Lotus Carlton bonnet vents into VXR8 bonnet

First job was to design the press tooling around the profile of the

Lotus Vents.

Cross section of press tools

Press tools laser cut and drilled and tapped.

Roughly mark the inner skin as the placement is more pre-defiined by this than where I’d like to place

the vents from the other side. The access has to be big enough from this side to allow the press tool

to fit through and onto the outer skin.

Start cutting

Mark the positions of the vents on outer skin

Start cutting ! (I like to use a 1mm thick abrasive cutting disc)

Clean up.

Note, this area of bonnet is very flimsy, the thickness is only about 0.8mm thick !!

Place the tooling into position, tighten clamp screws and then qtr turn each of the outer former press screws one

at a time until they all begin to tighten up. Can take 15 minutes, but the idea is to evenly force the former into the die.

Grind the various reliefs for the vent tabs and mount posts.

Check vent fit

Paint !

The gap between the skins around the appertures was closed using seam sealer, an attempt to prevent

rain water getting between the skins, next was a couple of cans of waxoil