Hmm. That Was Interesting...

[steve bain]

....just watched my bonnet fly over my head!

[Captain Colonial]

Welcome to The Flying Bonnet Club! I've come very close to joining once or twice, but not quite got there. My old bonnet did it while I was working on the car, gust of wind caught it and flipped it, scratching it all to hell and back on the driveway - I was not amused - but not a FBC job. Did you retrieve it OK, much damage?

[steve bain]

yeah no problem, was only doing 60 or so and it appears to have landed flat and slid. I think i did more damage to my tyres by slamming the brakes on! luck is on my side as i carbon wrapped it but did a really rubbish job so at some point i intend to buy a polisher and do the whole car so the carbon wrap was sacrificial to save the gelcoat. What was more amusing were the people walking past who didn't bat an eyelid, like it was an every day occurance or something!

Currently it has some really old rusty flip over type clips (original from 1990 i guess) so i have treated it to some black spring type ones. in my mind the springs will always keep tension, whereas clips have the potential for a loose spot.

Also took it for its first trip to work today. It appears that it is invisible. women and child stepped out in front of me, van cut me up and 2 people pulled out in from in just 10 miles!

I did see another westy and he waved which was really cool.

[Captain Colonial]

The flip over ones are OK, as long as you have some R-clips to hold them shut, which no one seems to know about or remember, they stop the clips opening. I finally found out about them and all is OK now.

It is quite a moment though, seeing the bonnet depart from your car like the stage of a rocket, lucky it didn't hit you or the windscreen or the car behind you. No one batting an eyelid sounds about right, typical Brits, they have an opinion but enjoy it silently in case the victim (you) gets out and smacks them.

Yes, your pride and joy is stunningly invisible, I know what you mean there, I avoid motorways like the plague and have a good loud horn installed. You quickly assume no one can see you and drive in full paranoia mode, which is no bad thing, really - see them and assume you're driving a silent B-2 Stealth Bomber.

Anyway, here's your prize for joining the FBC:

[steve bain]

Brilliant! I will add that to my empty signature now I'm actually quite proud of myself!

My only memory is seeing the underside of the bonnet and thinking, 'westfield really should make the inside smooth too'. My second though was a very strange one. 'shall i leave it?' strange the way the mind works.

[chris7273]

Great sticker... I had two failed attempts but it will happen sooner or later

Can you send me a good resolution image so I can print my own sticker ? Thank you

[steve bain]

ha! if you get one printed can i buy one? i'm actually quite proud and funny story to boot.

[Captain Colonial]

Here's the biggest version I can make:

And here's the link:

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/7536/badge1o.gif

[M444TTB]

My car is in the club, but thankfully before my ownership. I'm leaving getting a new bonnet until I've got it firmly into my head to make sure it's on properly!

[Dibby]

Not had a bonnet go but on the old Robin Hood a wheel arch flew past the wife's head nearly clobbering her in face. She wasn't best pleased with the near decapitation

[marcusb]

My bonnet flew off somebody elses red westfield, then I bought it off fleebay and repaired it

[steve bain]

this does not fill me with confidence! ha!

[chris7273]

Nice ! Thank you Captain

There is an option to order stickers (or other goodies) from the website http://www.says-it.com

I will check if they are willing to ship outside the USA...

[housebeautician]

Had the bonnet of my old mk 2 cortina come up and wrap it self over the roof.

Could not see much but when i pulled up in the kerb, i had stopped by a bus stop full of people and none of them said a word as i jumped up and down on the bonnet to flatten it out a bit just so i could close it

[Dibby]

That reminded me of an uncle's bus story when we were talking about the most embarrasing moment of our lives one Christmas..

He drove trucks for a living and one day driving an empty rubble waggon when he had to stop to answer the call of nature. He thought he'd pull over in a lay-by, climb into the trailer to relieve himself onto his shovel and wang the offending contents into the bushes. As he was going he got the distinct impression he was being watched, looked over his shoulder to find the traffic had built up and there was a double-decker bus full of school kids peering over the side of the trailer watching him take a crap on a shovel.