Hi all, here again to seek your combined wisdom. In my ongoing attempts to personalise my +8 I've reached the bonnet strap dilemma in that I don't have one but want one. I like the look of them even though they apparently serve no actual purpose any more but I have been warned against fitting one as despite the posh ones having a sheepskin lining, they can still result in scuffing to the paint work which with metallic finishes ( as is mine ) can't just be polished away. I was thinking that to counter this I could fit Armourfend or such like clear plastic protection to the bonnet in the corresponding area. So whose got them, who has'nt, who likes them, who does'nt. Cheers Steve

Don't do it...............
Armourfend or whatever will have to be wider than the bonnet strap to allow for fore & aft movemen. It's also diffficult round the louvres. Any grit will scratch the paint, so once you fit one, there's no going back without a partial respray. Unless of course it's a dry weather car.
When I went looking for a car, the bonnet strap was a definite nono for that reason.

+1 vote against from me!

go for bonnet straps, but don't bother with mincey defendall etc, enjoy your mog, if some owners want to preserve theirs in aspic that's their choice I haven't got a problem with that either

Defo!
Why put what is little more than an up-market scouring pad against your paintwork?

I don't want to preserve my car- I bought it to drive it and enjoy it but I can't see how not wanting to scrape the sh*t out of a wide swathe of bonnet is being anything other than practical

Still, if there's one thing we can say about every Morgan owner, it's that we all 'mod' the car to suit what we ourselves want so, you pays your money, you takes your choice!

G

A neoprene band stuck to the bonnet with double sided tape would protect it - having given this some thought..............

I love the look of Bonnet straps, particularly on old Bentley Racers. Stops the Bonnet bouncing off of the Hooks, or so they say.

I love them on Morgans as well but they suit lighter colours more than dark. Short Hair Sheepskin looks nice, but probably gets 'manky' in the wet. If you do get one it is best not to over tighten it, apparently.

If the comments about effect on paintwork are a concern then you could always design a quick release attachment so that it could be removed on bad weather or track days . Armour-fend or such like just under the rubbing areas isn't really such a bad idea, is it?

If you want to see what a bonnet strap can do to paintwork.. you should take a look at my racer...

It's a work-horse so it's no odds.. but I'd be well P***ed if it was my pride and joy!

They get the NO vote from me and I would not buy a P&J that had been fitted with one... you'll never match the paint on a re-spray either so it's gonna be VERY obvious that it's been done.

NO +1

I had the sheepskin backed tan leather racing dogs' gonards fitted to my black 44 Sport, this matched the interior hide. My dealer fitted it and when I went back to collect the car. I was shocked to see how short my bonnet had become during lunch hour.
1 hour earlier I had a sleek long front end on my P&J now it appeared to be 2 fat barrels.
Never gave it chance to scuff the paintwork, took it off the same day.