Just use 10mm perspex There is a perspex shop down near me they could nock one up no worries i think they have a massive CNC router set up in there workshop. Some one just make up a CAD file with all the correct dimensions of our bonnet and they will chop it all up
just make a wire frame around the edge and a lot of glad wrap. bonza! the bonnet would be clear, and your engine would stay fresh and tasty! hahahaha, oh if only you shared the wit i have.....
ahahhaahhah but you know the reason it would be clear dont you....because the glad wrap would have melted away so of course it would be clear though it would probably get very smoky so you still wouldnt be able to see anything
Well, Lamborghini have a clear engine cover on the Gallardo, although i have no idea whats its made from.
Doh!!!! Most hatched rear engined sports cars that you can veiw the motor, are made from Glass. Cheers Kerry
firstly yes you can do it, ive seen it on showcars that have a clear bonnet........but they are like a few k....as in 3-5k as to get that clear material moulded to the curves of the zed bonnet, as you know its not a flat bonnet...... i would say go to the next autosalon and ask the guys who have it about it.....
Actually at the 06 detroit motor show, nissan made a concept car called the Nissan Urge, similr size to the 350z and made the top half of the bonnet seethrough: Whole article is here: http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/09/nissan-urge-satisfies-at-detroit
This thread is all well and good but nothing csme out of it.. What if you got a sheet of perspex. Layed it over a 300 bonnet and used a blow torch to heat it up so it would start to go soft over the shape of the bonnet? Same way we bent perspex in shop class... Could even then cut a hole out of the 300 bonnet leaving 15 - 20mm from the edge and place the moulded perspex in the hole.. would need some mounting brackets and a seal but then you can use the bonnets hinges and front clip. Just need to get the perspex hot enough to want to fall against thr bonnet.. but strong enough that I wouldnt melt from the heat of the engine. Unless you only use it for shows
I think what you want would be Lexan; and you would get pinged as soon as you took it on the road. It's not pedestrian safe in case of a frontal crash. This is why C/F and F/G bonnets aren't approved.:zlove:
Incorrect. There's a few fibreglass bonnets getting around on cars here with ADR approval. On the last cruise I went to a guy had a f/g bonnet and adr papers in his glovebox as it's the first thing cops try to ping him for.
I think if you have the underneath skeleton of the bonnet you should be ok. If its full fibreglass/Carbon fibre you might have problems. However I have never looked down this path.
Ive had a bit of experience with high temp clear plastics from that rum of clear radiator hoses i made, and im struggling to see why polycarbonate wouldnt be an option. Its got a glassing point of about 145 degrees, easy to tool and relatively strong.
A lot of these options are starting to sound expensive. So far as I know you cant 3d print anything in a 100% translucent material. But im sure technology will make that available soon. If you had enough resources im sure you could mould the whole bonnet out of glass. Reinforced glass like the windscreen. It will definately be strong enough and it wont shatter in an accident either (you would hope) I think it would look kool to have a 500mm strip of translucent material moulded directly down the centre of the bonnet. Or in the shape of the hump... Need to get Wayne Enterprises to start drawing up some schematics.
I don't know what road rules some of you are referring to? But for RMS in NSW: Plastic Headlight covers are legal provided it does not interfere with the beam of light. You are permitted to have coloured lenses/ covers as long as you remove them when turning on the lights Fibreglass bonnet panels (and any other FB panels are permitted as long it is replacing a bolt on panel) Clear bonnets have been done before in polycarbonate - this is not new, however it requires a plastic injection mould. (Obviously they will not carry an ADR approval given they impact into shards). Whilst they are not ADR compliant per se - there is also no specific rule that states a panel cannot be made of other compounds. So its only half illegal :rofl: Clear fibreglass is not really clear Perspex will not work given its low melting point (it will most likely catch fire!):bash:
