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Internal bonnet latches for a Fury?

dickie b - 28/8/13 at 07:41 PM

Evening all

The time has come to secure the bonnet of my Fury (pre-IVA).

I don't really want to use the rubber overcentre latches or aerocatches - but rather internally mounted latches from a production car for a smooth external look. These would operate using a cockpit wire pullcable / mechanism.

Has anyone done something similar using used parts?

Would need to be lightweight with a degree of adjustment - a latch on either side is the idea here.

Any advice welcome here before I start trawling through ebay for something suitable !

Cheers
Richard

cerbera - 28/8/13 at 08:03 PM

Not quite what you've asked for, but in case you don't find anything suitable. I have dzus style fasteners on my bonnet which I think gives a clean look.

Description

MsD - 28/8/13 at 08:29 PM

I'm in the same boat and the best catches I've seem are just a plain swing lock. I'm.struggling for space in the engine bay to mount a catch/ bracket.

Cerbera- how did you find a dzus fastener that had a long enough shaft?

Mark.

dickie b - 28/8/13 at 08:55 PM

Thanks Cerbera - Yes have considered using dzus as a very neat option .

Are they a fiddle to use , needing a lot of lining up? I guess once one is hooked on the rest are all aligned?

If you can advise on size/spec that would be great thanks !

clairetoo - 28/8/13 at 09:11 PM

When I first built mine I used a pair of catches with a cable release - took ages to sort , but was well worth it .
I used THESE CATCHES and made my own brackets and cable setup .

cerbera - 29/8/13 at 06:17 AM

quote:
Originally posted by dickie b
Thanks Cerbera - Yes have considered using dzus as a very neat option .

Are they a fiddle to use , needing a lot of lining up? I guess once one is hooked on the rest are all aligned?

If you can advise on size/spec that would be great thanks !

quote:
Originally posted by MsD
Cerbera- how did you find a dzus fastener that had a long enough shaft?

They are not too bad to use/lineup. There are brackets on the sills that hold the recepacle for the dzus and these go through slots in the return edge of the bonnet which helps with the lining up.

Unfortunately I didn't build the car so cannot help on the spec, but can take some closer pictures of the installation, along with a ruler to help with the scale, if you wish.

dhutch - 29/8/13 at 06:25 AM

quote:
Originally posted by dickie b
Thanks Cerbera - Yes have considered using dzus as a very neat option .

Are they a fiddle to use , needing a lot of lining up? I guess once one is hooked on the rest are all aligned?

For me the main issue is that they need a tool to undo them. I have them on my nosecone, which works well, but wouldnt have them for a bonnet. Cant help on the bonnet front as my car uses non-IVA safe overcenter latches.

Daniel

FuryRebuild - 29/8/13 at 07:20 AM

I did exactly what you're asking on mine. I used TVR bonnet catches which are a plunger through a spring loaded striker plate affair. To fit you need to bond a bracket onto the bonnet at either side at the right height for the plunger to penetrate through the side pod and through the striker plate you've bolted to the underside of the side pod. Then you need a pair of forex extinguisher cables to pull the striker plate slider to release the bonnet. It worked and was discrete.

When I crashed it and trashed the bonnet, I went onto flush fitting aero catches for their lightness and simplicity. They will take paint so you can make them look quite flush. I've never looked back.

I did have cables come loose and catches stick which meant some deft work from underneath with a long screwdriver to undo the tvr system so I struggled with reliability and it was a faff.

[Edited on 29/8/13 by FuryRebuild]

DH2 - 29/8/13 at 08:26 AM

Do bear in mind the failure mode of internal catches. I shredded the skin on my forearms in the middle of Wales trying to release a friends Fury bonnet that had cable release internal latches - had to reach in down the sill next to a hot exhaust.

DH2

Bluemoon - 29/8/13 at 09:12 AM

quote:
Originally posted by dhutch

quote:
Originally posted by dickie b
Thanks Cerbera - Yes have considered using dzus as a very neat option .

Are they a fiddle to use , needing a lot of lining up? I guess once one is hooked on the rest are all aligned?

For me the main issue is that they need a tool to undo them. I have them on my nosecone, which works well, but wouldnt have them for a bonnet. Cant help on the bonnet front as my car uses non-IVA safe overcenter latches.

Daniel

You can fit the duz tool on the car keyring, the tool can be a disk of metal of the right diameter and thickness.. I like the Duz fasteners will be easier to fit and lighter than cable operated catch. Duz fasteners are a pain to fit but a lot less difficult than a proper catch, if you fit them correctly they are simple to use but not as simple as a cable operated catch..

Dan

brycheiniog - 29/8/13 at 09:22 AM

Having had an internal bonnet catch jam on a Fury I would think long and hard about how you are going to gain access to the engine bay if something goes wrong. We ended up having to cut an access hole in the top of the passenger side pod so a friend with thin arms could squeeze a hand past the silenced to get a spanner on the back of the nuts holding the catch on.

All this was done in a hotel car park only a few days after a clutch change so there was a pressing need to check fluid levels..

Bluemoon - 29/8/13 at 09:29 AM

Thinking about it using two cable catches is asking for trouble as I guess you will have more chance of failure and the cables may stretch different amounts over time causing one catch to fail to undo... Just a thought.. Production cars only ever seem to use one cable catch.. (and after significant development time!)..

scimjim - 29/8/13 at 10:21 AM

As long as you have an unobscured straight run under the scuttle between the two catches, you don't need to use cable, you can use a coat-hanger sized rod. The Scimitar SS1/SST/Sabre has this arrangement (with a bellcrank above the pedals and a cable to the release handle) and I've never seen one fail - and these are 20-30 year old cars. Let me know if you want any photos - I have a spare assembly somewhere (as well as the bonnet mounted catches) if you want.

dickie b - 29/8/13 at 12:25 PM

The scimitar arrangement sounds interesting ; rather than a joined cable then two pull rods, each accessible behind the door hinge in the Fury's scuttle section.

Some pics would be very interesting to see - thanks in advance .

Cheers
Richard

DH2 - 29/8/13 at 12:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by brycheiniog
Having had an internal bonnet catch jam on a Fury I would think long and hard about how you are going to gain access to the engine bay if something goes wrong. We ended up having to cut an access hole in the top of the passenger side pod so a friend with thin arms could squeeze a hand past the silenced to get a spanner on the back of the nuts holding the catch on.

All this was done in a hotel car park only a few days after a clutch change so there was a pressing need to check fluid levels..

Still got the scars...

scimjim - 29/8/13 at 12:51 PM

here you go - release cable assembly (30) connects to bellcrank (33) which pulls rods (40 & 41) to release catches (24 & 25).

dickie b - 29/8/13 at 09:33 PM

Thanks for the info - really useful food for thought here and good to hear the experiences & pros/cons of the various set-ups.

The other option are using the aerocatches but mounting them flush (without the mounting frame surround and boltheads exposed) so all that can be seen is the latch handle itself.

That might be a subtle but reliable solution , but got to say that the dzus fasteners do look neat.