Convertible hood

[Bry]

Travelling slowly along the other day in our little moggie convertible suddenly the hood lifted off! Pulled in and just folded it down and went on home. The following day I looked at it and could see the one catch was worn and the thread on the other side butterfly nut was stripped. When putting the hood back up it wI'll no longer come all the way down to meet the windscreen but I cannot see the reason why. Has anyone else experienced this.?

[Declan_Burns]

Bry,
Yes been there and bought that T-Shirt! It is a very frightening experience to say the least. I was lucky in that the boot light took the brink of the impact! Other than that no major damage and I was doing about 50 MPH when it happened! It scared me ''..itless"!
You will find that one or more of the metal struts on the hood frame has bent-most likely the one in the middle. A "relatively" easy fix-but fettling involved. Buy some flat steel profile in the DIY and replace it. You will have to drill out the rivets to remove it and replace using dressed coach bolts and nylocs. Replace the hood butterfly bolts, pins and inserts.
Even 10 years on I still check, double and treble check that the butterfly and all other bolts are tight when the hood is up in the winter.

Regards
Declan

[ManyMinors]

As Declan says, it is very unlikely that the hood frame is undamaged. The frames are not easy to repair although it can be done.....The alternative is a new hood frame The hood assembly is only secured by those 2 wingnuts so it is essential that they are in good order AND that they are engaged and tightened firmly.

[Bry]

Thanks for that guys. I will look into a new frame.
Annoyingly it was a new replacement when the car was restored a few years ago
Bry.