They Said it Couldn't be Done...
Discussion
After many hours of experimenting I'm close to giving up on the idea of invisible fastenings for the hood cover. Does anyone have a photo of what the male part of the Tenax fastener looks like on a black hood? The only other option left I can think of is Velcro around the back seam of the hood. At least it would be black and only visible close up with the hood up, which hopefully won't be very often. Has anyone seen that done?
Hi Joe
A Tenax fitting on black vinyl
Hope this helps
Alan
PS If you have any or the MGB top rails left over, I need 3 pieces each about 6" long, it's not a round but oval shape
These http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-duty-Poppers-Snap-...
Alan
A Tenax fitting on black vinyl
Hope this helps
Alan
PS If you have any or the MGB top rails left over, I need 3 pieces each about 6" long, it's not a round but oval shape
These http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-duty-Poppers-Snap-...
Alan
Edited by Alan Whitaker on Tuesday 24th February 08:11
Edited by Alan Whitaker on Tuesday 24th February 08:22
Well, after much experimenting with “clever” solutions it looks the simple answer might be the best one. A narrow band of Velcro around the rear seam of the hood shown here glued to the shiny vinyl temporary hood.
It shows up more on this material than I think it will on black mohair, and obviously it would be neatly stitched in place rather than the manky glue I’ve used. The other half of the Velcro goes round the underside of the corresponding seam of the hood cover and is completely hidden when the hood cover is in place.
Now for the clever bit (I couldn’t resist!). Net curtain wire (White S3’s idea) is threaded through the back seam of the hood cover and the tension holds it to the lip on the hood rail so there is a nice tight join between the fabric and the body with no unsightly gap (hopefully!).
I haven’t quite worked out how to secure the little hook at each end of the curtain wire yet but I’m sure the solution will come from somewhere. If not from my twisted imagination, then from one of you chaps.
It shows up more on this material than I think it will on black mohair, and obviously it would be neatly stitched in place rather than the manky glue I’ve used. The other half of the Velcro goes round the underside of the corresponding seam of the hood cover and is completely hidden when the hood cover is in place.
Now for the clever bit (I couldn’t resist!). Net curtain wire (White S3’s idea) is threaded through the back seam of the hood cover and the tension holds it to the lip on the hood rail so there is a nice tight join between the fabric and the body with no unsightly gap (hopefully!).
I haven’t quite worked out how to secure the little hook at each end of the curtain wire yet but I’m sure the solution will come from somewhere. If not from my twisted imagination, then from one of you chaps.
v8s4me said:
I haven’t quite worked out how to secure the little hook at each end of the curtain wire yet but I’m sure the solution will come from somewhere. If not from my twisted imagination, then from one of you chaps.
May I suggest a stainless tab washer affixed in a suitable place on each side of the car to hook the curtain wire ends into? Perhaps hidden by a flap of the hood cover?
By 'tab washer', I mean the kind used on aircraft to wirelock bulkhead fittings, ie electrical plugs, pipe unions etc.
Simples.
Like this....
Edited by glenrobbo on Wednesday 25th February 17:08
Joe,
Glad the curtain wire suggestion is working. Here's one to consider for your unsightly Popper heads - if you are planning to stitch a "hem" style turn over to finish the edge of the cloth, why not put the poppers heads inside the turn up sleeve so that they cannot be seen from the outside but felt when pushing home. A good trimmer would ensure that they are sufficiently re-enforced to cope with the stresses of pulling off and reattaching if you revert to the original hood. The added bonus is that the original hood hoop should be able to go over them if they are slim line poppers.
If you were to turn Glens idea through 90deg, you could use the hinge bolt by the "B" pillar as the securing point. Fascinating seeing this project come together. My plan (if I ever get enough space) is to make a hard top for the winter months and looking at the RX8 rear window, I think it is a goer.
Mark
Glad the curtain wire suggestion is working. Here's one to consider for your unsightly Popper heads - if you are planning to stitch a "hem" style turn over to finish the edge of the cloth, why not put the poppers heads inside the turn up sleeve so that they cannot be seen from the outside but felt when pushing home. A good trimmer would ensure that they are sufficiently re-enforced to cope with the stresses of pulling off and reattaching if you revert to the original hood. The added bonus is that the original hood hoop should be able to go over them if they are slim line poppers.
If you were to turn Glens idea through 90deg, you could use the hinge bolt by the "B" pillar as the securing point. Fascinating seeing this project come together. My plan (if I ever get enough space) is to make a hard top for the winter months and looking at the RX8 rear window, I think it is a goer.
Mark
Edited by White S3 on Wednesday 25th February 19:32
Thanks for the ideas. I've just come in from the garage where I've been experimenting with something very similar. I wondered if I really needed all the tension the wire was giving so I've just tried elastic instead and it seems to work.
Because there is less tension I'm thinking the end of the elastic could just be sewn into the seam of the hood cover where the Tenax fastener will hold it to the hood rail by the 'B' post.
I've taken the flap idea (thanks Russ & White S3) but dropped the studs/poppers and just used Velcro. There's no significant tension on the flap or the hood cover at this point so I don't think I'll need studs/poppers.
It will look a lot neater done in mohair and sewn in place. On the "production" version the seam of the flap will touch the body.
Then to fit the hood cover, peel back the flap....
Then attach the edge of the hood bag to the Velcro to cover everything up with the elasticated seam making a nice neat join to the body (you need to use your imagination a bit here because my sewing is crap)....
