Hello, my name is David. Welcome to my blog. There is nothing I like more than hitting the open road and going for a drive in my car. I have always loved everything to do with automobiles. When I was a boy, I had a collection of 208 different toy cars which I would play with all day long. As soon as I was old enough, I began taking driving lessons and the day I passed was the best day of my life. Although I am not a mechanic, my dad taught me lots of neat tricks so I can keep my car in top condition. I hope you enjoy my blog.
If you are restoring an old car to use it as a race car, you should keep special points in mind when choosing a new bonnet. Here are some ideas to consider. Ultimately, the type of bonnet you select depends on your objectives and personal preferences:
1. Consider a custom made bonnet.
If you want your car in pristine condition, mirroring the way it looked when it rolled off the factory floor, you may want to look for a bonnet made by the original manufacturer. However, if you want a bonnet that works more effectively for racing, you may want to talk with a metal fabricator about creating a bonnet for you.
2. Leave room for a larger engine.
If you decide to have a metal fabricator make your bonnet, choose your engine first. As you are using your car for racing, you may decide to put in a more powerful engine with more cylinders. That may require a bonnet with more clearance than the original bonnet.
3. Think about extra features.
When you customise a bonnet, you can add all kinds of extra features to it. You could ask the fabricator to add vents so that more air circulates through the engine, helping it to keep cool. You can also customise raised bits, grooves and other embellishments.
4. Opt for lightweight metal.
In addition to custom shapes, you should also think about choosing unique types of metal. In particular for racing, you may want to slim down your ride by having the bonnet made of aluminium rather than steel. Alternatively, you may decide to work with a fiberglass fabricator to commission a fiberglass bonnet rather than a metal one.
5. Talk with the fabricator about designing custom bonnet supports.
Regardless of which material you select for your bonnet, you need to make sure that you have implements to hold it open when you are working on the engine or changing the oil. If you opt for a heavy bonnet, for example, you may need to have hydraulic struts on each side to hold it up, but a single strut may work for a lightweight bonnet.
Alternatively, in other cases, you may need special implements to hold the bonnet in place as you drive. Namely, you may want to consider pins to lock the bonnet in place whilst driving.
For more ideas on customising a metal bonnet for your restored race car, contact a metal fabricator. They can advise you on everything from metals, to designs, to special rust-resistant coatings.
Share18 August 2016
