Hoods and Tonneau covers

[Krait]

Originally Posted by Cameron Parsons

Geoff.

the option tick box is on the right side of the cheque book, just above your signature

Cameron

谢谢

Bloody SABB. It's missing off their TT form.

Cheers

[Merv and Sharon]

Thanks Cameron. I think Warren's old car was a DRB. His new one however...

Merv

[Merv and Sharon]

The MB cloth was usually a Haartz product. They can be vinyl or cloth based. Their many fabrics are shown at: http://www.haartz.com/en/#

Not sure of the Australian agent but any good trimmer should know.

Merv

[stephen low]

That Aussie source of Tenax in SA doesn't seem to carry the black version of those fittings. I too like the change from just using the plated variety.

Anyone know if the we can get the black option?

And I presume it would be a case over time that the black gets rubbed / scratched off over time. Has anyone experienced this?

Cheers

[Baz]

Hi Merv,

I saw this roof at a recent NSW Cobra Club picnic and will be incorporating the idea into my soft top.

The rear window zips completely out of the soft top.

It is held in at the top by a heavy zip along its entire length which is attached to the inside rear edge of the soft top.

The bottom edges are fitted under two tenax clips on each side of the roof and also under the chromed teardrops.

The benefits of this idea is that it allows fresh air to circulate throughout the cabin when the soft top is erected, even when it's raining.

Baz

[Cameron Parsons]

Baz,

For what it's worth. I had a similar set up in a different car, and it sucked in all the exhaust fumes and dust. With the hood off, it was clean cobra motoring, but the top on and it was a vacuum cleaner.

I'd be trying to test something like that.

Cameron

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Cameron Parsons

Baz,

For what it's worth. I had a similar set up in a different car, and it sucked in all the exhaust fumes and dust. With the hood off, it was clean cobra motoring, but the top on and it was a vacuum cleaner.

I'd be trying to test something like that.

Cameron

Thanks for the info Cameron. I hadn't thought about the consequences as far as sucking everything back into the cab is concerned.

I'll be running side pipes, therefore I shouldn't be eating my exhaust fumes as would be the situation with the pipes at the rear. Did your other car have side pipes or did they exit at the rear as in your present Cobra?

Now that you have mentioned it, the dust and dirt being sucked back into the car really disturbs me. That is one major aspect that I hadn't thought of. I have spend a small fortune on Connolly Leather for my interior trim and I don't want it stuffed up by having dirt and dust sucked into the cockpit caused by this new idea (Removable Rear Window) when the conventional fixed window would do the trick and cost a lot less to manufacture.

Yes. You've changed my mind. Fixed rear window with triangular side quarter windows it will be.

I am wrapped in the shape of Tony Crams soft top and will be using the same shape in my car. If Merv wants that effect and wishes to get away from the original Cobra look, where the soft top is lower at the back than in the middle, it is only a matter of extending the height of the rear upright bar by about 1 to 2 inches on the standard Bow Kit, which I obtained from Snakebite. This will give that squarer appearance in the top rear of the soft top.

Baz

[Cameron Parsons]

Baz,

my old car, with a much younger me at the wheel



Big 'ol live sidepipes.

I'm not saying don't do it, clearly it works for some cars, and the shape of the hood would have lot to do with the aero effects.

The good news is the leather you have in the car kept a few cows dry during the winter months, so it should hold up great to anything you throw at it. I have really good leather seats in the current car, they have been rained on and roundly abused. A good clean and leather conditioner and they look showroom...

Cameron

[Merv and Sharon]

Thanks Baz it looks very good.Could reduce 'ballooning'. But I can see where Cameron is coming from with a vacuum effect. Most MX5s had that detachable rear window as I recall.

Merv

[Merv and Sharon]

Here are a couple of Tonneaus - quite different!

Merv

[LoBelly]

Originally Posted by Merv and Sharon

Here are a couple of Tonneaus - quite different!

Merv

Love those centre spinners on the wheel

(fyi - Ben Hur is 50 this year - appropriately the car is Black)

LoBelly

[Merv and Sharon]

I liked the way that the stripes continued down the tonneau!

Merv

[07cob]

Merv

I have always wanted to do the stripes on my car through the soft top as well. I am not sure if it would be too much, I also like plain black so as not to take away from the paint colour.

