Ok,
My bonnet keeps falling off. I think it's because there's too much of a gap so it just drops down off its hinge. My question is, if a get a big duck off hammer and just make it so there's hardly a gap at all, will I do any damage to anything other than the paint, or will I rip a the weld or something? Gessing it's pretty thin metal? Btw, the hinge bit on the car is completely rust free.

J

That just cannot happen unless one or both halves is completely shagged.

Do both bonnets that you have do that James? If so the hinge on the bodyshell is suspect mate I'm afraid. The bonnet that you had off me shouldn't fall off.

Try some of these?

Yes have done it. Looks like its the bodyshell then. If anything your old bonnet has a better hinge than the one that was already on it.

Well at least it's fixable, as for cost it just depends on where you take it.

our favourite uncle sells the bonnet repait hinge IIRC

Is what you get. I'd suggest that fitting a new hinge panel isn't a good point at which to start doing body work. They're tricky things.

I've seen the hinge come away from the shell, I've yet to see a hinge that the bonnet falls out of. I'm struggling to imagine what is wrong with yours.

I think talk of replacing the panel may be abit extreme. There is NO rust anywhere near it, and it in no way seems bent/deformed/shagged. The problem occurs when you lift the bonnet up: One side, or sometimes all of the bonnet will drop through its slot and onto the little ledge below it. I then slide it back on, close bonnet, open it and exactly the same thing happens. I have tried bending it abit in the past when it has happened and that seemed to work, but its been doing it again these past few weeks. As I said, the problem has happened with two different bonnets on, both of which have reasonably good hinges. Anyway I'll take some pics tomoz. Cheers,
J

James can you fetch it round on Sunday then I can have a look?