De Luxe Bonnet

[gromit]

I've got a De Luxe bonnet on the Dormobile which would have been standard for wagons ? It's the dished type for the spare wheel.
Just collected another De Luxe bonnet today and this one isn't dished for the spare wheel. Also it's assembled with solid rivets (not pop-rivets) which means Series II ?

Were they an option on other models ?

Colin

[Wolfman_TWP]

I've got a De Luxe bonnet on the Dormobile which would have been standard for wagons ? It's the dished type for the spare wheel.
Just collected another De Luxe bonnet today and this one isn't dished for the spare wheel. Also it's assembled with solid rivets (not pop-rivets) which means Series II ?

Were they an option on other models ?

Colin

I have a Deluxe bonnet on my 1978 shorty. It doesn't have the dish recess, but does sport the spare wheel mount. And I did have the spare wheel there for years.. Also it has been assembled with solid rivets.

Wolf

[JDNSW]

Deluxe bonnet (without wheel recess), as far as I can make out, was standard on all lwb from Series 2a on, except for station wagon where the deluxe bonnet with wheel recess was standard both swb and lwb. Standard bonnet was optional on all models as was the deluxe bonnet with wheel recess.

Deluxe bonnets with a wheel recess are quite rare in Australia except on station wagons, but deluxe bonnets without the recess but with the spare mount are common.

Military vehicles tend to mostly have the standard bonnet.

Swb after early S3, at least in Australia, had the deluxe bonnet - I think the standard bonnet was considered pedestrian unfriendly.

John

[gromit]

The one I've just got that doesn't have the recess also doesn't have the spare wheel mount or holes for a wheel mount.
Instead there is a base for a CB ariel in the middle of the bonnet !

Colin

[S3ute]

The one I've just got that doesn't have the recess also doesn't have the spare wheel mount or holes for a wheel mount.

Colin

Hello from Brisbane.

Most of the trucks that were sold new in Australia came with a bonnet mount for the spare wheel - although this was not mandatory, just the way they were commonly delivered. Strictly speaking the bonnet mounted wheel carrier was an accessory that was meant to be specified for an order.

The two door 109" trucks were designed to have the wheel carried in the tub and a few likely came without the wheel mount on the bonnet. Others, especially with the full hard top, came with a swing out rear door which also usually had a rear mounted wheel carrier.

So, conceivably the bonnet that you now have might have come via one of those pathways. Or off an import.

Cheers,