If this helps, this is how bonnet lifter is on a golf if anyone wants to botch one together themselves cheaply.

What components were used ? Looks good

I'm interested too Jason, but being a tight wad anything under

Well, hopefully there'll be a choice of lifter to use - Still exploring choices but at the moment the VAG lifter looks nice, and if we can get new nice and cheap, the price will drop overall. You tight-wads can nick one off your own boots if you must. :P The trouble with the driver's side is the fact that there's no existing bracket there. There's the gap for it, but the nearside one is riveted in, and its asking too much to supply a kit with rivets to hammer in. Self tapping bolts might work though? Also the bonnet lever cable runs where the bracket would be, but it can just be pushed out the way without any issue. Making a reversed bracket would be easy enough though - Just have to make sure the sticky out bit is on the other side of the pressed mount.

Hoping for more news this afternoon as more R&D is done on the kit tested last night.

Nice one Jason. Good work

The old system like Jason said never worked due to lack of space between the wing and bonnet. Myself and Erik found this out.

Here's a picture of the old failed setup

http://www.jonesj.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Bonnet%20Lifters/slides/000_0256.html

Nice one Jason. Good work

The old system like Jason said never worked due to lack of space between the wing and bonnet. Myself and Erik found this out.

Here's a picture of the old failed setup

Something like that would be ace, looks really good. Shame it didnt work.

Well, initially it will be black and oem looking (identical to the furby boot strut)

However if we can find shiney chromey lifters of the same length and compression distance (and fittings on the end too) then that will be an option. At the moment both me and them have no idea where to source out stainless looking lifters alone. :confused:

I'm in Jason, obviously as long as it's priced sensibly.

The genuine strut is £12.71 Plus Vat ans the Mounting balls are £2.66 Plus Vat.

When I have more time later I'll look up some info on the Polo bonnet ones if that helps.

Hi Stu. I certainly hope its priced OK, ultimately I guess they're not gonna be fussed about the new parts and I hope they'll be passed on at cost, at least. So we're probably looking at £20 materials all in, including washers and a couple of nuts for the other ends of the mounting balls. I don't even know if there is a thread on the end of the mounting balls, but we'll definitely have to use mounting balls with threads, to enable the nut/bolt style fixing at each end of the strut.

I was told today it wouldn't be too dramatic (if people wanted it) to spray the lifter body coloured as well as the actual bracket. I strongly suspect all the brackets will be done initially in matt black, and then if people want silver,black,yellow,red or any other Skoda colour - It can be done. I just suspect there might be a small charge on top for that service - would only be logical.

Hopefully on Thursday the "show kit" will be ready in silver - I'm going to go for the oem black lifters as my kit, but might hold out for spraying them diamond silver as well. Definitely getting the bracket done in silver though.

Great news, keep us informed.

I suspect it will ultimately be a reasonable priced lifter set, with the manufactured bracket having to be taken into account. We'll see how long the manufacture takes for each bracket and then work something out. I still suspect it will be £50 all in, by the time all is done and dusted though.

(my excellent pictorial guide will be worth half that on its own )

Would this be pre or post patenting :P

Patenting will push the price up to about £100 each! :eek:

If this helps' date=' this is how bonnet lifter is on a golf if anyone wants to botch one together themselves cheaply.

[img']http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d45/briskoda/strut2.jpg[/img]

to quote myself lol!

I'll get the P/Ns off these standard ones tomorrow for you if it helps.

The VW Golf Aluminum Gas strut is listed as - 1J0 823 359 C, the Ball Pin is - 895 827 439 B with the clips - 1H5 827 905 & 443 823 397.

I like the stainless one a lot. Would want the mounting plate black magic though.

Somehow I can't see this coming together for

Jason - whats the lead time for these? I really quite fancy them asap.

You already know Tom :P

Stainless is looking like a tough option. As it stands we cannot find a stainless lifter which matches the necessary dimensions. However, personally I like the black appearance of the stock lifter - It sort of matches the slam panel, and matches components in the engine (airbox/battery case etc) There should be the option of body colouring the lifter itself, but I fear brushed/stainless/alloy is unlikely unless someone knows of one with the same dimensions as the boot strut. (i.e around a 30cm butt with a good compression of at least 25cm too, for total extension of around 2 feet when fully out.

You already know Tom :P

I was asking in the interests of everyone else!

What about the actual VW item - is that not suitable?

The VW item as pictured by Richard looks too short to me. The end has to attach to the bonnet only a tiny bit lower, yet the butt needs to be right down toward the front of the car, and nowhere near the suspension turret region. It looks a good foot too short.

The VW item as pictured by Richard looks too short to me. The end has to attach to the bonnet only a tiny bit lower, yet the butt needs to be right down toward the front of the car, and nowhere near the suspension turret region. It looks a good foot too short.

unless u mount it exactly the same as pictured

Thanks stu... u got there first! was no need to pop the bonnet after all! oh yes there was... to look at my lovely strut :D :P standard :P :P

Trouble is, due to the dodgy way the Fabia bonnet hinge works, it can't mount there. :P

The hinge has a sort of double action which means the bonnet sits high up close to the windscreen when its in the closed to 1/4 open position. Then as it raises up higher it kind of pulls down a bit, so that when its up in the air, the "top" of the bonnet is sat quite far down. If a strut body were to sit on a bracket on the suspension strut, where it secures on the bonnet would need to be far down toward the grill, as when it shut it compresses really far.

Its hard to explain in text but we did plenty of sample tests using a suspension turret bolt, and that is definitely a no-go. Now if the Fabia bonnet hinged like a regular hinge, then it could well have been possible. Its just Skoda decided to use a pain in the ar5e hinge system, which has meant the only way it could really be done properly and reliably is the way this lifter I'm proposing will work.

Just wanted to confirm that this whole thing isn't an April Fool.

Just got my mate at work to phone a Mr G Raph at Knowsley Safari Park

Told him someone wanted to speak with him and I got the number but he wouldnt tell me what it was about

He called him back and suddenly realised after he'd said the name. Brilliant!

The old ones are the best

Just got my mate at work to phone a Mr G Raph at Knowsley Safari Park

Told him someone wanted to speak with him and I got the number but he wouldnt tell me what it was about

He called him back and suddenly realised after he'd said the name. Brilliant!

The old ones are the best

That's stretching your neck a bit too far though?

I'd be up for a bonnet lift if only I could figure out what to do with my old GB one which doesn't fit of course!