Discussion
Hi Mate..You can buy pre-made hoods over here in the uk but im not sure if anyone has been brave enough to DIY..If they are not stretched properly then it will look horrid..I would of imagined that the rear of the hood would be fitted first and held in place by the rear trim and then the front section tucked/held in place (Not fixed) over the hood front bar section and then with a helper slowly lifted forward but allowing release of the material to see when the material is at full stretch but not under tension when the front hood bar is fully forward and with the struts in the unlocked position..Its probably marked or pinned and then the front bar slackened off towards the rear a small amount and the material brought a small amount forward so that when the roof is up the material is taught not tight and then when the struts are locked it puts the tension in and creates a even tight fitting surface...This is only my assumption though..It might be best to get someone who knows exactly what they are doing...Cheers..Ziga
I've fitted 2 hoods and job is relatively easy if you know what you are doing.
The key things to remember is making sure you have the right contact adhesive and that every surface the adhesive will be applied to is very clean so a wipe with a spirit based cleaner is a must before you start. Don't get the adhesive that sticks instantly and won't move after as you may need to peel back and move your fabric - I used Thixofix whic works brilliantly IMO.
You should also loose fit the rear section of the hood so you can move it about marking the final positions before clamping them into place and applying your adhesive. You will need to make cuts along the inside seam that is glued to the hoop otherwise you will not get any lateral movement along this edge.
Getting some heat on the inside of the hood is a good idea as this will soften the plastic rear section whilst you are pulling and stretching into place. A halogen heather is good for this.
You want to make sure that the rear section is taught enough so the locking bars have the required tension to lock into place but not too tight so as to expose the bottom of the rear hoop as the bottom seam needs to lie flat along the boot area. You will get a good feel during the loose fitting process with the right amount of clamps in place.
The targa top is easy - all you have to do is make sure both side seams fold over the sides of the targa panel which needs to be flat and completely free of debris otherwise tour targa will have small bumpy bits dotted all over which ruins the final appearence. IMO you only need to glue the edges of the fabric going onto the targa and not the whole panel. Again use clamps to loose fit the fabric the get the final position. There will be plenty of excess thr trim back so be careful
Make sure your hood fabric remains dry throughout fitting once all the sections are glued up remove clamps and lock your hood into place and leave to dry for 24 hours - the longer the better. Once you are happy give the hood a slight soaking with water it will then shrink and become a little tighter but don't allow rely on this to get a final bit of taughtness.
These are my tips so hopefully you will get a fit and finish - take your time though the loose fitting is the key before gluing up.
The key things to remember is making sure you have the right contact adhesive and that every surface the adhesive will be applied to is very clean so a wipe with a spirit based cleaner is a must before you start. Don't get the adhesive that sticks instantly and won't move after as you may need to peel back and move your fabric - I used Thixofix whic works brilliantly IMO.
You should also loose fit the rear section of the hood so you can move it about marking the final positions before clamping them into place and applying your adhesive. You will need to make cuts along the inside seam that is glued to the hoop otherwise you will not get any lateral movement along this edge.
Getting some heat on the inside of the hood is a good idea as this will soften the plastic rear section whilst you are pulling and stretching into place. A halogen heather is good for this.
You want to make sure that the rear section is taught enough so the locking bars have the required tension to lock into place but not too tight so as to expose the bottom of the rear hoop as the bottom seam needs to lie flat along the boot area. You will get a good feel during the loose fitting process with the right amount of clamps in place.
The targa top is easy - all you have to do is make sure both side seams fold over the sides of the targa panel which needs to be flat and completely free of debris otherwise tour targa will have small bumpy bits dotted all over which ruins the final appearence. IMO you only need to glue the edges of the fabric going onto the targa and not the whole panel. Again use clamps to loose fit the fabric the get the final position. There will be plenty of excess thr trim back so be careful
Make sure your hood fabric remains dry throughout fitting once all the sections are glued up remove clamps and lock your hood into place and leave to dry for 24 hours - the longer the better. Once you are happy give the hood a slight soaking with water it will then shrink and become a little tighter but don't allow rely on this to get a final bit of taughtness.
These are my tips so hopefully you will get a fit and finish - take your time though the loose fitting is the key before gluing up.
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