I've seen a few posts here about modifications such as wheels, lights, intermittent wipers, exhausts etc. So I thought I'd share my latest go-fast addition

Yes, that's a charity shop belt butchered into a useful bonnet strap. It's not just for show (although admittedly it does look pretty awesome) as I really needed to guard against the bonnet flying up at high speed.
When the car was with my local mechanic sorting out all my gremlims he took it for a test drive without fully closing the bonnet resulting in a frightening sight of a motley piece of orange pressed steel flying towards the windscreen. Fortunately my paint and panel is in less than brilliant shape so any damage caused was hard to detect.
However, he did adjust the safety catch in case one day it should pop open again. Then last week, on a drive in the country at 90kmph the bonnet did actually pop but the safety catch thankfully worked. But now I have two safety back-ups

Very stylish.....beats mine hands down...:worship:

fiat500 said:

Very stylish.....beats mine hands down...:worship:

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To be honest Peter, I was going to buy one just like that but it was available online only which meant postage and I needed it done straight away so I could go on another planned drive into the country later that day. I'm pretty sure the elements will eat it for dinner in pretty short time but I've got my eye out for a cheap - actual real leather - belt as an upgrade.

Fayray said:

t day. I'm pretty sure the elements will eat it for dinner in pretty short time but I've got my eye out for a cheap - actual real leather - belt as an upgrade.

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The real old cars from the early part of the 20th century, which do proper racing or rallying, always have big, thick, leather straps; sometimes all the way around the bonnet.

In a way, they do actually make you go faster because they take away the bonnet-lifting risk

Mrs W would be happy for one of these to be fitted since the bonnet flew up on her mid last year...…….She's not drove the car since...…...

The Whitakers said:

Mrs W would be happy for one of these to be fitted since the bonnet flew up on her mid last year...…….She's not drove the car since...…...

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Yes, I've had it happen before with another car and it's not fun. When it popped last week on a drive it was a butt clenching moment and I was so relieved that it didn't fly open. And as Peter says, the new strap gives confidence that it won't happen again meaning top speed can be achieved. I'm sure one of these devices would have Mrs W behind the wheel again in no time.

What do you call high speed ?

phoenix1 said:

What do you call high speed ?

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From personal experience, if insecure, the bootlid will lift at about 35mph, which is the same speed at which it starts getting tricky to close the sunroof whilst on the move. Woe betide that both things are loose at once.

phoenix1 said:

What do you call high speed ?

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I was doing about 50mph (Fiat 500 definition of high speed) on a straight country road when it popped up (held by the safety catch...just). It's the first time it has happened and hopefully the last (as we know, no man can fit a bonnet strap without then saying "that's not going anywhere")