Herald / Vitesse bonnet centre strip fixings

[Colin Lindsay]

I've taken a quite-hard-to-remove centre strip off a Vitesse bonnet to find strange spring clips that I've never seen before. I'm used to the plate-like Herald versions, on the left, below. Are these spring-like versions original to later cars, or a PO-addition?

   

 

[NonMember]

They look like PO bodge alternative to me. I'd expect the one in your first photo.

[ahebron]

It is a clever alternative.

[PeteH]

The ones on the left where fitted to the 13/60 (1970 build) when the strip was removed for safe keeping during the strip out. So I would surmise that a P O had fabricated the alternatives?. TBF, I might even suggest they are a better alternative?. They certainly represent some real lateral thinking.

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

They're interesting but tend to bend upwards so the strip sits slightly off the bonnet. I'll see if they can be bent downwards but if not I'll replace with the more common versions.

[Paul H]

15 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

They're interesting but tend to bend upwards so the strip sits slightly off the bonnet. I'll see if they can be bent downwards but if not I'll replace with the more common versions.

How many clips for the centre strip . Asking for a friend 😁

Paul 

[NonMember]

I think the original spec is only two clips, from memory.

[Colin Lindsay]

Five on both Herald and Vitesse.

[AndyE]

Errm, I'm not sure if I'm being a bit daft, but having bought five new clips to refit my Vitesse bonnet centre trim, they seem to be a fraction narrow and I can't see how the trim will be gripped by the clips.

Is there some sort of trick I'm missing?

[NonMember]

The trim hooks over the spiky end then clips over the rounded end. It should be quite tight. Can you post a photo of the clips you have against the trim?

[AndyE]

Thanks Rob,

Have now got the trim on the car so can't photo.

When I took the trim off previously I was able to pull it off lengthways - pulling from the front of the car - but that was because there was only a couple of clips remaining.

Naively I thought it would go back on the same way but having pop rivetted the new clips - and put them on pointing alternatively left & right - I found quickly that it wouldn't work that way!

So, with them all pointing the same way I found that yes, the way you described it was the way to go. Its not going to come off in the wind, but it is still a little bit loose and I wonder if it might rattle a bit. However with all the other mechanical and wind noises I'm sure that'll be the least of my worries!

Having now twigged how it fits I'm sure I can manage to tweak it better should I have to take it off in future. The paint isn't that great anyway.

Andy