Section : Hoods and Hardtops

New hood torment

Posted By : Damian Pearson, 17-Mar-2004, 12:57pm

Can anyone help?
I am in the middle of fitting a new hood to me 1500 spitfire and have ran into a problem.
I have fitted the back plate to the hood and attached it to the car. Over the past few days I have stretched the hood forward and have achieved what I think is the right amount of tension. The problem I have is that the very last popper on both the backsides will not stretch to fit.
The poppers came already attached to the hood when I bought it. Is their a knack to getting them to fit?

Please Please help,
Damian Pearson.

Followups :

New hood torment

Posted By : Michael Davis, 17-Mar-2004, 01:16pm

Poppers came seperate with my new hood so I was able to fit them where I needed them. I thought this was the normal method but your experience seems to prove otherwise.

Sorry, that didn't help you at all did it
- New hood torment
  
  Posted By : Tim Willis, 17-Mar-2004, 08:13pm
  
  The knack is to fit the poppers yourself in the required position. I have never seen Spit hoods supplied with poppers already fitted.
  Is it second hand or new from a Retailer (has it been a returned item to said retailer?)
  
  Spitfires vary too much from one to another so you really couldn't give a definitive position for the poppers. MGBs and Midgets come with most fasteners already in place but they are much less prone to body sagging etc.
  
  You may find by loosening the three bolts on each side which hold the hood frame that the frame shifts enough to get the poppers on, then retighten the bolts.
  
  Good luck
  
  Tim
  
  Willow Triumph
  - New hood torment
    
    Posted By : Tim Everitt, 18-Mar-2004, 04:43pm
    
    I bought my hood from the TSSC, with poppers already fitted. It all fitted together pretty well, although I did have to keep taking the hood inside to warm it up and allow it to stretch as much as it needed - not a good idea to fit it in cold weather really. If some of the poppers fit, and some don't then I would suspect that they might not be in the right place. It might help to fasten the poppers first - starting at the rearmost - then do the front catches - I always find this works best.
    - New hood torment
      
      Posted By : Chris Mills, 18-Mar-2004, 05:15pm
      
      I can't answer the existing problem but .....
      
      Any one wishing to have a hood fitted and can wait until the " International Weekend " can have it fitted " Free " by a specialist triumph company as we are after cars for a hood fitting demo.
      
      We should be able to do 1 hood each day
      
      Please e-mail me direct if you'd like your hood fitted.
      
      Chris
      
      Event Manager