Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

I've been thinking of getting an aftermarket bonnet but seeing as how CF bonnets are illegal and cost approx. $1000 I was thinking ..isn't it possible to modify the stock factory metal bonnet ?

I mean surely panel beaters, welders (ie people working with metals) can modify something as simple as a bonnet? I have an r34 gtt and would like to mod my bonnet to look like this (mins those silver rings..wtf are those anyway?) http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3361/img5083mv8.jpg

How much do you reckon modding the stock bonnet to look like the one above would cost? Painting is about $400-500 only ..

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/221240-modifying-a-factory-bonnet/
Share on other sites

actually, looking at it again, any fiberglasser should be able to rig something out for you, he should be able to just slap the muld on probly cost about 100$-200$ and they you get it resprayed.

(obviously more technical then that :blink: )

Edited by Timeb0mb

I was thinking more along the lines of cutting the middle welding on the vent like in the photo above from metal ..so that it all remains metail. But if fibre glass can be made to look good and be resprayed than that's probably not a bad idea either as it's probably a lot cheaper.

I've been thinking of getting an aftermarket bonnet but seeing as how CF bonnets are illegal and cost approx. $1000 I was thinking ..isn't it possible to modify the stock factory metal bonnet ?

Sure its possible.....but its also illegal so keep that in mind if you worried about legality.

well just recently I was at a shop with a few cars that had CF and FG bonnets and they all looked like crap...none was fitting properly - seemed like they bent out of shape for some reason (too much time in the sun or somefin?)

Anyway, I just don't like the idea of a cf or fibreglass bonnet .. plus they're illegal. Why would a slightly modified stock bonnet be illegal ???

Not a big fan of the z-tune either .. seems like everyone's getting one nowadays anyway. I'm after a more subtle one like the one pictured in the opening post. Any panel beaters who could give me a rough estimate?

If you want that vent in the middle, and make it functional, it will involve cutting straight through the reinforcements on the bonnet, thus making it illegal. Talk to Blitz Body kits and Custom Carbon. I think both of them (Blitz for sure) can supply you with 100% ADR approved fibreglass (possibly carbon fibre) bonnets.

I think the bad fit would be bad workmanship more then having it sit in the sun 2 long

the subframe is still intact. the centre hole you see in that bonnet is behind the two main beams that run from the rear corners to the bonnet hinge. the section that runs directly back is still there just painted mat black and is hardly noticable through the mesh unless you actually look directly at it.

as for the one of the air filter it is the skin only cut and not a issue at all.

never assume anything. it makes every one else look good.

Anyway, I just don't like the idea of a cf or fibreglass bonnet .. plus they're illegal. Why would a slightly modified stock bonnet be illegal ???

Seems a fair few people are misinformed about the ADR's relating to this stuff.

Ok they can be illegal in a couple of ways...the first is as per others have mentioned above...any cutting or modification of the support frame underneath is illegal. What no-one has mentioned is the fact that ANY hole/vent in the bonnet that faces the windscreen (meshed or not) is illegal.

If you have a look at the earlier evos and wrx's that had holes in the bonnet (not the intercooler vents that face forward) they are actually blocked off.

Yeah I am not actually fussed about making it a functional vent .. my car's never gonna make that much power for me to need a vent there :woot: I'm just after the look as in http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3361/img5083mv8.jpg

The gtt's just look bloody weak from the front compared to a GTR and I reckon a nice bonnet, as long as it's legal would change that quite a bit. I just don't wanna waste money on a complete aftermarket bonnet if the stock one can be midly modified to look like that one above. Do you reckon a panel beater could cut the stock bonnet and make it look exactly like http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3361/img5083mv8.jpg without screwing with the reinforcements ??

If it can't be made exactly like the one above without cutting the reinforcements, I'd be up for a bonnet 'bulge' of some sort too ..similar in style and simplicity as that car above ( like on V8s etc

Edited by Delta Force
Seems a fair few people are misinformed about the ADR's relating to this stuff.

Ok they can be illegal in a couple of ways...the first is as per others have mentioned above...any cutting or modification of the support frame underneath is illegal. What no-one has mentioned is the fact that ANY hole/vent in the bonnet that faces the windscreen (meshed or not) is illegal.

If you have a look at the earlier evos and wrx's that had holes in the bonnet (not the intercooler vents that face forward) they are actually blocked off.

i dont mean to put holes in your statement(excuse the pun) but if the 1987 walkinshaws are allowed rear facing bonnet vents i highly doubt its illegal.

plus the fact if your engines at that much risk of grenading and throwing up oil the MOT will be more concerned about the oil you dump on the road then the oil that sprays up your windscreen.

Yeah it actually is illegal, 1989 inception I think (dont quote it just seems to be in my memory) Its due to chemicals comming out of the bonnet onto the windscreen to block your vision.. IMO bullshit but hey I guess it has some truth.

Anyone ever had a plexiglass bonnet made? that would be kewl

I must add in nsw

Edited by DECIM8

Personally i'd try getting a CF bonnet (that was legal/engineered to be legal) because it's only a little extra money after all the chopping and spraying. It looks great and it's light.

