Bootlid Installation

[mogul_x]

All,

I'll probably be installing the bootlid on my Hawk in the near future, and had a couple of questions, as usual.

1) Lock installation

Specifically, has anyone fitted a Beta glovebox lock to a Hawk bootlid with the reinforcing spar? Does the spar require cutting to accomidate the lock retaining clip, and if so, does anyone have a picture of their installation? Just trying to get an idea of what the cutout should look like, so I will only have to cut once.

2) Hinge installation

The build manual says to cut holes in the rear bodywork for the hinges, such that rainwater will drain into the engine compartment rather than the boot. Unless I'm wrong about where the hinges attach (a distinct possiblity) it appears that there is no way to avoid a potential leak into the boot. Again, does anyone have a detail photo of how the hinge interacts with the drip rail along the bootlid opening? I'd like to make sure that I'm putting the holes in the right place.

Any input would be welcome....

Thanks,

[guy mayers]

1. The strengthening spar withing the boot lid has to be opened up in order to fit the locking plate. It's just a question of experimenting until it is the right size really, start small and keep removing material until it's big enough to slip the clip into place. The trick is to make sure that hole in the top surface is the correct shape first and then the inner spar can be ground away until the clip fits. I just then used body filler to reinforce the gap created betwen the spar and the underside of the boot lid. If anyone wants to photograph this to post onto the site just ask me at Stoneleigh!
2. This is another really fiddly job to do neatly. The back of the boot intersects the rain channel in the middle. By drilling carefully through the rear half of the bottom of the channel you should end up on the engine side where the fibreglass is smooth, on the gel coat. Thus any rain that falls into the channel drips into the engine compartment and not the boot. Next there is a large amount of material that has to be removed from the inner edge of the channel to allow the hinge to lay flat. The return edges on the hinges should face away from the mounting surfaces.

When I built my car I ended up with fairly large holes in the bottom of the rain channels but once I had finalised the hinge positions this was tidied up with filler.
Ok, you will notice that there is a trimline around the edge of the boot aperture that is lower than the surface of the rear deck. The bootlid should be fitted in a recessed position and not flush with the top surface. If you don't fit it this way you will probably find that the rear edge of the lid fouls the bodywork even before painting! The return edges will probably have to be ground back, another fiddly job! Roughen the edges with sandpaper and use a compass/pencil to mark a line parallel to the top surface to cut back to so that everything is neat.

There are a couple of alternatives, install an electric boot release (with an emergency cable back up) to avoid fitting the bootlock and make an aluminium replacement bootlid which is much stronger and less likely to sag if not allowed to cure properly.
Guy

[chris.richard]

Scott, I'll email you some photos.

[mogul_x]

Just one, I think. Started fitting the hinges to the boot lid last night, and noticed that there was a gap between the plate of the hinge and the surface where it attaches to the boot lid. It's being caused by the area around the pivot pin contacting the inner surface of the bootlid before the mounting surfaces touch.

I had planned on just putting some shims between the hinge and the boot lid to make up the difference. Any problems with this, or is there a better way?

Thanks,

[roger001]

I used large diameter washers

[chris.richard]

Picture, eventually!