Sun Visors Restoration

[greyhulk]

Back at it again! Jag magnolia interior with brown carpet & piping but worn black vinyl sun visors.. Hmmm so i embarked on this painstakingly slow task of recolouring them with leather colourant & chromed the brackets whilst i was at it & of course changed over old rusty set screws to stainless







one down, one to go.. really considering doing the steering wheel too after seeing this one

[AutoAndy]

Good plan, but I decided to remove the sun visors entirely...if the roof is always down then the sun can come over the top as well, so just wear sunglasses....it also makes for cleaner lines...

[greyhulk]

Cheers, yeah got the stunner shades in the S ready

[AutoAndy]

..and I removed the roof locking tabs, as I didn't fancy having one of those imbedded in my forehead if I stopped suddenly...which is a possibility..

[greyhulk]

mine never had them on in the first place, there a abit unsightly

[NaCl]

AutoAndy said:

..and I removed the roof locking tabs....

So did I. They are for sale for £1999.99p

(in line with current prices for most S spares)

Edited by NaCl on Saturday 9th April 07:08

[greymrj]

I removed the tabs on mine too. After studying them from an engineering point of view I decided they had no chance at all of being of any use, wrong angle, wrong material, and fastened to grp less than 1mm thick! From a forehead point of view....just where I would have hit the rail!!
I am little so the sunvisors do occasionally work for me.

[Tarmac Tickler]

My Sun Visors are a bunched up mess and no good so want to remove them, do the dome covers just come off to reveal a screw underneath?

Also the mention of roof locking tabs etc, I have nothing that clips in at the windscreen end, only the locating tabs, is that right then, did some come without?

Thanks,

Andrew.

Edited by Tarmac Tickler on Saturday 3rd September 08:21

Edited by Tarmac Tickler on Saturday 3rd September 08:21

[v8s4me]

Tarmac Tickler said:

...... I have nothing that clips in at the windscreen end, only the locating tabs, is that right then, did some come without?....

You should have a clip on either side which pulls the targa sections to the top of the windscreen moulding. If they aren't there, you need to have a much tension as possible from the struts. There has been the odd case of a targa section blowing off.

[Tarmac Tickler]

v8s4me said:

You should have a clip on either side which pulls the targa sections to the top of the windscreen moulding. If they aren't there, you need to have a much tension as possible from the struts. There has been the odd case of a targa section blowing off.

I did wonder, better keep on driving with the roof off then

I will have another look but it doesn't look like anything has been taken away either? Surely it wasn't an optional extra

Sun Visors need to come off....

[GreenV8S]

v8s4me said:

If they aren't there, you need to have a much tension as possible from the struts.

I wonder how much load it is safe to apply to the windscreen surround - it doesn't look particularly strong.

[magpies]

Tarmac Tickler said:

v8s4me said:

You should have a clip on either side which pulls the targa sections to the top of the windscreen moulding. If they aren't there, you need to have a much tension as possible from the struts. There has been the odd case of a targa section blowing off.

I did wonder, better keep on driving with the roof off then

I will have another look but it doesn't look like anything has been taken away either? Surely it wasn't an optional extra

Sun Visors need to come off....

mine looks like it never had any clips either

[DJR 7]

magpies said:

mine looks like it never had any clips either

i'm guessing that you've never had any issues with the roof panels lifting?
I've often thought that the lugs alone would stop lift and if the rear section is in position i can't see the panels coming adrift.

I'm not a fan of the clips, I think i'll remove mine come re trim time.

[GreenV8S]

DJR 7 said:

I think i'll remove mine come re trim time.

Have you seen how much the body flexes? Never mind the windscreen holding the roof panels in - I suspect the clipped-in roof panels themselves are making a significant contribution to the overall stiffness of the shell.

[DJR 7]

GreenV8S said:

Have you seen how much the body flexes? Never mind the windscreen holding the roof panels in - I suspect the clipped-in roof panels themselves are making a significant contribution to the overall stiffness of the shell.

I bow to your knowledge of the V8s but I personally doubt that the 2 plastic clips are adding a great deal of strength to the structure of the car. As it was mentioned earlier they are screwed into very little.
It appears that some of the S series have been driving around minus clips for some time if not from date of manufacture.
I assume that the bonded screen contributes more to the ridigity.

I have personally driven my car with the clips unfastened (in error) at good pace. And maybe by fortune I didn't lose the panels.

To my mind if the clips were indeed contributing to the structural integrity of the car they would be more substantial (as per the Tuscan roof clip) the only purpose I see to these clips is to stop the panel being dragged out and falling whilst lowering the rear section.

I guess I'll be the butt of many jokes if I now lose a panel!

[Tarmac Tickler]

Clips cannot be part of the structure as most of our cars are driven around without the roof on?
The clips must be just simply to keep the panels in place.
The way air flows over a car you would think force would be pushing them down not lifting them off?
Took my sun visors off this morning and the state and age of the surround would suggest no "clips" have lived on my TVR...........

[glenrobbo]

A warning to all who sometimes drive with their roof on:

The curved shape of the targa panels generates aerodynamic lift at speed, just like an aircraft wing; the faster the speed, the greater the lifting force generated. Now consider the effect when the body flexes due to an imperfection in the road surface ( I have seen one or two of these ). If the targa tangs pop out of their slots the panel, if not clipped on place, will fly off with potentially disastrous, possibly fatal consequences to following vehicles.

I'm not scaremongering, it has happened in the past. Those clips are there to retain the front of the targa panel until it is possible to find a safe place to stop and resecure it. I have twice had the rear of my driver's panel pop out of the slots at speed, but the clips prevented it from separating completely.
The passenger side is less likely to be affected because the driver's panel overlaps it along the centreline.

Both my S's have the original plastic Southco clips, which are not as forehead unfriendly as some of the metal catches I have seen, but anyway the sun visor would soften the blow if a head were ever able to be thrown that far forward. Surely seat belts would prevent that?

The catches are most definitely not an integral part of body stiffness, but they are an essential safety feature if you drive with your roof on sometimes.
There is no shame in this:

High Peak Nomads TVRCC meet, Feb 2015


Also remember that these Targa panels are very rare and it is difficult to find replacements, especially ones that fit.
A guy on here lost one on the M4 a couple of years ago and I still don't know if he managed to replace it.

Edited by glenrobbo on Saturday 3rd September 22:35

[Craig Brown Photographer]

Yep I agree, replaced my catches etc ( new for old) not just for the safety but keeping it as original as possible

[Tarmac Tickler]

Points taken and not disagreeing with you, but what do these catches look like to hold the Targa Roof panels in place?
Mine has no evidence whatsover of anything being fitted anywhere from what I can see and I had a good look yesterday.

[Craig Brown Photographer]

This catch attaches to a small lug