Flush fit bonnet pins

[joesgti]

isnt the idea of having these to elimate the center catch??

[RedRobin]

isnt the idea of having these to elimate the center catch??

....Their principle purpose is to more securely hold the bonnet closed and especially in a track racing environment where cars often 'nudge' each other and a flex or impact can open a bonnet or tailgate because the oem catch isn't up to it.

On a race car (or Hurdy's/JonnyC's) where you may want to reduce weight, the oem bonnet catch and whole release mechanisms would be removed in a strip out. The down side of oem catch removal is that anyone can open the bonnet from outside the car but race cars aren't usually accessible by the general public so no need.

Yes, the AeroCatches do look nicely 'racey' imo but I have had two instances of oem bonnet catch problems and one could have been very expensive indeed. So it provided justification/excuse for the mod.

[joesgti]

isnt the idea of having these to elimate the center catch??

....Their principle purpose is to more securely hold the bonnet closed and especially in a track racing environment where cars often 'nudge' each other and a flex or impact can open a bonnet or tailgate because the oem catch isn't up to it.

On a race car (or Hurdy's/JonnyC's) where you may want to reduce weight, the oem bonnet catch and whole release mechanisms would be removed in a strip out. The down side of oem catch removal is that anyone can open the bonnet from outside the car but race cars aren't usually accessible by the general public so no need.

Yes, the AeroCatches do look nicely 'racey' imo but I have had two instances of oem bonnet catch problems and one could have been very expensive indeed. So it provided justification/excuse for the mod.

but you still have the OEM catch? 

[RedRobin]

I have had two instances of oem bonnet catch problems and one could have been very expensive indeed. So it provided justification/excuse for the mod.

but you still have the OEM catch? 

....Yes. Both my problems were being unable to close it so it remained closed - The AeroCatches will override that problem.

One option I could have done was to use key lockable AeroCatches and remove the oem system but I felt it would be more tedious and I didn't like the look of the keyholes showing IIRC.

[No-fear]

I like the stepped grill mod NeilM, how did you go about it?

Osir parts galore, looking the mutts nuts.

Congrats on the balls to cut the bonnet yourself.

Did you apply superglue the edges of the carbon fibre to prevent the carbon spliting?

[RedRobin]

.
As Saint Steve pointed out in another thread:

Eyebrows!

[RedRobin]

I'm still very pleased with mine and am in the habit of opening them first before releasing the OEM bonnet catch from inside the car.

[ianv5]

Where do you mount the pins to? Also do you think it would be an issue cutting a standard metal bonnet?

[scopes]

Good Point as to where the pins go, do the lights get in the way?

[RedRobin]

Where do you mount the pins to? Also do you think it would be an issue cutting a standard metal bonnet?

....No more of an 'issue' than cutting into a carbonfibre bonnet. The key is to mark it up accurately and cut with care and patience.

Good Point as to where the pins go, do the lights get in the way?

....No, when you next open your bonnet you'll see potential fixing locations which are not too close to the headlight units.

I'll see if I've got some pics later to help.

[scopes]

Where do you mount the pins to? Also do you think it would be an issue cutting a standard metal bonnet?

....No more of an 'issue' than cutting into a carbonfibre bonnet. The key is to mark it up accurately and cut with care and patience.

Good Point as to where the pins go, do the lights get in the way?

....No, when you next open your bonnet you'll see potential fixing locations which are not too close to the headlight units.

I'll see if I've got some pics later to help.

Cheers Robin,
I have seen them & thought, thats where to put them, but on the next thought, the lights would have got in the way there...Due to the pin length!

[RedRobin]

^^^^
Okay, whereas the further forward that AeroCatches are fitted, the less leverage any wind/airflow will have to force open your bonnet, the anchor pin bolts obviously need to avoid the headlight units. At the same time, the other important consideration is what part of the car you bolt the anchor pins to. The bonnet slam panel is steel and sufficiently substantial. So I have fitted mine more or less in the same position as Neil. The difference is aesthetic in that I have dissected the angle between the bonnet edge and bonnet crease which meet in a 'V' at the front edge.



^ Dissecting the angle and marked out for cutting.



^ Angle dissected so aesthetic lines lead into the point of the 'V'.



^ There is no clash with the headlight units (OEM Xenons in my case).

An alternative would have been to use one of the twin OEM Torx positions to fix the AeroCatch pin through the slam panel to the steel car body itself (shown red in my case). But perhaps this is where it may have necessitated shortening the AeroCatch pin to avoid the headlight unit. This isn't possible on the passenger side with a Twintake installed because one of the Twintake's intakes uses the two OEM Torx fixings.



^ I had to avoid my Forge Twintake.





^ Best to have a little movement in the anchor so that the male AeroCatch mechanism can ease into the pin's female opening.
Rather like.... Let the Gentleman Sausage meet the Lady Garden gently.

I have chosen to retain my factory fitted bonnet catch in addition to the AeroCatches and am in the habit of always releasing the AeroCatches BEFORE releasing the OEM bonnet catch from inside the car. This avoids putting undo strain on the AeroCatch mechanisms.

[Mk5 GTian]

They look sick. You know theres a serious engine under the bonnet when you need pins to hold it down! 

They look wicked! (I'm a bit too old to use the word 'sick' unfortunately!)

[dadangerman]

i wouldnt have the bottle to do that. but good work the final result looks nice and subtle