Sure its possible.....but its also illegal so keep that in mind if you worried about legality.

That's the first thing my brain thought.

it cost me shit all to get a ztune vent moulted into my standard gtr bonnet

PICT0003.jpg

not really the best photo.. but you get the picture..

Ouch! That's hot! :ermm:

Anyway, I just don't like the idea of a cf or fibreglass bonnet .. plus they're illegal. Why would a slightly modified stock bonnet be illegal ???

Yeah it's already been answered. Basically cutting up the bonnet diminishes the structural rigidity of the bonnet. In a head-on collision the bonnet would crumble much easier.

You say you don't want CF Bonnet as they are illegal.. but so is modifying your existing bonnet and you still wanna do it :S

sounds like you want the cheapest option regardless of illegal..

however there is places that sell ADR approved FG bonnets.. and out of coincidence that bonnet in the pick is ADR approved in FG..

www.dmdtheimage.com DMD sell them.. i'm getting one soon.. they are around the corner from where i work and they look great..

Yeah I am not actually fussed about making it a functional vent .. my car's never gonna make that much power for me to need a vent there :/ I'm just after the look as in http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3361/img5083mv8.jpg

Having a vent that doesnt vent? Watch out for the 'rice' police. You know who you are. :wave:

Edited by NRV155

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • I think the concept is highlighting the various scenarios where thicker oil helps, and thicker oil potentially doesn't help and only generates heat and costs power, in turn for safety which isn't actually any safer (unless you're going real hot). If anything this does highlight why throwing Castrol 10w-60 for your track days is always a solid, safe bet. 
    • Jason should have shown a real viscosity vs temp chart. All the grades have very little viscosity difference at full operating temperature.
    • Oops... I meant to include the connector  view... BR/W - power from fuse L/W - motor negative to fan control amp (and off to HVAC pin19) OR/B - PWM signal (from HVAC pin20) B --  ground  
    • Yep, if you are applying filler it sounds like there is something wrong with the body lol. Safe to assume there is going to be a lot of sanding going on if your still applying fillers.  Picture a perfect bare metal panel, smooth as glass. You lay down your primer, it's perfect. (why are you going to sand it?) You lay down the colour and clear, it's perfect. No sanding at all took place and you've got a perfectly finished panel.  You won't be chasing your tail, sounds like you were prepping to start laying filler. If your happy with the body after the sanding, there is some bare metal exposed and some areas with primer, no issues at all, start laying the filler. You are safe to lay filler on bare metal or primer (of course check your technical data sheet as usual for what your filler is happy to adhere to).  This isn't a 100% correct statement. There is primer that is happy to adhere to smooth bare metal. There are fillers that are happy to adhere to smooth bare metal. Just make sure you're using the right materials for the job.  Typically if you are using filler, you would go primer, colour and clear. I've never seen any instances before where someone has laid colour over body filler (maybe this happens, but I haven't seen it before). So your plan sounds pretty normal to me. 
    • I don't think there's any way someone is push starting this car.. I honestly can barely move it, and moving it and steering it is just flat out not possible. I'm sure it is, but needs a bigger man than me. I have a refurbished starter now. The starter man was quite clear and consise showing me how nothing inside a starter really should contribute to slow cranking, and turned out that for the most part... my starter was entirely fine. Still, some of the wear items were replaced and luckily it didn't show any signs of getting too hot, being unfit for use, etc. Which is 'good'. I also noticed the starter definitely sounded different, which is a bit odd considering nothing should have really changed there.... Removed and refit, and we'll pretend one of the manifold bolts didn't fully tighten up and is only "pretty" tight. GM only wants 18ft/lb anyway. I also found a way to properly get my analog wideband reading very slightly leaner than the serial wideband. There's Greg related reasons for this. The serial output is the absolute source of truth, but it is a total asshole to actually stay connected and needs a laptop. The analog input does not, and works with standalone datalogging. Previously the analog input read slightly richer, but if I am aiming at 12.7 I do not want one of the widebands to be saying 12.7 when the source of truth is 13.0. Now the source of truth will be 12.65 and the Analog Wideband will read 12.7. So when I tune to 12.7 it'll be ever so slightly safer. While messing with all of this and idling extensively I can confirm my car seems to restart better while hot now. I did add an old Skyline battery cable between the head and the body though, though now I really realise I should have chosen the frame. Maybe that's a future job. The internet would have you believe that this is caused by bad grounds. In finding out where my grounds actually were I found out the engine bay battery post actually goes to the engine, as well as a seperate one (from the post) to the body of the car. So now there's a third one making the Grounding Triangle which is now a thing. I also from extensive idling have this graph. Temperature (°C) Voltage (V) 85 1.59 80 1.74 75 1.94 70 2.1 65 2.33 60 2.56 55 2.78 50 2.98 45 3.23 40 3.51 35 3.75 30 4.00   Plotted it looks like this. Which is actually... pretty linear? I have not actually put the formula into HPTuners. I will have to re-engage brain and/or re-engage the people who wanted more data to magically do it for me. Tune should be good for the 30th!
×
×
  • Create New...