Edward Big Truck Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 As part of my upgrade programme deceided to buy/fit tonneau.Spoke to CC in Dartford and lo & behold a big tube arrived next day - excellant service chaps Unpacked it and was about to rush out to garage to fit but - er no not possible ☹️ because it needs all the fastenings putting on it.The joys of owning & running a Caterham - lots of DIY as far as possible 😬 Dont get me wrong I love it - my SV has made an old man happy Question - what is the best way to tackle this upolstery job 🤔 Secondly , it looks like I need a special crimping tool (dont laugh) for the poppers - where from 🤔 Look forward to your suggestions (clean ones please at the back) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikes Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 I haven't fitted any poppers supplied by Caterham, but with other I have used which have a brass 'tube' in the centre, after pushing it through the leathercloth and putting the popper over, I use a centrepunch (and a big hammer!)to splay out the brass tube thing and then a 'flat' punch to finish the job. The set of punches came from Halfords. I got the poppers cloth from here http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk and they also do the criming tool. When I asked if I needed one they said that it really depends on how many you are doing - presumably it is much easier with the tool. Good luck Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Edward Think I can help here I've got a tool for the poppers and can get a tool for making nice round holes in the tonneau for the poppers. Please give me a shout. I'm also fitting a tonneau but an going to wait until its a bit warmer, end of April perhaps, if you fit them when cold and get it nice a tight it can go all saggy when it gets warmer. Finally if you want a second pair of hands let me know. Paul M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyslr Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 A drill plus a soldering iron (in that order) make an excellent hole. A countersink gadget (the sort you stick in a drill) and then a flat punch, both aided by a large clout with a hammer, make for good tools to split the little tube and then flatten it inside the button. These are better than the alleged Caterham tool I hear. I also found poppers to be a bit, well, poppery and loose / not confidence inspiring at speed. Some Tenax fasteners seem better for certain key locations. Others swear by the "pull the dot" poppers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 I *hate* the CC tool. All it seems to do for me is to collapse the brass pillar to one side rather than splay it out - I've tried a more measured approach by clamping the whole lot up in a vise and applying the force gradually, but the result is basically the same... I tend to resort to the functional rather than the pretty - pop-rivets and washers work most reliably for me... ...had't tried splitting the pillar though... Keep BC free and open for ALL. Membership No. 43xx Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 Myles you'll have to learn how to hit square with an Hammer 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Big Truck Posted March 19, 2004 Author Share Posted March 19, 2004 Thanks for all the info/help chaps Paul - would like to take up your offer of help and the loan of your tools . Will look at trying to do the job later in April - will be in touch by e-mail Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 Edward give me a call when you are ready, I should be mobile by the 16th (Emerald day *smile* ) Paul M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter G Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 I'm looking to get and fit a tonneau, so can I come to play aswell??? I was hoping to have it done over Easteror maybe the weekend before. I'm told that if it's cold, then put a fan heater ion the car, so the cover is all stretchy then you don't get sags and wrinkles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted March 19, 2004 Share Posted March 19, 2004 OK with me. Do we toss a coin to decide whose car we start on first I could do 17th or 18th april, (not mobile till then ☹️) and will have a garage we can play in. Paul M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Big Truck Posted March 19, 2004 Author Share Posted March 19, 2004 I can do either day - have got a garage to work in and perhaps Mrs. Big Truck could rustle up some food - how does deep fried Yorkie Bars sound 🤔 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 If you chaps want to get on don't wait for memy target is 1/5 so I may let my timetable slip until the warmer weather. Ed if you want to use my tools please give me a call. Peter can you give me a call about your ignition switch [please. Paul M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter G Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 I'll be in touch when tonneau firmly in my possession, Paul, presume another Peter about the ignition switch? Peter G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 AAAARGHHHH, two Peter Gs in Bucks *eek* *eek* Paul M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Martyr Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 Edward - can I pinch your thread as a recent fitter of a T Cover? How is it best possible to have side screens fitted and secured AND have the cover fitted? I have seen some with the tail end tie on the screen tucking under the cover which is a bit of a leaky fudge - there must be an eligant answer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted March 22, 2004 Leadership Team Share Posted March 22, 2004 On the rearmost corner of the sidescreen fit a popper to mate with the male popper already on the side of the car. Now fit the tonneau. You'll find there's the same popper on the tonneau as now on the sidescreen. Remove it and replace with a female to the inside, male to the outside (ie. don't use the black top bit) and pop rivet together. When the tonneau is in place again it is possible to anchor the door closed using this additional popper. How the hell Caterham can expect a 7 to work with sidescreens and a tonneau without this mod is anybody's guess . I recon the total cost of the mod is around 25p each side Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 Peter G Edward and I are scheduled to fit tonneau at my place 10:00am Sat 16/4. You are more than welcome to join us. Please mail me for address. I'll get a stock of poppers in. Paul M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrivRich Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 More tips from a bloke who learnt the hard way On both sides you want the tonneau to clip over the boot cover. Hence on boot cover replace front black popper with one that has a male popper on the outside. You can now secure tonneau over boot cover. As things stand, you cannot secure side screens shut with the tonneau in place and do not follow any advice that involves cutting tonneau. The driver side tonneau will only be fitted when parked. Hence just place a popper in the rear most corner of side screen, that will clip onto the tonneau double sidedpopper, and onto the body popper below. You now use this single popper to close door each time you park with tonneau fitted. The passenger side requires the side screen to be fastened over the tonneau when driving. As per driver side, but now the bottom panel of the side screen will come up horizontal, like a wing, at speed. Choose the popper on the tonneau which the front lower portion of the side screen overlaps, and make it a double sided popper as before. You can now secure passenger side screen over tonneau, using the single point. Last tip - when drilling the holes below the windscreen stanchion to rivet the popper DO NOT LEAN ON THE DRILL (to compensate for having a crap cordless drill) as the bit snaps and you fall forward digging the chuck into the paint work 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Have fun 😬 Dave Dodge Viper Blue with Metalic Silver nose band and stripe Membership Number 66 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 Thanks Dave, sorry about your drill. Paul M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter G Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 Paul, I have now got my tonneau, but have also got FIA bar (which I aim to fit this weekend), so I have to fit a new boot cover aswell, Do you want me to get some poppers etc???? Could you email me your address off line, and I'll then see you on the 17th (your post says 16th, but that's a Friday??) Cheers Peter G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 I haven't read this thread fully (bit of a rush to get the car ready for Anglesey on Friday...) - but if it helps, I've just modded my tonneau in light of changing to a drivers-only aeroscreen. My problem had been that the 'center mirror' popper for the passenger side kept coming open at speed (not lifted up - the zip-edge of the tonneau was being put in tension by air-pressure downwards on the tonneau deck). Anyway, I replaced the front and rear passenger-side zip poppers with 'lift the dot' one way fasteners from Namrick (a fiver for a set of four inc. P&P - couldn't find anything else I wanted to spread the P&P...) and it works a treat. It's a one-way conversion though - as the hole needed for the LTD post is larger than that needed for a conventional popper stud... Keep BC free and open for ALL. Membership No. 43xx Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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