Keep the ideas coming please
I think I've also cracked how to make sure the back roof hoop comes up and stays in the correct position relative to the rear window. This will be done with webbing straps which will be attached to the rear hood rail (the fibre glass bit) and then to a fixed point on the rear roof hoop and then continued on the the main roof hoop so that when the frame is pulled up, the rear hoop is pulled up to the correct position to hold the window where it should be and no further. Then when the tension is released the whole lot just folds back down again.
Because there is less tension I'm thinking the end of the elastic could just be sewn into the seam of the hood cover where the Tenax fastener will hold it to the hood rail by the 'B' post.
I've taken the flap idea (thanks Russ & White S3) but dropped the studs/poppers and just used Velcro. There's no significant tension on the flap or the hood cover at this point so I don't think I'll need studs/poppers.
It will look a lot neater done in mohair and sewn in place. On the "production" version the seam of the flap will touch the body.
Then to fit the hood cover, peel back the flap....
Then attach the edge of the hood bag to the Velcro to cover everything up with the elasticated seam making a nice neat join to the body (you need to use your imagination a bit here because my sewing is crap)....
Keep the ideas coming please
I think I've also cracked how to make sure the back roof hoop comes up and stays in the correct position relative to the rear window. This will be done with webbing straps which will be attached to the rear hood rail (the fibre glass bit) and then to a fixed point on the rear roof hoop and then continued on the the main roof hoop so that when the frame is pulled up, the rear hoop is pulled up to the correct position to hold the window where it should be and no further. Then when the tension is released the whole lot just folds back down again.
I think I've worked out how to locate the rear roof hoop using webbing straps...
This is important because it determines the positioning of the rear window and also the curve of the rear part of the hood so it has to look right as well.
This is how the lower corner of the hood to the rear of the door will be fixed to the rear hood rail (ie the fibreglass bit which holds the back seam of the hood to the tub). Velcro sewn to hood fabric, stuck to the hood rail and a stud, either Tenax or popper TBD....
..and trimmed on the inside with red vinyl to match the existing trim...
Then an experiment with, for want of a better description, a head-lining. This is mainly to provide a smooth surface for the underside of the hood fabric to slide over...
Now, can anyone tell me where I put the door speaker please?
This is important because it determines the positioning of the rear window and also the curve of the rear part of the hood so it has to look right as well.
This is how the lower corner of the hood to the rear of the door will be fixed to the rear hood rail (ie the fibreglass bit which holds the back seam of the hood to the tub). Velcro sewn to hood fabric, stuck to the hood rail and a stud, either Tenax or popper TBD....
..and trimmed on the inside with red vinyl to match the existing trim...
Then an experiment with, for want of a better description, a head-lining. This is mainly to provide a smooth surface for the underside of the hood fabric to slide over...
Now, can anyone tell me where I put the door speaker please?
Getting down to minor details now. This is how the interior light will look mounted on the vertical face of the rear hood rail....
..and it looks like an ordinary popper will give enough tension at the 'B' post fastening point so that means it can be hidden under the flap which will cover the Velcro strip described above.
The trimmer came over to have another look at progress and we've made some provisional decisions about the shape and positioning of the rear window. Pretty much as above subject to whether or not the hood will need to be secured to the rear folding hoop, but we won't know that until he starts laying the fabric on the frame next month. He's still thinking about my idea for an elasticated seam to hold the hood bag to the corners so that detail is still to be sorted out. "Over-engineered" was the word(s) he used; he's getting used to me now Some light at the end of the tunnel at last
..and it looks like an ordinary popper will give enough tension at the 'B' post fastening point so that means it can be hidden under the flap which will cover the Velcro strip described above.
The trimmer came over to have another look at progress and we've made some provisional decisions about the shape and positioning of the rear window. Pretty much as above subject to whether or not the hood will need to be secured to the rear folding hoop, but we won't know that until he starts laying the fabric on the frame next month. He's still thinking about my idea for an elasticated seam to hold the hood bag to the corners so that detail is still to be sorted out. "Over-engineered" was the word(s) he used; he's getting used to me now
Some light at the end of the tunnel at last v8s4me said:
"Over-engineered" was the word(s) he used;
My boss tell me that all the time on fitting's i make up, he then changes things to make it quicker or save money on the job. That's when disaster strikes and we generally have to go back over his bodge at a later date and costing us more in the long term. A boring little job for today; new rubber mat to sit between the door card and the door.
Boring but necessary.
Here I'm trying out an idea to secure the bottom edge of the hood cover as an alternative to poppers. I'm thinking a strip of Velcro sewn to some hooding material and glued to this moulding.
This should provide a nice tight seal at this point and stop the wind getting underneath the hood cover.
Boring but necessary.
Here I'm trying out an idea to secure the bottom edge of the hood cover as an alternative to poppers. I'm thinking a strip of Velcro sewn to some hooding material and glued to this moulding.
This should provide a nice tight seal at this point and stop the wind getting underneath the hood cover.
Don't know about "all" but there was one on mine originally. Not as well cut and trimmed as mine though 
What the photos don't show are the little flaps which I left over the speaker and ash-tray cut-outs based on the theory that if any water runs down the inside of the door it will be deflected away from the cut-out.
What the photos don't show are the little flaps which I left over the speaker and ash-tray cut-outs based on the theory that if any water runs down the inside of the door it will be deflected away from the cut-out.Edited by v8s4me on Sunday 29th March 20:06
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