[ariesonu]

This may also interest you.
I did on my restored Fiat, though more for aesthetic reasons.


Regards-Sonu

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by ariesonu

This may also interest you.
I did on my restored Fiat, though more for aesthetic reasons.

Regards-Sonu

I was following your thread on the 'other' forum. I had even suggested you use the Palio alloys, remember?

I've already ordered Sparco hood pins. Though I realise that replacing the hood lock is enough, it's for my peace of mind.

[Doge]

Did any security guard asked you to pop the hood open to for his security checks? I remember I went to some hotel where they were checking for explosives under the hood. Moronic guard didn't lock the hood back and I noticed that the next day in the morning.

[kkg]

The same thing happened to my BIL when he was going to mussourrie and the car was not a TATA but a one year old Maruti Dezire. So It is harsh to say that this happens in TATA cars only.In his case he was travelling with his wife and two year old son on two laned highway, all of them very fortunate that nothing bad happened. The repair was done in two days flat under insurance in MASS.

Opening the bonnet in place of fuel lid is also possible but in cars like micra and sunny because both the levers are foolishly placed side by side.

[The Rationalist]

Originally Posted by schakravarthy

I've ordered these:
http://www.sparcousa.com/product/hood-pin

Hi schakravarthy, where will these be positioned, outside the bonnet, or inside? Pardon if this is a stupid question.

[ALTIMAed]

This reminds me of an incident that happened way back in 1985. My mother, sister, our driver and myself were driving from Ajmer to Jaipur in our Ambassador Mark IV - MMG 1357. Before we left Ajmer, the driver checked all the fluids subsequently gave the green signal 'all is well'. Those days the Ajmer Jaipur road was a single track road. The drive to Kishangarh was smooth, the driver at the wheel. I then requested him to stop as I wanted to drive. Took over the wheel, all the variables that could affect a drive were perfectly normal.

After a while I had to overtake a bus, checked for oncoming traffic, the road was arrow straight, could not see an oncoming vehicle as far as I could see and started the overtaking procedure. I must have been at about 80 kmph (pretty high for road conditions those days), as the front left door of our car was close to the front right wheel of the bus, I heard a loud 'boom', the windshied covered - the engine hood had popped open, I could see the road just through a thin vertical vision way created between the edge of the open hood and the A pillar. My left vision (where the bus was, was absolutely blocked). As this happened, I heard the sound of pressure brakes of the bus being applied. From his perch, the bus driver saw the hood opening and applied brakes to let us come to the correct lane of the road. I shouted to our driver who was seated on the front passenger side to check for the egde of the road on his side and guide me towards it. Thank God, we managed to stop the car and all of us were safe. The bus stopped behind us, the bus driver, conductor and couple of passengers came to us to check if we are ok. I profusely thanked the driver for stopping the bus which enabled us to get to 'safe ground'. Damage to the car - just a dent on the top edge of the roof above the windshield. Indeed a lucky escape!

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by Doge

Did any security guard asked you to pop the hood open to for his security checks? I remember I went to some hotel where they were checking for explosives under the hood. Moronic guard didn't lock the hood back and I noticed that the next day in the morning.

As I said earlier, I was the last person to have touched the hood.

Originally Posted by kkg

So It is harsh to say that this happens in TATA cars only....
... The repair was done in two days flat under insurance in MASS.

Yes, it can happen to any car.

Well, my car has been with the Bodyshop fellows for almost two weeks now.

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

Hi schakravarthy, where will these be positioned, outside the bonnet, or inside? Pardon if this is a stupid question.

No question is stupid.

Here's a nice thread that details the install-

http://www.spyderchat.com/forums/sho...s/17341?page=1

[Anand3553]

This is extremely scary and Sir, you have tremendous presence of mind to come out unscathed. Most of the people would have just slammed the brakes.

Did you check the bonnet lock after the accident by any chance? Just trying to understand if it was a lock failure of something related to quality of the metal used.



Thanks
Anand

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by Anand3553

Did you check the bonnet lock after the accident by any chance? Just trying to understand if it was a lock failure of something related to quality of the metal used.

Aah.. And now we are on slippery ground.

All I can say is, let me get the car back after the repairs. I can answer your question better then. Sorry.

[vinayrathore]

Scary is an understatement, that too while you were in the middle of an overtaking maneuver.

This has happened with me twice during my collage days, once with my Gypsy with a misaligned lock being the culprit. Secondly with my then recently restored Millicento again the culprit was the same. Thankfully none of the incidents resulted in any damage other than the hinges.

Regards
Vinay

[apachelongbow]

I am not sure but aerodynamically speaking, wouldn't the airflow pressure actually hold down the bonnet instead of popping it open? Considering this horrifying possibility happening in any car, its best than the bonnets be mandated to open reverse, like the 118 NE, that way the bonnet cant pop up open anytime without cause.

[SunnyBoi]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

its best than the bonnets be mandated to open reverse, like the 118 NE, that way the bonnet cant pop up open anytime without cause.

Bonnets opening from the front needs the front lip to be very strong. That unfortunately is very bad / fatal / lethal for pedestrians and hence was phased out.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by SunnyBoi

Bonnets opening from the front needs the front lip to be very strong. That unfortunately is very bad / fatal / lethal for pedestrians and hence was phased out.

I remember such bonnets in my youth. I was wondering why they were not found any longer, and thought maybe it was something to do with reduced access to engine. The real reason didn't occur to me. Thanks for the enlightenment! It certainly makes sense.

[paragsachania]

And Incidentally the only instance where I noticed the bonnet fly open and hit the windscreen was an Indica (Again a TATA Car) between Belur and Hassan.

The car was driven at 80-90 kmph speeds ahead of me and those who are regular on this road know of the nasty speedbreakers, which apparently this car failed to notice at night.

Next thing I see is the car unsettling a bit followed by the bonnet opening.

The driver pulled over while I parked behind him with my hazard lights and walked up to enquire if everything was OK. There was a family driving from Sringeri to Bangalore with kids. We checked the tension with the release cables and the spring mechanism of the latch and put the bonnet back.

I then advised him about 2 more locations of these speedbreakers and asked him to follow me and I would turn my Hazards on everytime I passed one.Drove together till the next 20 kms and dispersed.

[CarNerd]

Wow Tata wow! The "Flying Bonnet" is a terrific feature to have! Is this standard or optional? Or is it Tata's way of cooling the overheated engine? If this happens in America, the owner would become a millionaire I guess!