S1 3.8 bonnet mouth shape and dimensions (factory)

[FHC1964]

Hi All

The mouth on my bonnet is not the right shape, seems to be flat at the top and droops down to one side.
This winter I intend to get out the hammers, dollies etc and try and put it right.

Has anyone out there got the original dimensions and the correct shape / form?

Any help is greatly received.

Regards
Mark

[Durango2k]

I know that Chuck from MM has a set of longitudinal shapes, but he won‘t sell or send them (if I understood it correctly).

Then there are the inside parts, the long ducts. There front tips fit neatly inside the curve, so if they are fully „flat“ I would expect them to describe the curvature you need.

Carsten

[FHC1964]

Hi Carsten,

Thanks for your reply, I did ask Chuck but no joy as yet. Think I need to find a virgin e-type bonnet somewhere !

Regards
Mark

[Durango2k]

I think and fully understand that these shapes are some core part of his business.

IF we could ever find a pristine virgin bonnet, we could make some from thick paper, digitize them. Then they could be e-mailed and printed in a local CAD copy shop for some money. Glue the printouts on thick paper, cut, and you‘re in business.

Carsten

[FHC1964]

That's right not easy 50 + years on to find a stock factory bonnet as a reference.

Best
Mark

[Jeremy]

I also recall Martin Robey saying that the sharpness of the various curves and angles on the bonnets deteriorated over time as the original press tools (which were partly rubber he said, and not designed for the escalating production volumes) got more and more worn... So defining what a "correct" bonnet looks like seems like a tricky business to me...

[Heuer]

[FHC1964]

That's exactly right, I only want my bonnets mouth to look better, I'm not in to any concourse stuff, just does not look right

[christopher storey]

Are you judging your present setup with the bumpers and overriders on ? If so, it is often the poor /misaligned fitment of those which make the " mouth" look strange, particularly if the spherical triangle spacers have not been used

[FHC1964]

I have had the bumpers etc off and the mouth is still out, ex US car so lots of filler, I did manage to contact the daughter of the original owner, who remembers her dad running in to the back of another car on the way to school!!! How cool is that? Shame for my bonnet though.

[mooney1el]

I have owned my 1964 Coupe for 48+ years now and can attest that it has not been molested during my ownership. The original 5+ years was one owner, and while I cannot be sure, I was told that the car had not been involved in and accident. If you would like pictures and/or dimensions, contact me via PM and I will try to accommodate. The car did have a full respray during the PO's possession...

Several years ago, I did ask here about the shape of the opening relative to the air intake on the right side. Mine has a "hump" there and I had noticed when viewing XKEData that several cars had the same condition. The pictures I posted in that post probably disappeared with the PhotoBucket fiasco.

Richard Gray
Fernandina Beach, FL

[FHC1964]

PM sent

[pinza]

Hello all,
I am in a similar position to Mark (FHC1964) was last year. We are now working on my bonnet and would love to have the mouth looking right (with the understanding that there are different "rights").
So if anyone has any mouth dimensions at all that they can share with me, then we would appreciate the help.
Thank you in advance,
Glenn

[paulsco]

The bonnet on mine needed extensive reshaping.

A few years ago I was discussing this on Jag lovers and I received these photos.

They are from an unmolested 1.5, which is prior to the larger mouths of the Series Two, so I would think that this shape would be correct for a 3.8 as well.

I think the width of yours will probably already be correct.

The 8" at the bottom is where the mouth is basically flat.






Paul

[pinza]

Paul,
Thank you so much for the photos and lengths. We will put those measurements to good use this weekend and see what we come up with.
Glenn

[wagstefan]

Just one comment:

There are differences between the early welded louvres bonnet and the later ones. The height of the mouth was less and thus the mouth was smaller than on later cars.

I do have an original undamaged early welded louvres bonnet (center section and valance). And I would neet to check, if I have a later one as well. Problem: all are disassembled...