Puma Bonnet

[strangy]

Any experience with these?

Puma Bonnets for Land Rover Defender (https://www.masai4x4.com/defender/puma-bonnets/)

The scoop option looks good and seems in the approximate suitable position. (according to the collective wisdom on another thread/s)
Interested in others thoughts. I haven't found a 2nd Hand Puma bonnet to compare.

[manic]

I suppose if you had to replace the bonnet, a lighter, cheaper grp would be tempting.

Bonnet scoop looks great but you want air to enter the engine bay through the radiator. For highway engine temps, that scoop might be detrimental.

[POD]

I guess that whether something looks good is a matter of taste, but that bonnet scoop thing on a Puma-engined Defender would only increase airflow over the rocker cover. As mentioned above, airflow through the radiator would be more useful.

[JDNSW]

As noted, increasing the air pressure in the engine compartment is not likely to improve cooling, rather the reverse. Do Puma's suffer from overheating?

It would probably also divert part of the airflow over the bonnet down, resulting in a more direct airflow straight onto the windscreen and an overall increase in drag - but the effect would be pretty small. Despite this, the vehicle shape is pretty high drag anyway, so you really don't want to increase it even by a small amount.

[rick130]

As noted, increasing the air pressure in the engine compartment is not likely to improve cooling, rather the reverse.

I agree.

No one has been game to do it, but if you're trying to pull more air through the radiator it needs to vent up through where they have that forward facing scoop, ie. that needs to be an exit.

Think of a Lancer Evo and the way the IC and rad are vented through the bonnet when rallying/racing.

Uninformed's guard vent worked really well in his 110 too.

[dazzler]

Puma bonnet is not alu BTW

cheers

[strangy]

I should have elaborated a bit more on the original post.
I was most interested in the quality/integrity of the Masai offerings. Im not having any issues with heat, though did think the vented bonnet was a tidy looking unit.
Im looking at these as I want to fit the acoustic cover on the TD5 and cannot with current bonnet I have (300tdi). The reinforcing gets in the way. The reinforcing on TD5 bonnet is different underneath. I discovered a TD% dfender with the acoustic cover on makes a noticeable difference in the cab despite my under bonnet insulation.
So if im going to get another bonnet and paint it id like to get the Puma style bonnet rather than a TD5 unit.

[manic]

Looking at info about the net, my prefered option would be a second hand replacement TD5 or Puma bonnet.

I like to stand on my bonnet so flat TD5 preferred, and put off by this warning for grp

WARNING: As this bonnet is made of much lighter GRP (Fibreglass), it is not as strong as the steel Land Rover bonnets. Therefore we advise that during use, please be careful when you shut the bonnet and do not slam it shut.

Also the masai grp needs to be drilled for mounts and will need more prep work than a genuine replacement which will just swap straight on.

If you like the scoop they sell it separately for td5 bonnet. You could plonk it on for looks without actually cutting air into the e.bay. Black out the scoop interior so it looks void and use it to shelve a pair of flip flops!

[Zeros]

Black out the scoop interior so it looks void and use it to shelve a pair of flip flops!

:Rolling:

...or just keep it original! Sorry, but apart from serving no purpose at all, those bonnet scoops just look naff.

[weeds]

I have a TD5 bonnet....it’s marked on the front and has a heap of addition rivets from previous owner.....

Oh and it painted G4 orange

And.....from memory your miles away

[Ancient Mariner]

I should have elaborated a bit more on the original post.
I was most interested in the quality/integrity of the Masai offerings. Im not having any issues with heat, though did think the vented bonnet was a tidy looking unit.
Im looking at these as I want to fit the acoustic cover on the TD5 and cannot with current bonnet I have (300tdi). The reinforcing gets in the way. The reinforcing on TD5 bonnet is different underneath. I discovered a TD% dfender with the acoustic cover on makes a noticeable difference in the cab despite my under bonnet insulation.
So if im going to get another bonnet and paint it id like to get the Puma style bonnet rather than a TD5 unit. If you are looking for extra height this gives about 25 mm If you needed to walk on it would need appropiate bracing


AM

[manic]

If you are looking for extra height this gives about 25 mm If you needed to walk on it would need appropiate bracing


AMA stealth scoop! Crazy idea, but well executed. It looks right.

