Batten down the hatches

A tricky job were the bonnet catches; apart from the fact you don't want it blowing off at speed,  it's also a large sheet of metal on the front of the car and it needs to look like it fits.

I tried to make a template so I could just drill straight into the sides and bonnet but I wasn't sure how much to allow for the small gap between bonnet and side panel. So I decided to fit the main latch piece and then the smaller keeper piece on the bonnet -  in theory,  that would allow better placement of the 2 pieces.

Well,  as mentioned before,  my drilling abilities are sorely lacking so this whole process took me a while and required a bit of filing to get holes to match:

... But eventually all done and I even managed to get 2 of them straight!

That last pic is deceptive; the rear catch is straight and the front one slightly crooked but not as bad as it looks,  honest! The bonnet seems to be on nice and firmly,  although it's not pulled tight over the scuttle - not sure if I should have made sure of that? However,  I think the slight gaps at each side may help with engine cooling,  acting as rear vents?

My list of bits left is getting shorter:

... but I'm worried I might not be done by May,  in time for Stoneleigh.