Hello from New Zealand
Does anyone have photos/documentation regarding replacing the hood on an OTS? I especially need photos of the tack rail.
It has been nearly 4 years since I have started this restoration. I put the hood tack rail in a 'safe' place and now have no idea now what it looks like, what type of wood it is and size etc.
Cheers
Francis
OTS Hood Series 1
#3
As for replacing the hood, I chickened out & have got Hutsons to do mine. Last time I tried to fit a hood (to a Triumph Vitesse) I got it too tight and the doors wouldn't shut !!! :?
Neil
1962 S1 OTS
1967 S1 FHC
1962 S1 OTS
1967 S1 FHC
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#4
Hi Francis,
A set of instructions can be found online here (http://www.xke-lovers.com/ragtop.htm) and may be helpful although less than fulsome on the process of actually fitting the wooden tack strip.
I fitted a new hood on my '62 about 4 years back. I was determined to do as much as I could on the restoration myself. I used an off-the-peg hood from Aldridge/SNGB (Aldridge make the trim kits sold by SNGB, or at least did back then) and sourced the tack strip from SNGB as well.
If I recall correctly, the wooden tack strip (which comes in three pieces as shown on the ebay link) sits on the outside of the bodyshell in its groove and is retained by a suitable number of self tapping or wood screws coming through from the inside of the bodyshell. Sandwiched between the wood strip and the metal of the outer body should be a strip of interior trim vinyl which in turn then folds over the edge of the body tub and drapes down inside the cockpit to cover the painted edge along the rear of the interior and hide the screw heads. This flap is then covered over along its bottom edge by the two long thin strips of vinyl-trimmed metal which fit either side of the interior lamp and trim the upper vertical section of rear bulkhead.
Expect to spend many happy hours with a Dremel or similar tool getting your wood strips to fit the groove. The instructions I point out above suggest using a wood putty as an alternative - I've not tried this.
The rear of the hood is stapled or tacked onto the tack strip, and the tacks/staples hidden by the chrome trim strip along the back edge of the hood.
Having said that, fitting the hood was perhaps the most difficult task I undertook myself on the restoration and I would not do it myself next time.
The quality and fit of the hood really makes or breaks the finished job. I managed an OK fit, but not an outstanding one. In the end I called in an expert (CMC) to refit the hood, and the result was a lot better than I could manage (and perfectly acceptable for a car intended to be driven rather than shown) but still not as good as it would have been if I'd gone a better route from the start.
There are two aspects to getting a perfect hood fit. First, the skill and experience of the fitter. But second, the fit of the hood itself to the car. The Aldridge/SNGB hood was very well made and of excellent quality materials, but it simply wasn't quite the right shape for my particular car - it was just not quite wide enough across the top and so the fit to the door windows is compromised and the fitter can't do anything about that.
CMC remarked that their preferred approach is simply to tailor-make each hood for each car so they get a perfect fit - Savile Row bespoke vs off-the-peg, I guess.
So my advice would be to bite the bullet and incur the extra cost to have a tailored hood made and fitted for your car, rather than use an off-the-shelf one and fit it yourself. The only other area of trim where I'd say the same is trimming the seats - everything else is easily DIY-able.
A set of instructions can be found online here (http://www.xke-lovers.com/ragtop.htm) and may be helpful although less than fulsome on the process of actually fitting the wooden tack strip.
I fitted a new hood on my '62 about 4 years back. I was determined to do as much as I could on the restoration myself. I used an off-the-peg hood from Aldridge/SNGB (Aldridge make the trim kits sold by SNGB, or at least did back then) and sourced the tack strip from SNGB as well.
If I recall correctly, the wooden tack strip (which comes in three pieces as shown on the ebay link) sits on the outside of the bodyshell in its groove and is retained by a suitable number of self tapping or wood screws coming through from the inside of the bodyshell. Sandwiched between the wood strip and the metal of the outer body should be a strip of interior trim vinyl which in turn then folds over the edge of the body tub and drapes down inside the cockpit to cover the painted edge along the rear of the interior and hide the screw heads. This flap is then covered over along its bottom edge by the two long thin strips of vinyl-trimmed metal which fit either side of the interior lamp and trim the upper vertical section of rear bulkhead.
Expect to spend many happy hours with a Dremel or similar tool getting your wood strips to fit the groove. The instructions I point out above suggest using a wood putty as an alternative - I've not tried this.
The rear of the hood is stapled or tacked onto the tack strip, and the tacks/staples hidden by the chrome trim strip along the back edge of the hood.
Having said that, fitting the hood was perhaps the most difficult task I undertook myself on the restoration and I would not do it myself next time.
The quality and fit of the hood really makes or breaks the finished job. I managed an OK fit, but not an outstanding one. In the end I called in an expert (CMC) to refit the hood, and the result was a lot better than I could manage (and perfectly acceptable for a car intended to be driven rather than shown) but still not as good as it would have been if I'd gone a better route from the start.
There are two aspects to getting a perfect hood fit. First, the skill and experience of the fitter. But second, the fit of the hood itself to the car. The Aldridge/SNGB hood was very well made and of excellent quality materials, but it simply wasn't quite the right shape for my particular car - it was just not quite wide enough across the top and so the fit to the door windows is compromised and the fitter can't do anything about that.
CMC remarked that their preferred approach is simply to tailor-make each hood for each car so they get a perfect fit - Savile Row bespoke vs off-the-peg, I guess.
So my advice would be to bite the bullet and incur the extra cost to have a tailored hood made and fitted for your car, rather than use an off-the-shelf one and fit it yourself. The only other area of trim where I'd say the same is trimming the seats - everything else is easily DIY-able.
John '62 S1 OTS (now sold)
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#5
Hi Neil and John
You have been most helpful thank you very much. I am certainly getting it tailor made. I purchased all the materials from CMC except the wood. I want to get as much information together for the auto trimmer.
Do you by any chance have a website link regarding the inside upholstery?
Regards
Francis
You have been most helpful thank you very much. I am certainly getting it tailor made. I purchased all the materials from CMC except the wood. I want to get as much information together for the auto trimmer.
Do you by any chance have a website link regarding the inside upholstery?
Regards
Francis
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#6
The guy who did my hood recently uses fanbelt rubber to replace the tacking strip; says it moulds better and otherwise does the job well.
Andrew.
881824, 1E21538. 889457. 1961 4.3l Mk2. 1975 XJS. 1962 MGB. 1979 MGB.
http://www.projectetype.com/index.php/the-blog.html
Adelaide, Australia
881824, 1E21538. 889457. 1961 4.3l Mk2. 1975 XJS. 1962 MGB. 1979 MGB.
http://www.projectetype.com/index.php/the-blog.html
Adelaide, Australia
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