Bonnet alignment

[Peter Naulls]

Hi Colin,

It looks as though your radiator shell needs to move across slightly towards the nearside. This should centre the starting handle and help to align the rear edge. The cowhorn brackets will hopefully have slotted holes to allow them to slide across slightly.

I spent many fun hours tweeking the new rad on my special last year!

Peter.

[Colin Wilks]

Thanks everyone. I did wonder if there had been some damage. The car was restored some years ago and the PO reinstalled the original engine prior to sale, so everything may have been moved around a bit. There's a core plug on the front of the block needs doing and the hoses are shot anyway (a sound like scrunching paper when you squeeze them), so I think I may just strip the radiator out and its surround and go from there. The cowhorn brackets are the bits I'm not sure about adjusting, but the new year will reveal all. I shall report back.

[Nick Turley]

Thanks everyone. I did wonder if there had been some damage. The car was restored some years ago and the PO reinstalled the original engine prior to sale, so everything may have been moved around a bit. There's a core plug on the front of the block needs doing and the hoses are shot anyway (a sound like scrunching paper when you squeeze them), so I think I may just strip the radiator out and its surround and go from there. The cowhorn brackets are the bits I'm not sure about adjusting, but the new year will reveal all. I shall report back.

I am sure it is just an adjustment job Colin as Duncan suggests. 
The front end can be pesky in this regard.

[Steve Berg]

Colin, I also think it's just a case of alignment. The bonnet is off my Nippy at the moment, I'm just refitting the radiator after an extensive engine job, so I can't see what the fit was like before. I do recall that the space between the radiator and the scuttle is fairly "generous" and I would juggle the bonnet sides a bit to center them while closing.
I should have it all back together in the next couple of days. Then I can say more.
Your doors fit well!!

[wild_willy]

I have just adjusted the gaps on my Nippy bonnet after some body repairs. Like yours my bonnet didn't fit particularly well. Loosening the front headlight stays and radiator shell fixings allowed the adjustment that was required. The bonnet itself has quite a range of fore aft adjustment using the 2 hold down fixings. I also found the original equally spaced holes for the bifurcated rivets that hold the rear rubber down.
Good luck.