Carrera 3.2 G50 to '67 lightweight 911R

[RobFrost]

I decided to start a thread for my 1988 backdate. It's more of a "member's car" thread than restoration as the car was backdated 10 years ago and is in pretty good shape, having only done about 10,000 miles since.

The paperwork shows a full engine rebuild, all the rust cut out, and a lot of lightweighting work - fibreglass panels, lightweight carpets and interior, air con removed, heater backdate etc. It was a Paul Stephens concept, a "lightweight R" and featured in Porsche & 911 world. It goes like a rocket as you would expect, and is a joy to drive. You can't go out without people complementing the car. Interior is black with houndstooth, reproduction bucket seats, RS style doors.

I imported it from Jersey as a car to drive while I work on the orange 911T.



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[RobFrost]

Recently had a bit of a catastrophe with the bonnet popping up while driving. I had closed it, but clearly not well enough, and there must be a defect with the backup catch. I couldn't bring myself to look at the damage until today. The corners of the bonnet are bent up, bulkhead dented, paint cracked, hinges bent and the central chrome air ventilation grille bent back.


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[RobFrost]

I cut a paper template for the bonnet edge, cut out a wooden dolly and planed it convex to the correct curvature based upon the other 911 bonnet.





Then I cut a dolly of matching curvature but concave for the other side...



...and clamped the bonnet corner in-between the two to get it back to straight.

Imagine my joy when I realised I would have to remove the bonnet struts, a job I've done not long ago. Offside isn't too bad, but nearside is character-building without removing the petrol tank filler neck.



It took me about an hour to get the bonnet open because the rear edge was fouling the bulkhead. Lifting it off with no help required a lot of care not to damage the paintwork.

The hinges are bent and will need removing in order to repair. It's not clear yet how these come off, but reality on the car doesn't appear to match the manual.



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[RobFrost]

The bonnet had always been hard to shut. A closer examination revealed the rubber seal around it was in upside-down. The thin flap was underneath and the thick part of the profile on top. It makes sense to have it the other way up so the thinner flap can bend under pressure of the bonnet, and it leaves a channel on top to carry water to the front. So I reversed the seal. Maybe it'll close better afterwards. Not sure how I'll replace the bonnet and get it all bolted back onto those hinges single-handed though.

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[PeterK]

Hinges bolt to each inside of structure with 3 M8 bolts.

Life is easier with the tank removed, but …….. you did ask ……..

Get yourself a broom. Place cloths on the rear corners where the bonnet will sit. Balance the bonnet on your head and position it with the rear corners on the cloths. Use the broom to support 1 side as you move from the front of the car, around the side and along the wing. Loosely fit the 2 bolts that hold the hinge to the bonnet. Repeat on the second side. Then adjust (it can take a while with the bonnet to hinge and hinge to car combinations)

[RobFrost]

Using the broom as a bonnet stay?

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[coomo]

Give it to a good bodyshop.The bonnet looks as though it will go again.(Unless its bowed) However, if you start hammering and bashing in the wrong places, you
may render it unusable if you stretch areas that shouldnt be.Soon as those bent hinges are removed its "start again" time.That plus the likelyhood of the bonnet
mounts not being square and the myriad of other deflected areas, that you may not even have seen will render you welded to the car for weeks.
Giving a partially repaired car to a body guy,despite good intentions is not gernerally welcomed.Unless of course your a body guy yourself, and intend to do a complete job ill shutup.

[PeterK]

Using the broom as a bonnet stay?

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Yes

[DustyM]

Using the broom as a bonnet stay?

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Yes

Be careful. The broom / bonnet stay thing doesn’t always end well. I have scars to prove it!


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[RobFrost]

It turned out the hinges were as per the manual. I was looking in the wrong place for the bolts to the bodywork. After a bit of careful work with a hammer and vice, the hinges came up good and straight. Before:



And after:

[RobFrost]

After sanding, it being a cold day I gave both the paint and the parts a good warm-through with the heat gun before priming, painting and setting to dry in the house.







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[RobFrost]

I got the bonnet corners pretty good but there's no access to the back so I'll have to get a pdr kit and glue to the surface to pull out the very slight dip that remains.



The paint's cracked on the bulkhead so sadly it'll need painting. I'm going to get some levers in behind once the hinges are back on and push up from the back.



One side I was able to do without the hinge to lever against, but there's no hiding the cracked paint.





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[RobFrost]

These rivet type M5 nuts weren't up to the job of holding the catch to the bonnet in my view.





so I made a 3mm thick captive plate, welded two M6 nuts to the back and cut threads through the plate too.



I welded a new bearing plate to the underside of the bonnet to hold the plate captive and to bear the catch. I had to keep it swimming in water so as not to damage the paintwork 3mm away. I'll find out when I turn the bonnet over whether that was successful.



Primed it up and painted the backs before plug welding. Filled all the seams with polyurethane seam sealer - overpaintable in 30 mins it says.







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[RobFrost]

I bent this keep back down to its correct position where it wouldn't release the hook easily.



I tested the new catch which is difficult to release now all is in its correct place. I'll either extend the hook so the bonnet lifts higher or weld something to the hook, making it easier to reach.



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[911hillclimber]

Good moves forwards Rob, those nut-serts are very weak and in thin steel...cr@p.

I think I would weld an extension to allow easy finger acces.