mk 1 bonnet dilema

[Woodster]

Help!

I bought a mk1 camper a couple of weeks ago and have been happily tinkering and removing some of the more 'innovative' electrical modifications that the previous owner had installed. One of these was an electrical bonnet catch, which I had disabled to stop the battery discharging through it. I'd propped the bonnet up so the catch didn't work while I was waiting for a new bonnet release cable to come through the post. Now with a new cable and an appointment to look at the clutch, one of my neighbours has responsibly closed the bonnet and it's jammed shut. And the battery is dead.

Is there a cunning way of popping the bonnet open from the outside or am I going to have to go at it with a crow bar?

It's a bullnose by the way and I don't want to savage it very much as the bodywork is in reasonable condition.

Thanks

[welshrussell]

Something like this happened to me

Bonnet up, cable detached, wind blows, bonnet closes - gutted

My MK1 is a flat nosed, so I don't know if the mechanisms are the same - mine had a hole and spring mounted along the top centre of the front grille.

What I did was lie under the van on my back, with my head directly under the radiator, stretch arm up and try to feed a piece of string through the end of the springy release arm and pull.

Worked for me - but tricky as hell trying a one handed knot lying on your back

Hope my suggestion makes sense

[popuptoaster]

stick a jump lead on the heavy cable on the starter motor or alternator, both should go direct the the live on the battery and an earth one on the chassis somewhere from underneath, you should just be able to press the button to open it then.

[Luke]

stick a jump lead on the heavy cable on the starter motor or alternator, both should go direct the the live on the battery and an earth one on the chassis somewhere from underneath, you should just be able to press the button to open it then.

thats what i'd have said but what do you mean by

which I had disabled to stop the battery discharging through it.

unplugged it or something

either way dont go at it with a crowbar mk1's especailly bullnoses are easy to get undone when the cable snaps or comes off you should be able to reach up and lever it open without causing any damage

[Woodster]

Thanks for the advice.

I think I'm going to go down the route as you suggest of finding a way of encouraging the bonnet off. The string solution looks like a goer. It could be worse, it could be dark, cold and raining!

Cheers guys


W