Metal bonnet

Adrian E · Post by **Adrian E** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 8:18 pm

My old p2 valver had a metal bonnet ('92) - story I heard was that they ran out of plastic ones towards the end of production and it was cheaper to run off a batch in metal than get more plastic ones made

May well just be a story, mind.....

Post by **Tim Leech** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:55 pm

When I did the BX back to back feature the TXI had a metal lid, weighted about 3 times of the GRP one when opening.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 11:17 pm

as well as earth straps the GRP lids also had a wire mesh inside the soud deadaning, which i belive reduced the RF escapping from the HT,

regards malcolm

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue Oct 26, 2010 12:14 am

TXD has a metal bonnet, TZD has a grp one

electrokid · Post by **electrokid** » Tue Oct 26, 2010 11:13 am

I heard... it was cheaper to run off a batch in metal

I wondered if it was a cost issue - maybe something to show the manufacturers of the grp version that they couldn't jack up their prices too high without losing the contract to supply.

Mike E (uk) · Post by **Mike E (uk)** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:27 pm

I agree with Citronut, the supression of radio interference from the HT circuit will be far superior than with the plastic lid and that ropey bit of chicken wire.

I don't think safety is an issue, the bonnet is not structural.

The advantage of the plastic item must be lack of rust and much lighter weight.

Sound reduction is best achieved by adding wadding under the bonnet. I would expect the metal version to be a bit quieter because of its extra mass.

I'll choose the plastic thing every time.

jacksun1987 · Post by **jacksun1987** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 10:50 pm

I think its becase. The Estate s had metal bonnets. To strenghthen the car. Thats why the easte didnt have a sunroof. To flemsy, I think it was all to do with wieght saving. And a bit of safty, Thats why the hatches had sunroofs. Estates didnt

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:19 pm

Sorry Paul, not the case. Some estates had accessory tilt-only sunroofs fitted. The standard hatch sunroof didn't fit the estate roof especially with its 'step'. Nothing to do with rigidity. Neither plastic or steel bonnets (or even if they were made of carbon fibre or titanium for that matter) contribute at all to structural integrity... and as for weight-saving, well there's no arguing with the fact a steel bonnet is heavier, but as these bonnets appear on hatches, estates, petrols and diesels, it doesn't seem a deliberate aim. More to do with a manufacturing experiment, maybe.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:49 pm

I thought that in another exact same thread a year or 2 ago, the conclusion was that there is no pattern to what was fitted, so the only conclusion is that they fitted whatever was available, hence some are steel & others are grp.

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:52 pm

MULLEY wrote:I thought that in another exact same thread a year or 2 ago, the conclusion was that there is no pattern to what was fitted...

Yep. Seems so.

Post by **docchevron** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:32 am

nope, they did it all quite on purpose in the knowledge that in 20 years time a load of weirdo's on a car forum would try and suss out WTF was going on with the bonnets!

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 7:20 pm

docchevron wrote:nope, they did it all quite on purpose in the knowledge that in 20 years time a load of weirdo's on a car forum would try and suss out WTF was going on with the bonnets!

True dat

Post by **Defender110** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 7:24 pm

docchevron wrote:nope, they did it all quite on purpose in the knowledge that in 20 years time a load of weirdo's on a car forum would try and suss out WTF was going on with the bonnets!

electrokid · Post by **electrokid** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 8:55 am

nope, they did it all quite on purpose in the knowledge that in 20 years time a load of weirdo's on a car forum would try and suss out WTF was going on

Possibly the same reason for the enormous bundles of green wiring behind the dash then

KevR · Post by **KevR** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:12 am

electrokid wrote:
Possibly the same reason for the enormous bundles of green wiring behind the dash then

No, that was just to make 2CV owners feel at home!