What to Look for When Buying a Used Car Bonnet

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Car bonnets not only protect the engine, but also make your car look sleek and polished. There are hundreds of reasons why you might need to by a replacement. So if you decide to go the route of buying a used car bonnet, what are the things you need to be wary of?

We’ve all slid stylishly over a few car bonnets in our time. Sometimes after a few drinks this can go horribly wrong and leave you with a big dent in the front of your car. There are a number of skilled panel-beaters out there who might be able to remove the dent for you, but if they can’t you’re stuck with a choice. Do you go the expensive route of buying a completely new part, or look into buying a used car bonnet?

  • One part of having a car bonnet is for the look. No one wants to be driving round in a beat up car, especially if you have to use your vehicle for any kind of professional appointments. Always check the car bonnet for dents on both sides. When it comes to smaller dents, you might want to feel for these in the surface of the part with your fingers as they can often escape the eye.
  • The top side of a used car bonnet will usually be covered in a paint with a gloss finish. This can hide all kinds of problems with the part. The easiest way to tell if it’s in good condition or not is by flipping it over and checking for rust. Expect a little rust on the underside from use on wet roads, but large areas of rust or rust flaking away at the edges of the bonnet mean that the part is of poor condition.
  • Obviously a car bonnet needs to be opened from time to time. It should have connectors that hold it on to the car’s body and will have springs to allow it to open easily. Check the connectors and springs thoroughly for any signs of fatigue, which may appear as small cracks in these parts.
  • A car bonnet usually houses a car’s windscreen water dispensers. There will usually be two units on either side of the part. You’ll need to check these are in good condition and if appropriate still have the cables to take the water from the engine to the dispensers. This may vary from car to car, so when you remove the old part check what the set up is on your vehicle.
  • Car bonnets are interchangeable between models of car. However, a bonnet might fit on the top of your car, but may also have an attached grill. You’ll need to make sure that this is compatible with the front of your car too.
  • If you’re making any kind of mechanical or electrical purchase then no matter what you’re buying you should make sure that you get some kind of reciept. All sales outlets, whether they’re online or customer-facing should give you a policy regarding returns of the item, should it prove to be faulty within a short time after your purchase.

So next time something happens to spoil the clean lines of your car’s exterior, don’t resort to paying through the nose for expensive car parts and fitting. Instead look at the parts trade where you should be able to pick up a used bonnet relatively cheaply and save yourself a whole load of money and hassle.

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