Steel long bonnet choices and experience

[Gary71]

My original long bonnet is toast, so time for a new one. Not interested in glass fibre/carbon/alloy.

There are a number of options in steel, although I do struggle to believe there are four sets of aftermarket tooling...

Porsche OE circa £2k
Restoration Design £1.2k
Dansk circa £1k
Retro Line £0.8k

I know from experience on other panels that OE doesn’t always mean it fits, but with a bonnet being next to impossible to rework it has to fit first time.

Has anyone used the options above and have experience either way if the OE part is worth double the Dansk?

Cheers
Gary

[coomo]

the bonnet doesnt fit.The other panels have to fit to the shape of the bonnet.Today in fact,Barry told me even the OEM bonnets are bowed too much.Ive got one for £400 if you want it.does require minor fettling,and had pins fittted.I presume Dansk.Only as ive gone carbon.Resto design is likely a Dansk.Their wings are.

[Gary71]

the bonnet doesnt fit.The other panels have to fit to the shape of the bonnet.Today in fact,Barry told me even the OEM bonnets are bowed too much.Ive got one for £400 if you want it.does require minor fettling,and had pins fittted.I presume Dansk.Only as ive gone carbon.Resto design is likely a Dansk.Their wings are.

Thanks, I appreciate everything has to move to the bonnet, not a problem as I’m starting from scratch anyway. It was the overall shape, size & quality I was asking about.

Cheers for the offer on the bonnet. Is it reasonably new without rust or filler? I don’t want to add any prep time to the cost or I may as well buy new.

[coomo]

the bonnet doesnt fit.The other panels have to fit to the shape of the bonnet.Today in fact,Barry told me even the OEM bonnets are bowed too much.Ive got one for £400 if you want it.does require minor fettling,and had pins fittted.I presume Dansk.Only as ive gone carbon.Resto design is likely a Dansk.Their wings are.

Thanks, I appreciate everything has to move to the bonnet, not a problem as I’m starting from scratch anyway. It was the overall shape, size & quality I was asking about.

Cheers for the offer on the bonnet. Is it reasonably new without rust or filler? I don’t want to add any prep time to the cost or I may as well buy new.

Yup no rust no filler.couple of creases thats all

[911GP]

Hi Gary,
I remember Chestertons telling me that the Porsche bonnet I bought was pretty poor and wavy. Limn Historics also said it needed a lot of prep prior to painting. I think you can buy the same quality, if not better, for a lot less money.
Kind regards
Gitesh

[Gary71]

Hi Gary,
I remember Chestertons telling me that the Porsche bonnet I bought was pretty poor and wavy. Limn Historics also said it needed a lot of prep prior to painting. I think you can buy the same quality, if not better, for a lot less money.
Kind regards
Gitesh

Thanks Gitesh, This is the guidance I’m after.
If the OE part still needs loads of prep then it saves nothing on the paint side so doesn’t justify the cost.
Part of me suspects they are all from the same tool anyway!

[911hillclimber]

Might not be relevant...

I have a real steel bonnet, just surface rust on the top skin (it is in thin primer, no paint), otherwise sound, had it for about 25 years standing inside against the garage wall.

When I repainted my 911 22 months back with new Dansk wings I removed the glass bonnet and trial fitted this steel one. It was miles out in general bow to the edges of the wings esp the OS wing, I thought it too long to align to the front indicators etc, and I decided to put it to rest again in the garage.
My 25 year old Autofarm glass bonnet fitted the wing lines 'perfectly' but miles better than the original steel one, so that is painted and on the car again.

What does Barry think?

[Gary71]

Barry hasn’t tried Dansk so can’t advise unfortunately. I’ve also had a message from a guy at Historika that they use Dansk as although it needs prep it less than the OE parts that are a soft pressing down the centre feature.

Seems Dansk is the price/quality compromise. Let’s hope it’s not buy cheaper(er) buy twice.

[Gary71]

I should know by now it’s always worth asking the OE price question directly first rather than taking the OE price from third party websites...

£1145 delivered to my door.
Easy decision

[coomo]

£1145.Thats not too vicious.Let us know how it fits/doesnt etc.Would be nice to have an unbiased opinion, on the fitment of OEM current/latest panels.

[Gary71]

Realised I never finished this thread.

Well, it fits. I don’t know if the Dansk one doesn’t but the OE one does.




Look at that fit

It’s so light without a ton of filler and the underbody coating on the inside it won’t stay closed with the struts connected

Minimal paint prep will also save cash overall

[coomo]

Jobs a good un,as they say.Looks nice and snug.Just gotta make the horn grills fit now!

Joking mate.Looks lovely

[graybum]

Thanks for posting this Gary. I’m in a similar quandary, as the paint shop who have my 912 have found some poorly repaired previous damage on the bonnet when they’ve stripped it back. I’d instantly dismissed the OE panel, as it’s advertised at over £2400 from third party sellers. Can I ask where you ordered from to get the price you mentioned?

[Gary71]

I bought it from Porsche Wilmslow. About 10% discount if I remember correctly

[graybum]

Thank you!!