newton under bonnet soundproofing pads for elf/ hornet

didn't know they made these new but just found 'em on newton's website:

http://www.newtoncomm.co.uk/cars/mini/product.jsp?ref=409&accessory=9

nice they make something for our small friends. but they show a blue and only sell blacks

My 64 Elf had a black one on when I got it and under boot lid. not replaced them yet. Boot lid springs are getting weak so I may not replace it. Expensive aren't they for what they are?

Silly question, but would one of these help at all with, cold and damp problems - poor little KT does not like the cold mornings (she's my daily runner for those of you that don't know).

She is coping admirably, with a little bit of patience on my part, tricky if I'm running late - anything that might help has gotta be worth a few quid.

I would not have thought so. They are meant for sound suppression mainly.
Just imagine a time when you come home , turn engine off, the heat rises from engine, bonnet cold on top.result? Condensation under the bonnet?.
Try spraying WD40 on your leads and electrics. Wipe dirt off and re spray again.Take dizzy cap off and make sure its dry inside. if not it may have a crack somewhere, you can't always see the the cracks.
Another trick. Find a dark place turn all your lights off and lift the bonnet, leave engine running.
Let your eyes get accustomed to the dark, it may take a minute or so. If you see sparks from the leads or on the leads themselves consider the leads US and replace them. Dead simple way of checking out shorts etc.
You may have to look very closely if you can't find a really dark place or throw a blanket over and around the bonnet and yourself!

Keep us informed on results.
PS don't do this on your own, always have someone with you!

[quote="510XYD"]consider the leads US and replace them. /quote]
US? Is that a slam on us colonials across the pond?
ROFL

No
It's a figure of speech used a lot over here. It's a just a shortened version of useless! Sorry about that. (Naughty of me especially after the most generous hospitality offered to my family and I when we attended the MME in Maine in July this year.)

Hmmm I might have to look at one of these!Talking about U S In my deep and distant past I was training with a seasoned old mechanic that told me to mark up all replaced parts with US,so I thought I would help the stores out and write the whole word useless.A few days later and a greasey bolt in the bottom of my tea, (ahh those were the days!) I was informed that US means Un Servicable and to go back for repair, not useless and put in the scrap bin and had to clean and remark all items.

510XYD wrote:I would not have thought so. They are meant for sound suppression mainly.
Just imagine a time when you come home , turn engine off, the heat rises from engine, bonnet cold on top.result? Condensation under the bonnet?.
Try spraying WD40 on your leads and electrics. Wipe dirt off and re spray again.Take dizzy cap off and make sure its dry inside. if not it may have a crack somewhere, you can't always see the the cracks.
Another trick. Find a dark place turn all your lights off and lift the bonnet, leave engine running.
Let your eyes get accustomed to the dark, it may take a minute or so. If you see sparks from the leads or on the leads themselves consider the leads US and replace them. Dead simple way of checking out shorts etc.
You may have to look very closely if you can't find a really dark place or throw a blanket over and around the bonnet and yourself!

Keep us informed on results.
PS don't do this on your own, always have someone with you!

Had a day off today so thought it was time to teach my son how to find his way around the engine (definate case of the blind leading the blind!!) and I'd try the first part of the above at least. I did give a good squirt of WD40 in a few key places when she spluttered to a halt a couple of weeks ago (but it was dark and drizzling at the time!!)- it does definately seem to be a problem with damp so I thought, given your advice I'd be a bit more systematic, the plugs were certainly not quite as clean as I expected, we'll see how she goes over the next few days as finding really dark spots in east London is probabaly not too advisable

You probably all know this trick, but when driving my old mayfair a few years ago, who had a real problem with cutting out in the wet. I cleaned off all the leads etc and gave a ggenerous squirt of WD40 and she was much improved. I was then advised by a cab driver (ex-mini owner) to cut the fingers off a rubber glove and put it over the distributor cap - I sealed all the ends with electrical tape - and never had a problem again might give that another go!!

I stand corrected then !
LOL Everybody uses their own abbreviations. In my engineering office we used BNE. SLO. GB. and a host of others!
These were short for Bin not Emptied, Street Light Out and Gulley/Grid Blocked. This thread could go on for years! Interesting though!

As for rubber gloves Gr4h4m of miniaddicts swears by his Marrigolds!

Nice find Big_Al_Smith

Newton also does a nice Elf/Hornet boot board carpet kit if your old one is US.
I don't think they have it listed on the website, but I've gotten one through MiniMania in the US. (United States)
I've also got their tool roll and jack bag, very nice for tidying up the boot area.

Were these quilted sound proofing pads not the reason why so many hornet and elf bonnets have rust along the front?! I seem to recall that they get wet along the front and they the soaked wet quilt sits there against the metal bonnet and makes it rusty!

I suppose they are good if you want the period look, however if you want sound proofing I would suggest that there are far more effective modern products available e.g. Dynamat do waterproof hoodliner.

Actually on the subject or parts supplies, I found that www.autosparks.co.uk will make you a brand new bwiring loom for the hornet and elf, using the original spec in relations to lenghts connections colours etc etc and it come our at about £180. I just ordered one, and they knew everything that the car would need for the year, and they will make the modification for running an alternator without any issues. I know mini spares do them for minis etc, but this company really will do it specific for our little cars.

Ad