Aerocatch fitment to rear hatch?

[Space Cadet]

Has anyone fitted Aerocatches to the rear hatch? - If so any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated, especially as to where to mount them. I want to get rid of the standard catch as think this is knocking, plus save a bit of weight getting rid of the locking mechanism etc etc. I’ve got the catches already and have fitted them to the bonnet so am ok with fitting them, just can’t decide where to mount them to the hatch, thanks, Mark. Any photos would be great, thanks.

 

[Tony Hunter]

Open boot, remove the 2 rubber plugs (door stopper looking things). 2 holes perfect for said catches.

 

[Space Cadet]

Thanks Tony!!, good and obvious idea, thanks. Which direction should the catches themselves point?

 

[Tony Hunter]

Better off going side to side and not up/down. Less curve to worry about.

 

[Space Cadet]

Thanks Tony, much appreciated, Mark.

 

[chrispy.clio]

Boom!!!

 

[Space Cadet]

Thanks Chrispy!

 

[Tony Hunter]

Trust you to fit them the opposite way to what I said. Well they obviously go that way aswell then.

So there you go.

 

[chrispy.clio]

Haha! I can't 100% remember but Areocatches don't fit sideways using the hole that I used! So I went up and down but my tale gate is pretty much a single skin and I had to use a rubber mallet to bash some of the tale gate flat so you can fit the screws in.

It can be done but have a good think about it first!

 

[sonny172cup]

Looking good fella. May do the same when i get my FG tailgate fitted.

 

[Space Cadet]

Chrispy, did you use the holes where the rubber plugs/door stopper looking thingys were to mount the threaded bar?

 

[chrispy.clio]

Yup that's right!

 

[Space Cadet]

Yup that's right!

Thanks. Your key-holes (directly above the threaded bar) look to be higher than I remembered the rubber bungs to be so thought you may have mounted them higher. (I haven’t been out to the car for a couple of days so can’t remember.) You mention your hatch is pretty much a single skin now, any problems with removing the inside skin, does the hatch keep its shape/strenght? Thanks Mark

 

[Tony Hunter]

Thanks. Your key-holes (directly above the threaded bar) look to be higher than I remembered the rubber bungs to be so thought you may have mounted them higher. (I haven’t been out to the car for a couple of days so can’t remember.) You mention your hatch is pretty much a single skin now, any problems with removing the inside skin, does the hatch keep its shape/strenght? Thanks Mark

Yes it's fine, there is nothing left of mine. I just got inside and drew all around the inside with a pen, then cut just inside this line.

Alot of insides there, but you get what I mean.

 

[Space Cadet]

Great, another job I can do at the weekend!!

I posted another thread a while ago about the new Aerocatch back-plates, they're an extra £10 I think and are a plate the same profile as the Aerocatch with captive nuts in to go on the underside of the piece you're fixing so you don’t have to bugger around with those fiddly little nuts and washers while trying to screw the little bolt in from the other side. A reall time saver and adds a bit of strenght to the joint between the catch and whatever you're fixing it too.

 

[BIGASH]

Yes I use those plates on the aero catches I have on my bumper much better than the nuts/washers

 

[Space Cadet]

Yes I use those plates on the aero catches I have on my bumper much better than the nuts/washers

Hey James. Yes they're great aren't they, so much easier and time saving than using/loosing the little nuts and washers. Just another job to do that I've been putting off for a while. (we ought to have a Motorsport/Track-day section on the forum where people like me can ask questions directly to people like you and Tony etc without the illiterate masses stating that they don’t like the colour of my orange wishbones even though I'm asking about a heated-windscreen!!)

 

[BIGASH]

Hey James. Yes they're great aren't they, so much easier and time saving than using/loosing the little nuts and washers. Just another job to do that I've been putting off for a while. (we ought to have a Motorsport/Track-day section on the forum where people like me can ask questions directly to people like you and Tony etc without the illiterate masses stating that they don’t like the colour of my orange wishbones even though I'm asking about a heated-windscreen!!)

Yes I'm going to try a set on my bonnet when I swap over to the new one

Haha PMSL!

 

[Space Cadet]

Yes it's fine, there is nothing left of mine. I just got inside and drew all around the inside with a pen, then cut just inside this line.

