Discussion
I'm getting increasingly annoyed when leaving my car in the car park at the office with the hood down that it starts raining or I have to keep an eye on it etc. It puts me off taking the hood down which is one of the reasons I changed back to a griff. Anyway I used to have a spitfire in my younger days and used to use the tonneau cover all the time. It would be ideal for a griff with its hood mechanism. I remember seeing an image of one that had been done but can't remember where. Also done a search and nothing much. I want to get a trimmer to do it but want at least some images of one already done so I can have an idea on how it could work. Thinking about it.. it would be even better during the Summer months to take the whole hood mechanism off allowing a completely flat aspect and just using the tonneau. Whats everyones views and can you help? Jon
When the car is parked up it would be possible to use a Leven hood cover to do this quite successfully.
A properly fitted tonneau cover is a nice idea as you can keep it on while youre driving the car if its zipped. I had one on my Austin Healey and it was excellent.
A properly fitted one would need mods to the car like a row of studs alonng the bottom edge of the front screen and round the back of hood but is quite doable I'd think.
A properly fitted tonneau cover is a nice idea as you can keep it on while youre driving the car if its zipped. I had one on my Austin Healey and it was excellent.
A properly fitted one would need mods to the car like a row of studs alonng the bottom edge of the front screen and round the back of hood but is quite doable I'd think.
Jonny TVR said:
my idea is to have one made allowing teh back part of the hood to be kept down or up or even removed so the lines look better. the tonneau would attach where the rear part of the hood does but go under the hood. what do you think
Hmm that would look messy imo and wouldn't protect the reat hood section in the rain. I'd have it so you either removed the rear section alltogether or covered the collapsed rear section. The latter solution would be quite bulky and look like the original VW Golf or Beetle arrangement but would be the best arrangement if you want to leave the rear section on.You would also have problems with the hood supports as these would need to go through the tonneau if attached beneath the mullet (wedge speak for rear hood).
Further to Mrs FFG comment above we have made tentative enquiries with a local (to us)upholstery wizard and he is convinced its possible to do on our wedges but its now a case of one of us volunteering a wedge to stay with him for 3-4 weeks for patterning the cover - it may be winter before anyone wants to loose their car for that amount of time but I think I am going to go for it as we rarely have the roof up ever so winter driving can get a wee bit chilly and a tonneau over the passenger seat etc would be a great asset.
Further to Mrs FFG comment above we have made tentative enquiries with a local (to us)upholstery wizard and he is convinced its possible to do on our wedges but its now a case of one of us volunteering a wedge to stay with him for 3-4 weeks for patterning the cover - it may be winter before anyone wants to loose their car for that amount of time but I think I am going to go for it as we rarely have the roof up ever so winter driving can get a wee bit chilly and a tonneau over the passenger seat etc would be a great asset.
V8 GRF said:
Jonny TVR said:
my idea is to have one made allowing teh back part of the hood to be kept down or up or even removed so the lines look better. the tonneau would attach where the rear part of the hood does but go under the hood. what do you think
Hmm that would look messy imo and wouldn't protect the reat hood section in the rain. I'd have it so you either removed the rear section alltogether or covered the collapsed rear section. The latter solution would be quite bulky and look like the original VW Golf or Beetle arrangement but would be the best arrangement if you want to leave the rear section on.RichB said:
Would you really go to all the trouble of removing the rear hood structure? I've never done it but I would reckon it's a hour's work. To work properly you will need a row of pegs across the top of the bonnet and around the top of the rear wings, a few along the tops of the doors and of course over the dash. It's nice idea and I agree it's a great experience driving a soft top at night with the tonneau over the passenger side, heater on! But, I reckon it would compromise the smooth lines of the car...
Not sure why you think you'd need any on the bonnet and along the door top my AH didn't. you could probably get enough tension by using the velco fastening for the hood with a stud and another placed just inside the door opening with some flaps.You wouldn't need to take the rear targa off but it would look neater. There is a quite advanced prototype hard removable rear targa that would work quite nicely with this and remove the need to keep removing the soft Targa
V8 GRF said:
RichB said:
Would you really go to all the trouble of removing the rear hood structure? I've never done it but I would reckon it's a hour's work. To work properly you will need a row of pegs across the top of the bonnet and around the top of the rear wings, a few along the tops of the doors and of course over the dash. It's nice idea and I agree it's a great experience driving a soft top at night with the tonneau over the passenger side, heater on! But, I reckon it would compromise the smooth lines of the car...
Not sure why you think you'd need any on the bonnet and along the door top my AH didn't. 
As for pegs on the door tops, maybe not, but then again you'd need pegs on the dashboard just in front of the door to stretch it all forward. Perhaps that what you intended? Wasn't it you that said you'd remove the rear section of the roof? Don't know, only offering my suggestions... 
Oh I see, but you're talking about something like this...
I was assuming you wanted to still have the option to have it in clipped place whilst you were driving, might be a problem with the Leven one
Protect your interior when your car is not in use, quick and easy. Uncover just the drivers side, and unzip it down the middle when you want to head home in the wet
I was assuming you wanted to still have the option to have it in clipped place whilst you were driving, might be a problem with the Leven one
Protect your interior when your car is not in use, quick and easy. Uncover just the drivers side, and unzip it down the middle when you want to head home in the wet
Edited by RichB on Saturday 16th August 09:43
I had a tonneau on a TR6 for years.
The rear edge is going to be a problem unless the hood riser is removed. Here's why.
When you park a car with the tonneau on, you MUST park facing uphill, or at least on level ground.
This allows rainfall to drain off onto the bootlid.
I only made the mistake of facing downhill once. The water runs over the front at the base of the windscreen. A couple of gauges had half filled with water. I spent the next few days carefully stripping and drying them.
This gives a problem when you have a big high point at the rear, where the tonneau will go over the folded down riser. The water won't be able to run off rearwards. Either the front must be artificially raised, or the tonneau used only with the hood riser removed, as you suggested.
The rear edge is going to be a problem unless the hood riser is removed. Here's why.
When you park a car with the tonneau on, you MUST park facing uphill, or at least on level ground.
This allows rainfall to drain off onto the bootlid.
I only made the mistake of facing downhill once. The water runs over the front at the base of the windscreen. A couple of gauges had half filled with water. I spent the next few days carefully stripping and drying them.
This gives a problem when you have a big high point at the rear, where the tonneau will go over the folded down riser. The water won't be able to run off rearwards. Either the front must be artificially raised, or the tonneau used only with the hood riser removed, as you suggested.
Gandalf said:
Further to Mrs FFG comment above ...
What? What did I say??? Me thinks you getting me confused with hubby!! 
Gandalf said:
I think I am going to go for it as we rarely have the roof up ever so winter driving can get a wee bit chilly and a tonneau over the passenger seat etc would be a great asset.
I agree. I use mine every day - all year round - and I prefer to be sans roof, even in the winter. Removing the 'mullet' wouldn't work for me so at the risk of missing out on smoother lines, I'd prefer to keep the rear section in place.And yes, before anyone says, I know we'll have the Taz fixed head on the road for the winter but on nice days it'll still be the Griff that gets taken out! Can't beat a bit of open top driving!
MrsFFG
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