Yesterday I installed a new hoodliner on my 98 VDP. The old one was pretty sad. Rats / Mice got into it last spring (my cars live outside) and did a number on it.

I ordered from Gonzo at Hoodliners.net but used his E-Bay store.

I had looked at many options, but like the firewall material as I had used it before on a boat project where it has given good service and stayed looking good. While I could have ordered the material from an online aircraft supply shop I've used before, Gonzo's price was as good as I could have got for raw material only and saved me the job of fitting and trimming.

Installation took under 2 hours from start to finish. Removal of the hood (bonnet) was simple and with my wife's help was a 15 minute job at each end to remove / re-install. Alignment on re-installation was simple. The hoodliner fit was a great match to the original, so there was no need to trim or make any modifications.

I looked at the debate in another thread about using firewall material and on gluing vs using a rigid material, but in the end decided the fuss about gluing wasn't an issue to worry about. Worst case, if I ever need to replace the liner, I know I can remove it and clean things up enough that the replacement will cover any glue residue.

I've used 3M spray adhesives before but not the 80 - which offers higher temperature resistance than the other products in the 3M line (among other projects, I used the 76 when replacing my headliner a few years back and have used the 77 on many jobs). I found 80 easier to use than either the 76 or 77 as it didn't have high initial grab so I was able to make minor adjustments before pressing it into place. Gonzo's pattern comes pre-drilled with retainer holes so I also re-used the original retainers. This gives a 2ndary fastening in the event some of the glue line is not well made.

I wasn't sure I'd add the Jag decal, but decided that as I have it, I may as put on. Otherwise it just would have gathered dust in a drawer. I never spend time admiring the underhood area anyway, so whether its on or off is no big deal.

I'm happy with the result and think this will be something that will deter rodents from attacking again (fingers crossed). If it holds up as well as my boat projects, I think it will be a good long term solution.