{"id":5533,"date":"2013-05-05T22:32:23","date_gmt":"2013-05-06T02:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.monocoque-metalworks.com\/main\/?p=5533"},"modified":"2013-05-20T09:54:42","modified_gmt":"2013-05-20T13:54:42","slug":"donovan-motorsports-aluminum-racing-bonnet-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monocoque-metalworks.com\/main\/2013\/05\/donovan-motorsports-aluminum-racing-bonnet-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Donovan Motorsports Aluminum Racing Bonnet \u2013 Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s vintage racing season already!?! – YIKES!<\/p>\n

Time flies when you’re having fun…\u00a0 We picked up the Donovan Motorsports racing bonnets in December, and I felt like there was “Tons of time” to figure out this aluminum thing.\u00a0 Well, time is running out now – FAST!<\/p>\n

Brian Donovan called about 3 weeks ago to tell me that he has decided to take the 61 car to the Empire State Jaguar Club races at Lime Rock on May 31st.\u00a0 So although we had started to mess around with the bonnet here and there over the Winter, it was a long way from something that could be put back on the car, and it was time to kick things into high gear.<\/p>\n

I will need to devote nearly all of this coming week to this project, and I should be able to get this done in that time.\u00a0 After that, it is back up to Massachusetts to fit the bonnet to the car, and hopefully, we’ll be at Lime Rock to see the repaired bonnet at speed!<\/p>\n

This bonnet is for the “61” car – it is an ORIGINAL Jaguar aluminum racing bonnet that is one of 2 built without any headlamp provisions.\u00a0 I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Yeah, right…” – and to be honest, I had my doubts as well, but after spending this much time with it, I am SURE that’s what it is.\u00a0 The lower valance support members and the rear main support are EXACT aluminum versions of the steel factory pieces.\u00a0 There’s just no way you could make them this perfect without the original presses.<\/p>\n

Brian also has paperwork on the car dating all the way back to the 60’s – including validation that this is an original Jaguar piece.\u00a0 Apparently, this bonnet was challenged by a competitor in 1968, and the sanctioning body certified it as authentic at that time.<\/p>\n

I am doing everything I can to rebuild what is still salvageable, while fabricating new pieces that are as correct as possible.\u00a0 Here are some photos of the project so far – keep you fingers crossed that we can get this wrapped up in time!<\/p>\n