43 replies to this topic

[Poppet2]

Just wondered what this was all about, won't the bonnet shut for some reason?

[Midas Mk1]

Ever had a bonnet pop up? Safety catch is there, but this is another / alternative failsafe. + some composite bonnets are single skin only..

 

Also, for the aesthetic, just like people may fit sump guards etc.

Edited by Midas Mk1, 21 October 2016 - 12:35 PM.

[Mk1Dave]

More of a safety thing really. Ever had a bonnet pop on a motorway?

[Poppet2]

Is it common for mini bonnets to pop open then, is it a design fault on minis only?

[slidehammer]

it all stems back from the days of the works rally cars, there is a famous picture of a works mini on a stage with the bonnet open and forced back against the windscreen. It is not necessary for a road car, but as Midas MK1 says it is a looks thing like roll cages in road cars.

[minifreek1]

Iv got straps on my bonnet because I had a bonnet pop on me when joining a very busy motorway... scary as hell, especially for my 6 month pregnant wife...

 

It is for me a safety issue, but also I like the look of them too :)

[Ethel]

I'm sure I've seen an interview about the Italian Job stating the straps were aesthetic to make 'em look more aggressive.

 

Otherwise straps fit the downward facing bonnet edge of a Min saloon better than the more usual pins - on competition cars the bonnet is likely to be a weight saving bit of fibreglass, beefing it up to accept the standard catch would defeat the objective.

[whistler]

I have rubber straps on my bonnet 'because the catch on the radiator end kept digging into my head when under the bonnet. Too much blood spilt.

[Cooperman]

As above, it's a safety thing for motorsport. They are not only fitted on Minis, but on a lot of other classics used in motorsport. Pins are used on cars with flatter bonnet lines, such as the Escort Mk.1 & 2 and the Cortina GT Mk.1.

[johnR]

I haven't fitted straps but when I was driving up through the Alps on a hot day for cooling I needed to pop the bonnet so that only the safety catch was holding it.

Straps would have been useful as a safety measure in this instance.

johnR

[Alex_B]

We fit straps to all our racing cars at work, regulations ask for multiple methods of securing including a mechanical one such as a strap that can't just come undone. I fitted one to my mini because the bonnet pin wound itself out and ended up on the road somewhere on the way to a mini meet, at the event they had some straps for sale so job done! 


 

[mab01uk]

Bonnet straps date right back to the early days of motoring.......like this Bentley below:-

 

[CityEPete]

Renault clios had a problem with the safety catch failing that renault wouldn't admit too, scary stuff.

[idlethumbs]

I think renault admitted there were problems. They used to corrode too quickly so they would seize and not flick over when the bonnet was shut. All clips had a recall for the bonnet latch to be replaced. It was decided by The old equivalent of the dvsa that it was not dangerous enough to send letters as you would a safety recall but was branded as a 'yellow' recall which means it was done foc if the customer complained otherwise it was done automatically on any visit to a main dealer. I'm an ex renault service manager of 4 years.

[Cooperman]

I also have a rubber hook on my boot lid. If I go off backwards and bend the boot lid the boot lock may then not work. It is also common to fit a hook, a pair of hooks or straps onto the bot lids of other classic rally and race cars.