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Tonneau Question(s).


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I am considering fitting a tonneau to my ‘6. I’m a fairly competent DIYer and was wondering if this was something I should leave to the experts?  My inclination is  Standard PVC does anyone have any bad experience or advice to offer concerning alternative materials? Is there a consensus on best supplier? 
Are there any special tools I might need? 
Are there any resources out there which I can consult prior to installing? 
And finally…assuming I get it installed … is there an “official” way to fold the cover when not deployed?  

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John

As a "fairly competent DIYer " there is nothing scary about fitting you own tonneau.  A few disclaimers as always.

The whole thing will go smoother if you have the following available. Given that we are now in October , no longer seeing temperatures

of 30 degrees plus , a garage that you can heat up, so that the PVC / vinyl can stretch. Another separate clean area , where you can lay the tonneau down on to punch the holes ( five in shape ) for the Lift the Dot fixings. A Lift the Dot punch ( Essential ! )… not cheap so borrow from a local Club Member if you can. I experimented with scrap material , a hole punch and trying to cut 4 surrounding tiny slits for the tangs. Disaster. Bit the bullet and bought the right tool for my hood and tonneau fitting.The tangs  on the Lift the Dot can be knocked over with a small Warrington type hammer.

Check out what body fittings you have on the car  , see : -

https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/tonneau-covers-hood-stowage-tr5-6-1967-76.html

Remember the Lift the dot fasteners need to be installed the "right way up ". Don't assume that the studs in the body work

are fitted in the exact position. Replace any damaged ones now , before you start. Mark centre line on the tonneau with masking tape.

Start at the front , bottom edge of the windscreen. Centre one first , then outside corners of the screen.

To assist in "getting it right , first time " use chalk. ( Blackboard or Tailor's variety ). Rub on the top of the peg and press the underside

of the tonneau. Remove away from vehicle. With a thick sailmaker's needle or small thin nail put through the centre of the chalk mark.

This will enable you to " centre " the punch tool correctly. Use a decent size lump of 4" by  2" smooth wood as your bench. The punch needs a hefty whack for a clean cut of one hole and four slits at one go ! Delicate use of a club hammer works well. Some people crack on and knock out the holes at one go. I preferred to fix the fasteners , one at a time ,.. ? time consuming , yes but that way you can get the next position marked correctly. Fixing it , you can pull against the peg / installed Lift the Dot and tension the material for the next peg , rubbing on the chalk again. And so on and so on.That way the finished article looks taunt , rather than flapping in the breeze and collecting puddles of water when it rains !. Alternate to different sides of the car to keep things taunt all the way through the fitting.

So , order... recap , Fittings at front under the windscreen.Then move to the rear cockpit area , centre two to start really pulling to get rid of any wrinkles. Move alternately , offside and nearside of the car. This time when pulling backwards , induce a slight bias towards the outside of the car that you're dealing with. This way you won't acquire "diagonal wrinkles ". Mark up with chalk each time. The top of the doors , experiment !! Hold the flappy bit ( technical term ) , leading edge and trailing edge in two hands and pull it down to the top of door. This is where you need to use your third hand or a willing helper ! Your mission is to try and find the best position / compromise to eliminate the sags , wrinkles and loose bits. Again put some masking tape tabs on ,  to assist your deliberation process. As you tug at each position individually , you will see that it distorts the outcome. Only when you're happy go for it.I suggest  you fix the centre first and then the outside ones afterwards.

Last but not least don't forget the " tail " on the tonneau. This dangles inside the car and fixes to the side of the seat frame.The idea is to prevent the tonneau billowing , when air gets under the tonneau , when on the move / driver only / passenger side covered. Warning a previous owner may have removed the peg ( not knowing what it was for ). Some people decide they can't be bothered with the tail and cut off the tail.

Time wise I'd allocate a full day. But take it at your own speed , you only want it do it once.

Choice of materials is in my view a case of personal preference. I have a mohair hood and tonneau but PVC and double duck are also readily available. Cost is always a consideration , as is " how long are you going to keep the car for ? ". PVC is easier for a DIYer to work

on. My mantra is always your car , your decision !

PM me if you want any further help / guidance and I'll see what I can do. Good luck with it Bob

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Decide if you have headrests or not on your TR6 before buying. 

This pic shews what fixings you will need.  https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-model/triumph/tr5-6/weather-equipment/tonneau-covers-fittings/tonneau-covers-hood-stowage-tr5-6-1967-76.html

TR6 originally had plastic durable dot fasteners to attach the weather equipment.

Use this tool  https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?search_group=&q=durable+dot+tool

The front end of the tonneau is attached by sail eyelets - use this tool  https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?search_group=&q=sail+eyelet+

There is one LTD fastener on the tail that attaches to the passenger seat to stop the tonneau flapping at speed.

 

Cheers

Peter W

 

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Does a standard TR6 Tonneau Cover (headrest version) fit a car with MX5 seats fitted? Mine are the ones with separate headrests and the seats are mounted on brackets from the technicalities CD.

Many thanks,

 

Sean

 

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17 hours ago, SeanF said:

Does a standard TR6 Tonneau Cover (headrest version) fit a car with MX5 seats fitted? Mine are the ones with separate headrests and the seats are mounted on brackets from the technicalities CD.

Many thanks,

 

Sean

 

I'd be interested to know myself, but I suspect not as the seats/headrests are a lot higher than the standard seats. When I use the tonneau (with no headrests) I just pull out the headrest.

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