Beyond the hood canopy, frame, and fasteners, several individual components play an important role in the hood’s fit, seal, and operation, and these are the items most commonly needed when fitting a new hood or addressing specific issues with the existing setup.
Header Rail & Seal
The header rail spans the full width of the hood at the front and latches to the windscreen frame via two over-centre head catches. The rail is available as an individual replacement item and should always be inspected before ordering a new hood, a worn, corroded, or bent header rail will prevent correct sealing regardless of hood quality. Old rivet heads from previous hood replacements accumulate inside the rail channel and should be shaken out before refitting. The header rail seal and its retainer strip are secured by pop rivets and should be renewed whenever a new hood is fitted, or earlier if the seal has hardened, split, or lost its flexibility.
Header rail pads sit between the rail and the windscreen frame to cushion the contact point and should be renewed if compressed or missing. The windscreen head catches differ between pre-1971 chrome-finish and post-1971 satin-finish types, corresponding with the change from grey to black hood frames. They are secured by screws and spring washers and should engage positively with the windscreen frame, worn or maladjusted catches are a common cause of the hood lifting at speed or failing to seal at the front.
Back Bar & Retainers
The back bar sits at the rear of the hood canopy and locates into the hood retainers on the rear tonneau panel. The retainers are screwed to the panel with cup washers and should be checked for security whenever the hood is removed or replaced.
Tonneau Covers
Full and half tonneau covers are available in Club vinyl, OE quality vinyl, Double Duck, and mohair, with full tonneau covers in versions for RHD and LHD, with or without headrests, and for chrome and rubber bumper cars. The half tonneau, sometimes referred to as the hood stowage cover, covers the folded hood and passenger side only, and is available for folding frame cars from 1963. Padded mohair hood covers are available for owners who want a sleeker folded appearance. Tonneau support rails that give the cover its correct shape are available as a pair with a stowage bag.