Bonnet Beatin'

[jimsKE10]

Hey all, so recently I was driving my corolla and had just pulled off the highway (thank ʞ©$ɟ) and my bonnet latch failed and it flipped up and there is a crease / bend in the top left of the bonnet. First of all does anyone know what the going rate is for something like this? and secondly does anyone know a reliable and good panel beater that would do the job well for me? I live in Brisbane so anywhere around that area would be nice.

Before :thumbsup:

 

After :down:

 

Cheers.

[CorollaFan]

Just be sure to do somthing to secure the bonnet better so it dosen't happen again, i had 2 ke11's that the same thing happened to. Definitely not much fun driving with bonnet covering your windscreen.

[67Rolla-Ken]

Man that sucks! Are you both saying the bonnet latches failed, or weren't latched properly?

 

I've gone to drive off before and realized I hadn't shut the bonnet properly. Scary when you only have one catch!

[jimsKE10]

Nah bonnet was down fine I just don't have the second latch on my car at the moment. So usually if it failed the second latch would hold it. Sad times :( I have bought a second latch and it will be going in asap haha.

Edited December 14, 2014 by jimsKE10

[CorollaFan]

Yeah bonnet was definitely down properly and 99% certain saftey catch was working, pretty sure one of the times it happened was when i hit a big pot hole, dunno why the saftey didn't hold it though. If i had another one i would put like bonnet pin type thing with a short bit of metal rope from the rad support to the inside of bonnet somewhere so it couldn't happen. Bonnet's were hard enough to find 15years ago let alone now.

[jimsKE10]

yeah man haha so I have heard, I am just pretty happy that it didn't crease in the middle :)

[Jono.C]

That's a very easy fix. You got lucky

 

You can get butane bottle torches for like $30 at k&d, use that to heat the crease and put water on it to keep shrinking the metal, hammer it flat with a dolly and a tiny skim of filler

 

Most shops would do it in half an afternoon, but labour is generally $100 p/h

[67Rolla-Ken]

Nah bonnet was down fine I just don't have the second latch on my car at the moment. So usually if it failed the second latch would hold it. Sad times :( I have bought a second latch and it will be going in asap haha.

Keen to see how you fit a second latch. I really hate only having one :(

[jimsKE10]

Hey jono thanks for the info, think it will ʞ©$ɟ with the paint though? 67rollaken I'll put up some pics of it up when I do it, but there is a space just to the right of the original bonnet latch which is where I've seen other ke's have a second latch

Edited December 15, 2014 by jimsKE10

[Jono.C]

Yeah it would, But you wont get that crease out without ruining the paint, It'll crack as soon as the metal bends back the other way again

 

Also just do what i do and loop a belt through under the bonnet to somewhere on the rad support. I do it on my cars for drift days etc to pass tech inspection

Edited December 15, 2014 by Jono.C

[67Rolla-Ken]

Stupid question... Jono, how exactly do you use the belt? Do you tie it or use the buckle? Do you wrap it right around the bottom rad support or just the top?

 

I just tried to use a belt I couldn't make it work (it was a very crap belt to be fair).

[Jono.C]

I use a leather one with a buckle, Like the ones old geezers with braces wear. On my ke10 i put it through the 2 holes near the battery in the rad support and i have the belt slipped through the smaller hole and the bigger hole in the bonnet off to the side of the factory latch. It's harder on the ke10 cause it's a little area, but it's super easy on my Celica, It's had multiple drift days etc like that and never once had anyone say anything about it

[jimsKE10]

Hmm might have to look into this belt idea, cheap and effective sounds good to me. I don't really understand how you'd do it though, which part of the bonnet does it attach to?

[lexsmaz]

Not good, but as has been said it could have ended a lot worse when you can't see where you are going !! I'm gathering these don't have a second latch ??

 

What Jono C would be referring to is under the bonnet there is the second skin which will have holes in it & just loop the belt through an appropriate hole ..

 

If you are not a panel beater I would not attempt it, it could quite easily turn to Shit, just pay to get it done or put it through your insurance

[jimsKE10]

Ahh too easy I'll have a look at it now. I think they do, but where it's supposed to go one of the previous owners have just cut the bolts :( quite annoying.