Xk120 front bonnet brace

Can I add the front third brace to make it accurate for a 53 dhc. Any ideas where I can find one

Welcome John.
Best bet is to get hold of an otherwise unusable bonnet. I’d call every restoration company has done 120’s and see if you find a brace. Failing that, it’s just a simple stamping and NOBODY looking into your engine bay will look up over their head to check to see if that brace matches one they saw 3 months ago. Have one fabricated as close as is practical if you have to.

Thanks for your thoughts. I did contact morales in calif. He will make me one for $500. Seems like a lot for such a small part. If nothing else develops that’s the way I will go.

Is yours missing, or do you have an early bonnet?
I don’t recall that we really pinned down when the third brace was added. Mine from Nov '51 does not have it.

John,

Don’t know where you’re living but I ordered mine at NSF Coach Building on the Island of Madeira (Portugal). Owner Nelio Faria calls it Bonnet Structure XK 120 No 3 and the price was € 145 excluding shipment… See photo…

Bob K.

the stuff I have seen from portugal is great work 145€ is i think a lot cheaper than $500 US
and some stuff from california is not that great
terry

Wow, you guys are great! I have a matching #s 1953 dhc but I don’t believe it has the original bonnet. The brace was never on this bonnet. I’ll try to get in touch with your contact in Portugal. Thanks again.

John,
The “brace-less” bonnet was only applied on the initial XK 120 OTS version, so your bonnet is probably from that era. The DHC always had the version with the “brace”.
The overall price/performance ratio of NSF parts is (very) good and remember that you’ll always have to make some adaptations to the parts anyway as no XK 120 is identical to the other. See the parts I ordered for my XK 120 OTS.


This company started many years ago building complete bodies for all XKs, so if you need a (special) repair part, they know what you mean and have a jig to manufacture that particular part. Delivery time can be long.

Bob K.

Just got a quote from NSF for the part $395 for the part plus shipping to US for a total of $630. That set me back! Asking for an explanation for the difference.

Correction the quote for the brace is €395 or $450.

For $450.00+S&H you can tool up and make it yourself… almost. It’s a bent piece of metal. A bead roller, a small brake, you’re done. Leave off the pinched edge and you don’t need the brake.

I’d take a picture and a cardboard template and shop it around to a steel fabricator or local trade school. This is a lot of bother, but you never know…

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I’d be willing to bet any good HVAC shop could knock one out.

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Yes, hold out for someone who can make this for you. Or do it yourself. I had Jorge Cervera (before I learned from you guys of his, uh, colorful character…) make me the center one (the original having been removed in the past for a bad series of louvers made) and it set me back some $200 inclusive of shipping. This, about a year or so ago.

John,

The price I quoted was from August 2019. He apparently discovered that his parts were “attractively” priced, but I guess the real reason is that he’s too busy… I was lucky.

Bob K.

Bob k. Thanks to you and Jag Lovers. I asked NSF about the difference and he apologized for his mistake and gave a quote for €145. John

I found my notes from when we were working out the JCNA XK120 Judging Guide, and our best guess was that the front brace was added some time between Dec '51 and June '52, one of those many unrecorded changes.

Interesting, my August, 1952 FHC (679924) does not have one and I am pretty sure my bonnet is original.

Tom Brady

That’s what i’ve Been going by, the statement in the concours judging guide that after sept 1952 all xk120 bonnet undersides should have three stiffening braces. So I’ll go with you and the other authors until you all tell me different. Keep at the good work.

Introduction of the DHC possibly !!
Peter B.

No, nothing to do with body style as all 3 use the same bonnet. It was our best guess, but apparently we missed Tom’s.
But remembering that bodies got shifted around and cars were not necessarily completed in the order the bodies were built.
Oh, no, already we need a 2nd edition. :anguished:

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