Tonneau Cover, ideas?

dhs.buckley · #1 (**permalink**) 10-06-2013, 03:55 PM

I am taking the cobra down to the trimmers in the next couple of days to have a tonneau cover made.
i am just wondering what people think of the push button style or to go with the pin style press studs?
Iam just a bit worried the pin style may cause cracks in the fibreglass?
does anyone have expierence with either?
and also i magime you wouldnt want the pin style ones on the doors.

leroy17 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-06-2013, 03:59 PM

The third one look great, if not a little complex.

leroy17 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-06-2013, 04:01 PM

ok... that was not helpful I know. I have no cover.. no roof.

I have thought about it in the past..... but I also like the nice clean look with no pins/studs as well.

boxhead · #4 (**permalink**) 10-06-2013, 04:03 PM

I have the same style on my car, when I drove to Cairns and back I left the passengers side fitted up and no issue.
I also put the cover on each time I tow Cobra to ShelbyFest or Nationals on my open trailer. No cracks in glass on mine.
But the CR has very thick Fibreglass.

dhs.buckley · #5 (**permalink**) 10-06-2013, 04:15 PM

having a little computer trouble this morning, i see it has double posted, it crashed twice while trying to upload picks.
I also love the clean look but the interior needs a cover when staying overnite.

stuartt · #6 (**permalink**) 10-06-2013, 05:03 PM

I have the pine style fixings for my tonneau cover and soft top with no problems. Give me a call if you want to drop round and have look.
Stuart

Donunder · #7 (**permalink**) 10-06-2013, 06:37 PM

The pin style, or lift at dot, is fine for around the cockpit and along the top of the dash, and you need one flat push button type on the door about a third of the way back from the leading edge. I'd avoid the cap style--they look too obvious when the cover is in place, although their mounting posts are smaller.

Ask your upholsterer to sew in some foam padding where the tonneau goes along the top of the door to compensate for the "dip" between the dashboard and the hip in the bodywork past the trailing edge of the door. It doesn't need much, and in fact I wouldn't have thought of it, but my guy suggested it to give the appearance that the cover was sitting flatter and to prevent the need to put more than one push-button stud in the door. The padding stops excess flapping when driving along and also makes the cover more water/dust proof.

You probably don't need as many clips around the back as shown in your third shot. I'm of the same opinion as Leroy on that it's a shame to destroy the clean lines of the bodywork, but it's a necessity to have a tonneau because there's not always cover when you're out somewhere. At the same time, try to avoid the picket fence look by keeping the number of clips down to a functional minimum.

Trevor W · #8 (**permalink**) 10-06-2013, 11:45 PM

I have the lift a dot pins with a nylon washer between the base and the Jelcoat no star fractures as yet now 2 years. I have far less fixing than you Pic's. Three each side of rear center to door opening and 2 each side at front plus the foam pads along the doors.No fixings on the doors .
Trevor W

dhs.buckley · #9 (**permalink**) 10-07-2013, 02:02 AM

Saw the trimmer today, he was not impressed with the pics he said they look amateur. He suggested pins for originality three each side of centre, none on the doors as he can mould it with nylon inserts inside the tonneau, 2 pins in the middle of the dash and maybe 2 each side of the center pins, it goes in next monday.
On another note stuart I tried to ring you a couple of weeks ago, have changed your no?

Jaydee · #10 (**permalink**) 10-07-2013, 02:14 AM

Here's a thought. What if you glued super magnets under the fibreglass all along the edge and inside the doors, and the sow a flexible type fridge magnet into the tonnea cover. Would that hold?
JD

dhs.buckley · #11 (**permalink**) 10-07-2013, 03:27 AM

Hey jd, thought that might work, but the glass is so thick he has to order new pins with longer threads, most of the glass is over 1/4" thick, in some parts its over 10mm. Hardest bit is the rear guard near the door, very hard to get a pin in there.

stuartt · #12 (**permalink**) 10-07-2013, 03:32 AM

Dave. Who is doing for you?

Jaydee · #13 (**permalink**) 10-07-2013, 05:00 AM

Quote:

but the glass is so thick he has to order new pins with longer threads, most of the glass is over 1/4" thick, in some parts its over 10mm

Maybe it's a thought for manufactures to mould them in with the fibreglass. Or maybe eliminate most of the pins by just holding the corners for strength and the magnets to hold it flush. I'll source some to see if it'll work.
JD

dhs.buckley · #14 (**permalink**) 10-07-2013, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuartt

Dave. Who is doing for you?

Univeral upholstery in wodonga, had my ute seats reupholstered by him as a test, a very nice job, he even sourced the original end rolls from gmh, expensive but an excellent job.

DaleG · #15 (**permalink**) 10-09-2013, 12:21 PM

Another option: a snapless tonneau.

About Phil and Kay tonneau cover ! - FFCars.com : Factory Five Racing Discussion Forum

dhs.buckley · #16 (**permalink**) 10-16-2013, 01:00 AM

Got the car back today from the trimmers, looks ok , pretty close to what i was thinking
apart from the press studs which he said he couldnt fit them as the glass was to thick in places. main thing is it keeps the weather and undersirables out.

Donunder · #17 (**permalink**) 10-16-2013, 01:41 AM

That looks good -- not too many clips.

The zip goes back an awfully long way though -- usually they stop just short of the bodywork. I think I'd be slipping a piece of felt under it to protect the paint, especially if you're ever driving with passenger side in place and the tonneau is flapping a bit. If you are driving this way, there'd be no need to undo the zip all the way back either.

Without being too much of a wet blanket, I'd suggest you may eventually be asking your upholsterer to fit a shorter zip. But, try it for a while and see how it goes.....

Nice looking car too. I'm a big fan of that clean street look.

Modena · #18 (**permalink**) 10-16-2013, 01:46 AM

looks good.

I don't see why the trimmer would not have put a "flap" under one half of the zip at the back there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donunder

That looks good -- not too many clips.

The zip goes back an awfully long way though -- usually they stop just short of the bodywork. I think I'd be slipping a piece of felt under it to protect the paint, especially if you're ever driving with passenger side in place and the tonneau is flapping a bit. If you are driving this way, there'd be no need to undo the zip all the way back either.

Without being too much of a wet blanket, I'd suggest you may eventually be asking your upholsterer to fit a shorter zip. But, try it for a while and see how it goes.....

Nice looking car too. I'm a big fan of that clean street look.

dhs.buckley · #19 (**permalink**) 10-16-2013, 02:39 AM

Thanks don & modena its growing on me, just been used to the clean lines with out the tonneau, there is flap with felt underlay on the doors and the zip, but doesn't take long to remove, maybe ok around town, but imagine it may flap a bit at hwy speeds. Also the reason the zip is so long is the seat is hard up against the boot bulkhead, so he made it so the hole drivers side can fold into the passenger side.