[Zeros]

I guess you could scoop up a whole lot of bugs and make a pretzel. Yeah stealth, they won’t know what hit them! Sorry dudes but a piece of checker plate on top of a classic Defender bonnet is just ...not very good at all.

[rick130]

I guess you could scoop up a whole lot of bugs and make a pretzel. Yeah stealth, they won’t know what hit them! Sorry dudes but a piece of checker plate on top of a classic Defender bonnet is just ...not very good at all.

Yet that Defender is probably the one most all of us that have seen build pics lust after.

Few would argue it would have to be one of the best engineered Land Rovers to grace mother earth.

I'm guessing a bit of clearance was needed for the big Isuzu lurking underneath.

[Zeros]

Yet that Defender is probably the one most all of us that have seen build pics lust after.

Few would argue it would have to be one of the best engineered Land Rovers to grace mother earth.

I'm guessing a bit of clearance was needed for the big Isuzu lurking underneath.

Each to their own 👍 glad you like it. I prefer the classics.

[rick130]

Each to their own [emoji106] glad you like it. I prefer the classics.The overall vehicle is hugely impressive, it addresses all the shortcomings Land Rover engineered into the basic vehicle.

I'm no fan of checker plate but I'm guessing it's there for a purpose and knowing how tight clearance is for a turboed 4BD1T it makes sense. It'd be practical, function over form.

The same went for the grille on my old Deefer, 2 pieces of 1" weldmesh hinged at the bottom so that a filter can be sandwiched to prevent grass seeds and crap blocking the rad.
It was also slightly better protection against sticks than the plastic louvres of the stock item.
Pretty?
No.
Practical on a farm and off road?
Absolutely.

[strangy]

Well an absolutely absurd crap of a day happened today.
Head off to Dalhousie Springs for the long weekend. Pull up for a cuppa to smell hot oil[bigsad] Faffing power steering box input shaft seal decided to extrude itself from around the shaft.
This happened with the output shaft seal also mid last year, following rebuild and was rectified by a seal from Mario. I should have replaced the input also (who'd have thought new "branded" parts would be dodgy) but thought id dodged a bullet and let it stay...not so.
So what has this got to do with Puma bonnets?
I wandered around the scrub for a bit to clear my head and stumbled apon a puma bonnet with a few minor dings lying there. 300kms from anywhere and well into scrub, it now has a new home.

[rick130]

I wandered around the scrub for a bit to clear my head and stumbled apon a puma bonnet with a few minor dings lying there. 300kms from anywhere and well into scrub, it now has a new home.

[emoji1][emoji41]

[djam1]

Odd part from a Puma to leave in the bush!
You should notice it missing

[strangy]

Odd part from a Puma to leave in the bush!
You should notice it missing
The rattles from the bonnet through the firewall on these things might have been enough for the owner to throw it off[bigrolf]

I'm looking for a local supplier of the security style hinges which will hold the new unit it nice and firm. How it should be. The rattle from my bonnet on the corrugations was a little annoying.

[rick130]

The rattles from the bonnet through the firewall on these things might have been enough for the owner to throw it off[bigrolf]

I'm looking for a local supplier of the security style hinges which will hold the new unit it nice and firm. How it should be. The rattle from my bonnet on the corrugations was a little annoying.

Your car is a little more civilised than mine was, I don't think I could pick the bonnet rattle from the rest of the cacophony. :lol2:
At least I fixed the sliding windows pretty early on. How Land Rover hadn't discovered rubber bailey channel is beyond. Felt? Really?

[shack]

Your car is a little more civilised than mine was, I don't think I could pick the bonnet rattle from the rest of the cacophony. [emoji38]2:
At least I fixed the sliding windows pretty early on. How Land Rover hadn't discovered rubber bailey channel is beyond. Felt? Really?Just on that, will normal Bailey channel rubber off let's say a Japanese 4wd fit?

[rick130]

Just on that, will normal Bailey channel rubber off let's say a Japanese 4wd fit?

I used a Rare Spares section and it was so long ago I can't recall which one?

It's still in the car with the current owner and has lasted fifteen years now.

[Albert]

Clark rubber, and I would guess most rubber places has rubber Bailey channel.
Can't remember the size.
Drivers window, I put in some alumni channel and the rubber to suit.

[DazzaTD5]

I wandered around the scrub for a bit to clear my head and stumbled apon a puma bonnet with a few minor dings lying there. 300kms from anywhere and well into scrub, it now has a new home.

That is a bloody good find!