Alot of insides there, but you get what I mean.

Hi Tony, any chance you could take a photo or two of the inside of your hatch since cutting back please. I fitted the Aerocatches yesterday and couldn't decide where or how much of the inner skin to remove. In the end I actually decided it wasn't worth it but would be interested to see how much you've removed and where from. Thanks Mark Oh and I mounted the catches left to right (slightly pointing down towards the number plate), rather than up & down, seemed to suit the shape of the outer skin better.​

 

[Tony Hunter]

Just do as I said, felt pen, mark it, cut it. It does flex a little, but that's the price you pay.

Don't forget, you still want the rubber to seal as not to let fumes in.

 

[Space Cadet]

Just do as I said, felt pen, mark it, cut it. It does flex a little, but that's the price you pay.Don't forget, you still want the rubber to seal as not to let fumes in.

Thanks Tony, would really appreciate a photo if you could take one please. Noted re seal, was going to leave this anyway.

 

[Tony Hunter]

Do you want me to come and do it for you!!

 

[Space Cadet]

Before I take a grinder to my hatch I'd just like to see an example that somebody else has already cut, would be stupid not to.

 

[Tony Hunter]

From the build thread, lazy git.

 

[Tony Hunter]

You can even take more than that.

The bit in the middle where the latch goes, can come out as well.

 

[Space Cadet]

Blimey, you didn't mess around! Thanks very much, I really appreciate it, Mark

 

[Kelv]

Oh joy, I can see me doing this aswell now.
doh!!

 

[Space Cadet]

Oh joy, I can see me doing this aswell now.doh!!

The catches were easy to fit and trimming the inner-skin shouldn't be too much trouble so no reason not to. Haven't you got some other more pressing jobs to be doing though like your wishbones and beam!?

 

[Kelv]

All in motion Mark, its getting there, lots of other bits on the go aswell
baby scan at the hospital today, so a day off from the garage.

im not so worried about fitting them, more that I can see me moving on to the stripping of more material in each panel.

 

[JaredHasNoBrain]

Mark, you Fitted them yet? They look supprisingly good on Crispy's Pic lol
Throw up a pic once you got time

 

[Space Cadet]

Kelv, apart from the hatch I personally wont be trimming any metal off the other panels without first having a cage inside. Hope it goes well today. Jared I'm useless at posting pictures on here, but truthfully they just look like Aerocatches on a boot.

 

[Kelv]

Mark, if its easier gladly ping the pictures over to me and ill pop them up for you

 

[Space Cadet]

Thanks Kelv, I can just about manage it so will take some at the weekend.

 

[Kelv]

Have you done this yet Mark?

ive lined up the pins today and started to mark out for the catches to go on the tailgate.
metal stripped out where its not needed on other parts of the tailgate, all wiring that's not needed in the tailgate gone aswell, and traced back up to the dash, then re-loomed, just kept the brake light wired in.

 

[Space Cadet]

Hey Kelv. Yes catches all fitted a couple of weeks ago, I'm not going to bother trimming the hatch as don’t think its worth it for the weight saved. With regards the catches themselves I fixed the long threaded pins to the two small holes left when removing the stopper things in the shell. I then opened up the two holes left in the hatch to about 36mm (I think) so the pins could actually pass through to the catch on the hatch outer-skin. I obtained from Aerocatch a second pair of the rubber bungs that go around the pins as the catch is quite a distance away from the shell. Give me a call tonight, or pop around if you need any help. Also I found that the catches sit better horizontal and pointed slightly down towards the number-plate.

 

[Kelv]

ill give you a shout a bit later after the days work chores are done, but sounds good the way you have done it

 

[Space Cadet]

ill give you a shout a bit later after the days work chores are done, but sounds good the way you have done it

No worries, call me after 19:00.

 

[Space Cadet]

ill give you a shout a bit later after the days work chores are done, but sounds good the way you have done it

How did you get on Kelv? One little tip - my catches were collecting water so I drilled a small hole in the lowest corner inside the catch so the water drips through into the hatch inner skin where it then drains out through the drainage holes in the bottom (like the doors).

 

[Kelv]

Bonnet is done, tailgate pins in place and cut out ready but haven't bolted the catches in as yet.

Good shout with the pin hole