66]

The link has some extra pics in which you can see the ends of the tubes. http://markswesty.weebly.com/roof-bars.html

The tubes are the same diameter as copper pipe so I got some plastic clips from B&Q to hold the cross piece in place, it comes apart so all fits into the half hood bag.

The car will be at Stoneleigh so if you can find me I will be happy to show it going on the car. Will be there all weekend, Dave Eastwood can point me out.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Mark's set up is really impressive, yet still breaks down to fit in the bag!

[Rory's Dad]

Mark - I'll come and find you - it looks really good 

[Marcus Barlow - Show and Events Co-ordinator]

On 4/25/2017 at 14:49, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - WSCC AO Rep said:

...and image saved for posterity! 

Thank you Terry, superb photo!! 

Ime still safe, nobody will ever beat @Terryathome half hood zip masterpiece, a classic example of engineering excellence 

[Terryathome]

21 minutes ago, marcusb said:

Ime still safe, nobody will ever beat @Terryathome half hood zip masterpiece, a classic example of engineering excellence 

Will have to fix them at some point

[Sparkymart]

So here's an update of my roof bars, I ended up just drilling a 8mm hole in the end of the cable cleat and pushing the rod in to it and as I've bent the aluminium bars I've got loads more head room and it gives the roof a nice shape 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I like that, how do you go about storing them, or do they spring flat again, and if so, is the extra length a problem?

[Thrustyjust]

Sparky, I was going to make some and bought some fibre glass tent poles . I was going to make them join together in a H style as well. Then the poles could be folded and put in the boot, but in the end I didnt bother.

[Terryathome]

Haven't a clue why you would want H style or I'm I missing something?

Does it act like a rear wing for better grip?

[Sparkymart]

4 hours ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - WSCC AO Rep said:

I like that, how do you go about storing them, or do they spring flat again, and if so, is the extra length a problem?

The Poles are 8mm and I've Also got some 10mm tube which has an ID if 8mm so I'm going to cut the supports in half and make a tent style joiner so it can all be folded in half to fit in the bag 

 

4 hours ago, Thrustyjust said:

Sparky, I was going to make some and bought some fibre glass tent poles . I was going to make them join together in a H style as well. Then the poles could be folded and put in the boot, but in the end I didnt bother.

I had a play with some old fibreglass tent poles but found i couldn't keep a nice curve in it and it put a lot of pressure on the screen when I forced them to bend in to shape.that is why I ended up using aluminum poles so I could pre bend them

[Sparkymart]

Here's a couple more pics with the roof on you can see the new shape it takes on and the extra Head room I've gained (not that that's a problem for me...)

[Yanto]

As i started this topic I had better provide an update as to what i've been upto inspired by the perfectly engineered examples here, but first; I almost gave up and put the hood up for sale but was prompted to make a go of it, so I decided to try and undertake a zero (extra) cost fitment using anything I had to hand, this is very much a proof of the pudding before I do a proper job.

The fitment of the hood itself was less than ideal, this I still think is due to the rake of the screen being too much, but also as will be seen I had no way of attaching the rear straps to the body, a previous owner had positioned the turn buttons on the roll bar supports, which because i'd cobbled together a boot lid couldn't be used.  

I had an old camera tripod which was broken years ago but i'd refused to throw it out, I used two of the telescopic legs from this as supports, to reduce chances of the hood chaffing I quickly attached some neoprene rubber. I bent the lower ends of the legs to sit on the plastic screen channel and filed an angle on the upper ends to allow the hood to smoothly cover the joint between the supports and the roll bar.

The next problem was that even with the velcro straps as long as possible there was no way they would reach the bodywork!

I eventually decided to use the holes left from removal of the spare tyre carrier to be location points for elasticated straps, I used hooks that I had lying around but I had no suitable bungee cords, but I had the wife's knicker draw and it's contents, so I raided it whilst she was having a pint in the pub and liberated some wholesome elastic (neoprene rubber), with these a pair of rustic and indestructable straps were made.

Pretty it is not, functional it is!

I have also added velcro straps to the inside of the hood that fit around the supports, I forgot to photograph them, which is probably a good job as they aren't pretty either. so have i now got a functioning half hood, well yes I have, all it needs now is some tarting up, but that will be a winter project, especially as the passenger door has a large gap and the hood on the side has a large longitudinal crease in it, which will require further supports to be fabricated.

 

Ian