When I (eventually) do my soft top and tonneau, I would like to have just one set of clips over the rear of the car. I have seen a few examples where a *frame* (with apropriate protection for the paint) is attached to the back of the car and the soft top attached to the frame. This could also serve as a mounting point for the tonneau if it sat high enough.

So much to consider ...

Cheers

Geof

[TUF-427]

The ony time you need a roof in the rain is when you actually have to stop for some reason!

I have used my roof quite a bit over the years,
lots of Nationals and long distance trips,
its only been the last year or two we Qlders have managed to dodge the rain on the way down..
I have also put it on for scorching hot days to avoid the Qld sun...
Tenax Fasteners are the go,strong and neat,
I used a fibreglass mould around the rear body to attach the roof to the car,
attached by tenax to the body and press studs to hold the roof to the moulding..
also the 1 piece DRb header rail to give some extra height and shape at the windscreen,
held at the ends with overcentre latches..
Never bothered with side windows etc,
just a drip gutter trimmed over the window openings
I used a double thickness Mercedes cloth I think,
the Heavier the better,

A light vinyl or cloth will flap more than a Quality purpose made heavy cloth.

Don at Snakebite also has all things softtop and good advice...

Annvid did my trim side of things..

Cameron, Heidelberg , AIR Conditioning,doesnt that cost horsepower?

[Cameron Parsons]

Cameron, Heidelberg , AIR Conditioning,doesnt that cost horsepower?

Of course, that's why they invented NOS....

Cameron

[Merv and Sharon]

Thanks TuUF427 (Darren?). That is a good hood. I agree about the "drip gutter trimmed over the window openings" - sounds very sensible.

Merv

[Wazza]

Originally Posted by Merv and Sharon

Thanks TuUF427 (Darren?). That is a good hood. I agree about the "drip gutter trimmed over the window openings" - sounds very sensible.

Merv

Hey Merv,

That's the famous and very TUF Peter Hancock....and that's also the same roof I'm going to have on the new car.

It's brilliant...

Cheers,
Warren.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Wazza

Hey Merv,

That's the famous and very TUF Peter Hancock....and that's also the same roof I'm going to have on the new car.

It's brilliant...

Cheers,
Warren.

Likewise.....

Baz.

[Saabreur]

Hi All:

as someone who runs a SAAB C900, I'm rather a sheep in sheep's clothing, here! However I found your very interesting thread because I'm about to replace the rag top on my convertible, and I also want to put a tonneau cover on it. You've no idea how good it is to find a forum where "tonneau" isn't preceded by "truck"!

I've run several sports cars (MGA and TR4) and found the tonneau most useful (cuts down on draughts and increases cabin heat while driving topless in the winter) as well as keeping seats dry during unexpected showers when parked. (I live in Canada)

The SAAB has a two piece top, ie it has an un-zippable rear glass. With the side windows down, I never noticed anything being sucked back into the car through the rear opening; cruising speeds about 135kph.

Both sports cars had similar hoods to those described in the thread, and there are some good links showing different methods of attaching hoods to body.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=umdq...sult&resnum=20
the above link shows tonneau and hoods clips used on Healey 3000 cars

http://www.mgexperience.net/article/...70-softtop.pdf
this link describes the soft top for an MGB, with a steel strengthening strip in a pocket at the rear of the hood/back of the tonneau, that latches into (typically chromed) tonneau/hood retainer fixed clips (no moving parts) on the deck back of the cockpit.

Here are two pics of tonneaux (Healey 3000 and Jag?): http://www.topsonline.com/images/faq/faq10.jpg

This link is to a US supplier of tops for AC Cobra: http://www.topsonline.com/index.php?...modelID=407000

This link is to a US distributor of Vicar Fasteners (including Tenax and black fasteners): http://www.aro2000.com/vicar_fasteners.htm

Hope that some of this might be useful to someone. I've very much enjoyed reading this thread!

Saabreur

[Merv and Sharon]

Saabreur, I just noticed this on an older thread. I missed it before. Very useful and thank you. I am ordering my tonneau this Friday. Lift-a-dot at each corner and each side of the (almost) centre zip and press studs on the sides. Haarzt Grey cloth is the material.

Merv