Been there done that! On my bonnet I used two. I believe they were from a
GM vehicle. You have to be carefully about the length and the strength of
the stuts. You can see a picture of the set-up in the next spitfire
magazine issue. Sorry I am in CHina and wont be back this summer so now I
cant give you the strut numbers.
Dayton J. Carpenter, Esq.
President of International Business and Legal Affairs
Foundsoft Science & Technology Group
12 F Office Plaza World Trade Centre Zhejiang
15 Shuguang Road
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310007
China
>From: "Simmons, Reid W" <reid.w.simmons@intel.com>
>Reply-To: "Simmons, Reid W" <reid.w.simmons@intel.com>
>To: spitfires@autox.team.net
>Subject: RE: Hood Prop
>Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 13:13:41 -0700
>
>I have found gas struts which should have sufficient force to lift the hood
>(especially with two of them), however the overall length and the working
>length of the strut must be carefully calculated in order to prevent
>unwanted stresses on the gas strut and mounting points. I may be guilty of
>over engineering at times but having to repair and redesign a poorly
>engineered solution to a problem can be a REAL LARGE pain in the "arss"!
>:-)
>
>Reid
>'79 Spitfire (original owner)
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: David A Templeton [mailto:davidt@opentext.com]
>Sent: Friday, April 07, 2000 12:32 PM
>To: Simmons, Reid W; spitfires@autox.team.net
>Cc: Dave Chu
>Subject: Re: Hood Prop
>
>
>
>I think Dave Chu has the right location, at least from his picture. Is
>this
>location available on the left side as well? I don't know right now, I
>will
>have to check tonight.
>
>Hey Dave, since you have dimensions what is the maximum length of the
>shock?
>What is the compressed length? I am sure with 2 shocks it could lift the
>bonnet. I know for a fact that my bonnet doesn't weight as much as my
>Safari's hatch back and it only uses 2 shocks.
>
>Regards
>
> David A. Templeton
> Open Text Corp.
> Waterloo, ON
> Canada
> N2L-5Z5
> - 74 Spitfire - "Spit-Six"
> - 76 Spitfire 1500 - Parts
> - 95 GMC 2500 Ext LB 4x4
> - 66 Ford Mustang (the wife's)
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Simmons, Reid W <reid.w.simmons@intel.com>
>To: <Jjcousins@ra.rockwell.com>; <spitfires@autox.team.net>
>Sent: Friday, April 07, 2000 2:54 PM
>Subject: RE: Hood Prop
>
>
> >
> > John;
> >
> > Yes, I have been doing a design to use dual gas struts to assist in
>lifting
> > and lowering the hood (bonnet). However, I have not gotten very far yet
>do
> > to many other higher priority tasks (too many projects, too little
>time).
> > The mechanics of it are relatively simple but the precision with which
>it
>is
> > implemented will be the critical area. My hope is that this design
> > modification will greatly ease the operation of opening and closing the
>hood
> > (bonnet) and result in less fatigue to certain components. Currently my
> > target cost is set at well under $100 for the conversion.
> >
> > Anyone have a fairly accurate figure for the free weight of the hood
> > (bonnet)? I REALLY don't want to remove my perfectly fitted one to
>measure
> > this.
> >
> > Reid
> > '79 Spitfire (original owner)
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jjcousins@ra.rockwell.com [mailto:Jjcousins@ra.rockwell.com]
> > Sent: Friday, April 07, 2000 9:53 AM
> > To: spitfires@autox.team.net
> > Subject: Hood Prop
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > My hood prop is shot. Look in Vic Brit catalog...$40 !!! I don't think
> > so.
> >
> > I will look for a used one but...has anyone thought of using one of
>those
> > pneumatic (sp) props they are putting in everything these days
>(hatchbacks,
> > mini-van hatches, trunk lifts, etc) on the Spitfire hood. (bonnet)?
> >
> > It seems like this could be a way to get around lifting-at-the-latches
> > method that rips the fenders to he$^. No?
> >
> > Anyone?
> >
> > -John
> >
>
>
|