Roof Repair / Removal

[Johnny 89]

So, I need to repair this:


I'm trying to remove the rear section and have undone the bolt in the centre. This could be accessed through the boot.

There seems to be a bolt holding down the rear section at the corners here:



Does anyone have any idea how to remove these? There isn't any access from on top (roof material) or below. What type of restraints would they be?

Also, I'm guessing once I have the rear section off I will need to take the material off before I can get an upholsterer to repair? Has anyone had any experience?

Thanks in advance.

John

[N7GTX]

This may help?

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=13...

[Johnny 89]

Thanks, that was helpful and I've found the bolts now.. It's just to get at them now.. Not an easy task!

[Seandenyer]

It's a bloody pain in the butt as the nuts are very hard to access, I got them off on my own but definatly need 2 people to put the nuts back on and due to the position my mate had to get in to the boot....

[Seandenyer]

It's a bloody pain in the butt as the nuts are very hard to access, I got them off on my own but definatly need 2 people to put the nuts back on and due to the position my mate had to get in to the boot....

[Johnny 89]

Thanks.. Yes a pain.

Does anyone know if an upholstery place would re-stitch without removing the material from the targa part?
I'm thinking this is unlikely?

[QBee]

Steve Edwards and I took mine off in about 10 minutes to fit a hard top. It was awkward rather than difficult. He got a spanner onto the hidden nuts in the boot, then I undid the bolts from inside the car. Definitely a two man job

[LeeHodges]

Johnny 89 said:

Thanks.. Yes a pain.

Does anyone know if an upholstery place would re-stitch without removing the material from the targa part?
I'm thinking this is unlikely?

Hi

This happened to my Griff when I leaned on the roof and slipped, popping the stitching out. The guy I took it to had to take the material off the hoop section to stitch back up. In hindsight, I should've gone for a complete new hood.

[Seandenyer]

I have a second hand rear roof if you need one and window is really good, colour blue

[Johnny 89]

Seandenyer said:

I have a second hand rear roof if you need one and window is really good, colour blue

I must have missed thus post back last year! My apologies Seandenyer. Do you still have the rear roof?

Looking around, does anyone have any experience of these guys or what the soft top resto kit includes? It doesn't really say on the website

http://www.lakewell.com/en/tvr/chimaera

[lancepar]

When I get round to sorting my roof out, I'm told not to use the original hard to get at fixings but instead fix the collar to the rear bulkhead from inside the car into captive well nuts in the GRP, the ones that squeeze up when tightened into,

[Johnny 89]

Seems like a good idea alright. But what 'ledge' is there on the collar to bolt through on the inside? As far as I see there is nothing as the bottom of the roof section curves outwards, to sit on the bulkhead. A little hard to explain

[QBee]

Mazdahoods in Romford Essex get a lot of good reports. Note Essex, not the similar named company in Kent

[Johnny 89]

QBee said:

Mazdahoods in Romford Essex get a lot of good reports. Note Essex, not the similar named company in Kent

Thanks QBee, I'm actually in Ireland (as is the Chim) so I'm not sure what the best course of action is

[QBee]

Johnny 89 said:

QBee said:

Mazdahoods in Romford Essex get a lot of good reports. Note Essex, not the similar named company in Kent

Thanks QBee, I'm actually in Ireland (as is the Chim) so I'm not sure what the best course of action is

I suspect it will be a case of removing the hood from the car and posting it to your chosen repairer.
Unless you can find a repairer in Ireland. You can probably source a new plastic screen panel from someone like D&C Trim in Blackpool.

When mine was removed last year it only took two of us about 10 minutes, but the other guy knew where all the fixings were, and because I was changing to a different kind of roof completely, I wasn't bothered about keeping the interior light electrics, as my new roof doesn't have one.

[lancepar]

Some photos regarding alternate folding hood section fixing.

First I didn't remove my hood previous owner did then modified it to become a hard top

I have a replacement hood that will need recovering etc and thats what is in the photos and shows some of the five selftappers that hold it in place at the rear bulkhead over the carppet. I assume all hoods have these and the other photo shows some of these small holes in the bulkhead. Another photo shows the new fixings that will be used instead of the selftappers to secure the covered collar section in place with larger fixings.





HTH

[Johnny 89]

Thanks, all that's helpful..
I need to take anoþher look to see if mine is the samed as the photos above. I will have to get it out to do so. From memory I thought my retaining bolts from collar to bulkhead were under the hood material on the collar.. therefore the only way to loosen them was from inside the boot which leaves next to no space.
However, I could well be wrong and will need to take another look!
Thanks

[Steve_D]

Dependant on year (I believe) there were the two fixing methods. My 97 has the fixings vertical down into the boot. Most of those were rusted badly when I took the hood off so I will be fixing mine from inside the car when it goes back on.

Steve

[Johnny 89]

Mine's a 94 so could be different?
Although the car in the photos above has the early boot hinges so around the same year I would have thought

[QBee]

One alternative is to go for one of Steve Edwards’ hard tops.....also come in yellow.....you just paint it what colour you want