TF Hood Recall Applied to '96 F

A number of TFs are subject to a recall to prevent the "scissor" action of the hood side levers from cutting into the fabric of the hood (see Service Action Bulletin).  The recall involves adding an additional elastic strap between the two bars which run across the width of the hood to supplement the weak one hidden behind the existing strap (looks like a seatbelt running from the front to the back of the hood).

I'd hoped that adding these straps to an F would solve the hood lockup problem - this is where the centre bar of the hood needs to be lifted up in order to get the hood to lower.  Both the scissor action and the lockup problem are described here.

The straps (part number DJE000010):

Installed on '96 F:

Installing the straps isn't as easy as the service bulletin makes out!  The first end is easy - attaching the second end needs two people; one to take the tension of the strap and to stop the hood hitting you on the head, and the other to feed the loop through the buckle and insert the pin.

Problem?

The new strap becomes taught when the hood is lowered, pushing the fabric away from the hood rails.  This will definitely solve the scissor action problem:

However, when the hood is stowed the fabric is pushed in such a way that it no longer folds so neatly - see pictures below, the first is the left hand side (no added strap) and the second is the right hand side (with the new strap).  It actually looks much worse in reality than it does in the photos!  In fact, it looks so untidy that I have removed the strap from my hood and will continue to lift the central bar by hand whenever I lower the hood.  The earlier cars don't seem to suffer from the scissor action so much, and lifting the central bar by hand moves the fabric out of the way of the side levers anyway.

Update:

I have discovered the reason for the messy folding.  Looking at the photo below, you can just see that the centre bar is not attached to the hood fabric.  This bar should have Velcro glued to it, and a mating piece of Velcro on the hood fabric loosely attaches the two.  When the hood is lowered, the excess fabric is pulled towards the bar by the Velcro and the hood stows neatly.

On my car, the glue holding the Velcro to the bar had failed, and the fabric was free.  This wasn't noticeable under normal use, but the new hood straps push the excess fabric out of place.  Once I reattached the Velcro (using Bostik), the hood folds neatly and smoothly - with no hood lockup and no scissor action!  :)