Klasik-69 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I need some advice on getting a tonneau cover made for my 7. I need to cover the passenger side seating area when I race and I also need to have a cover for the driver side while hauling the car on the trailer to the track. I have an upholstery shop that recommended using attachments called "lift ups" rather than the more traditional snaps. He claimes the older british sports cars typically used these. After he showed me what they were, I got concerned about these since they look like a stud sticking up. I'm thinking that getting in and out of the car with some of these on the dash and side boards may cause me some problems. I thought the traditional snaps would be softer on my body and wouldn't cause any gashes, cuts or punctures. What do you guys think ? I need some input, the car is going over there on Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rss Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 hi klasik, not sure what you're fastener you're referring to -- is it "lift the dot" or "pull the dot" fastener made my scovill? both of those are directional fasteners, which would make sense if you want it to stay fastened when subject to wind. "Pull the dot" is the old style and "lift the dot" is the modern one that looks like a regular round snap but only releases from one side. i don't have personal experience with either one but i'm sure others here do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucky dawg Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Would it be easier, and possibly cheaper, to just order one direct from Caterham http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/category.php?id_category=388 or Soft Bits for 7s http://www.softbitsforsevens.co.uk/page6.html? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toyotus 7 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 The nice thing about the lift-a-dots is that you can put different lengths of stud in strategic locations so that you could potentially use the tonneau and/or parcel shelf cover, and the soft top at the same time. It's hard to explain, but it would allow you to use a cover over the rear parcel shelf, and a soft top concurrently or a full tonneau and soft top at the same time (this might sound silly, but it helps in rainy climates when your car sits outside). I like 'em, but others may not. They are used on many classic English sports cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotus8guy Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I have an upholstery shop that recommended using attachments called "lift ups" rather than the more traditional snaps. He claimes the older british sports cars typically used these. After he showed me what they were, I got concerned about these since they look like a stud sticking up. Sounds like they're talking about Tenax fasteners. I had an old MG Midget with them. They're secure, authentically British, but yeah, the stud could be a problem depending on the placement. Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 They are use a lot for boat covers, bimini tops etc. Much more durable than snap buttons and I can not remember the studs ever bothered me on a boat. They are anyway quite stubby and rounded. But I think the biggest drawback is that they are probably twice as tall compared to normal snaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klasik-69 Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 Would it be easier, and possibly cheaper, to just order one direct from Caterham http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/category.php?id_category=388 or Soft Bits for 7s http://www.softbitsforsevens.co.uk/page6.html? Yep, you're right about it being easier and likely cheaper. However, these aren't for the race seats with the high back. And I want the covers to link up to the rear cover I now have from Caterham. hi klasik, not sure what you're fastener you're referring to -- is it "lift the dot" or "pull the dot" fastener made my scovill? both of those are directional fasteners, which would make sense if you want it to stay fastened when subject to wind. "Pull the dot" is the old style and "lift the dot" is the modern one that looks like a regular round snap but only releases from one side. i don't have personal experience with either one but i'm sure others here do. I'm pretty sure he called them "lift the dot". He showed me one of them. The side that goes on the canvas is the hole which has a spring wire devide inside it that grasps onto the studs little recess. The stud is about 3/8" to 1/2" tall, has a small threaded screw stud (either a 6-32 or 8-32 thread) on the base for attachment to the sheetmetal. Would snaps not hold at higher speeds ? I'm pretty sure I've had the rear cover on at times and since I still have it, I know it didn't blow off. Also, regular snaps don't damage the surround paint surfaces. I'm concerned about the possible wind chatter vibration of the large canvas attachment messing up the paint around the stud. The other attachments I've seen are the ones on boats which is a stud that once the grommet of the canvas is passed through, you turn the studs a quarter turn to lock in the canvas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rss Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 i recently looked at all these fasteners for a boot cover. i ended up going with dot "durable" fasteners. basically regular nondirectional snaps. scovill makes the dot line of fasteners, including lift the dot, pull the dot, durable, and common sense (that's a quarter turn kind). http://dotfasteners.thomasnet.com/category/all-categories? tenax fasteners look really nice. there are german and english versions and they are not compatible. i considered these but decided against them due to cost -- about $12 per fastener and there are quite a few fasteners around the entire perimeter of the boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klasik-69 Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 i recently looked at all these fasteners for a boot cover. i ended up going with dot "durable" fasteners. basically regular nondirectional snaps. scovill makes the dot line of fasteners, including lift the dot, pull the dot, durable, and common sense (that's a quarter turn kind). http://dotfasteners.thomasnet.com/category/all-categories? tenax fasteners look really nice. there are german and english versions and they are not compatible. i considered these but decided against them due to cost -- about $12 per fastener and there are quite a few fasteners around the entire perimeter of the boot. Thanks for the link, they show all of them. The one the upholsterer was showing me is the "lift the dot" type. That's the one with the stud sticking up that concerns me. Yes, the stud is rounded on the tip but it looks like something else to get snagged on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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