Bonnets and Boots

I got over my obsession with finding hood hinges quickly by finding a great pair from Tom's Import Toy Sales. Now I don't have to try to fix mine, which are salvageable but I'm getting tired of having to fix stuff.

So I installed the hinges and proceeded to attach them to the beautiful bonnet I bought.  That was not fun by myself.  However, I figured out that since I have no pedals installed, the opening where they go gives great access to the hinges on each side.

With the hinges installed, I thought it would take care of the alignment that I was concerned about... but it didn't.  The hood has too much of an arch, like 3/8".  It looks like it bulges up in the middle, though it doesn't.  It's nice and straight and everything, but it just doesn't fit my car.

I was bummed.

So I got out the bounce house bonnet (the orange one) and installed it instead.  It fits really well, actually.  But it would need a lot of help to make it pretty.

So on to Bonnet #3, the one I bought years ago and found was rusted out in the front.  I had played with repairing it last year and while it's not perfect, it would be fine with a little filler to smooth out the front.  But that's not important right now.  What is important is that it fits pretty well, too.  Not perfect--there's about 1/8" of a "bulge"--and the front is a bit low, like 1/8"--but I think it is the best of the lot.  (Bonnet #4, the one original to the car, is just too trashed in the front to be usable.  But it haz parts I needz.)

Here's what It looks like...

 

I also got a new trunk seal and worked on getting the boot lid to fit properly.  I am very happy with the result.  It fits way better than before.

 

Do you know what this means?  It means that all the panels that came off the car are back on the car.  It's hard to believe but I'm almost ready to make things pretty.