Help fitting a tonneau cover

[skelteanema]

Hi all,
I have just purchased a vinyl tonneau cover from Paul Matty. I have a 67 S3 DHC. I have never fitted a tonneau cover, or had a car with a tonneau so am looking for a bit of advice on fitting. I intend to fit it later in the year when our southern summer arrives so that the vinyl is more pliable, but I have a few questions:

1. Do you need to remove the existing hood and hardware to fit the tonneau or can you have both?

2. I assume you can keep the quarter tonneau (hood cover)?

3. Where do you start? From the front at the steering wheel, then over the doors, and working back? Or from the back working forwards? Or from the front centre to rear centre and working out towards the sides? To me the center to sides seems an obvious way to ensure that it is central, but am worried about getting the fitting around the doors correct.

4. How tight do you do it when first installing? I assume it will stretch with time, if so by how much and how do you compensate for this?

Any other tips appreciated.

Thanks

[1964 S1]

Greetings, I haven't specifically put one on an S3 Elan but have installed tops and tonneaus on a few Brit cars. I'm assuming you need to install the snaps into the fabric. I think it will use the boot cover snaps at the back. I start at the rear center and work my way out around the back, alternating sides until the rear is finished. Make sure it's straight and in the middle ! Then onto the front.
My S1 has only six snaps at the front, there I would start in the middle and work outwards.
One trick I've learned is to install them "hot". By that I mean leave it out in direct sunlight for a few hours or use an outside heat source. I've used overhead furnaces blowing down to warm them up.
That way when it cools and shrinks you've got a good tight fit.
Tonneaus are a time saving feature, (especially on an S1 where you have to build a 7 piece assembly along with a bunch of snaps on its hood/top when putting it up.)
Good Luck,
Eric

[elanbaby]

Skittle,
fiitting is easy and self-explaining. Doing it in the sun helps as the PVC gets more flexible, expecially when new.

The "quarter-Tonneau" has to be removed (which I didn?t, as you can see in my picture). I have have just thrown my tonneau over as dust protection for the interiour, thats why it looks a bit untidy. Fitting is easy, starting from the rear, front or the middle. In my opinion it really doesn?t matter from where you start.

Regards,
Juergen

[richardcox_lotus]

Just to add to Jurgen's comments - yes you should remove the hood cover - although the hood mechanism can stay in place. Check your shell, as some repaired/resprayed shells have had the male studs removed from the front wings above the doors......

The one thing I notice when using mine is how drafty it is with the windows down !!

Regards

Richard
'72 Sprint

[Mr.Gale]

Eric,
On your S1, how are securing the tonneau under the windshield?
Gale

[1964 S1]

Hello Gale, there are four "TENAX" snaps on the dash cover, two on the metal grill (they can be seen on the S1, page 114 of the excellent book, The Original Lotus Elan by Robinshaw and Ross.) And two at about the inside middle of the windshield curves. (My posts are missing on those two). Then two more out on the doors. I can send you a pic.
The tonneau I have is "original" and old but didn't come with this Elan, I think it may have been intended for an S1 1/2, or S2.
Eric

[bast0n]

You do NOT have to remove the hood or the hood cover - quarter tonneau. Just un-pop the tenax fastners that secure them and the tonneau goes over the lot! I never fit my tonneau as the car fills with water through the centre zip if it rains. I just pull the hood over loosley and tuck the front under the top of the windscreen slot. Lazy - yes - but dry car and minimum fuss. Plus where do you store the tonneau with a boot full of luggage? Just popping down to the Alps now so must dash...............

ps - how doo you spell loosely?

[tvacc]

One trick that I have used is that I put a peice of masking tape on the underside of the tonneau. stretch the tonneau and locate where it should be and then press it (with the tape in the appropriate spot) on the fastener on the car. It leaves a mark on the masking tape so you know where the fastener is located on the tonneau. I have used this method on many cars.

[Frankster1955]

Do you like your Paul Matty tonneau?
Ive seen vinyl and canvas - which is far more money
Kelvedon has one and the price is right, but they just show it in a bag.

Appreciate any helps
Frank

[nomad]

Never specifically put a top or tonneau on your car but have fitted several. The first thing I do is mark the center of the car and the tonneau front and rear. On the body of the car that mark can be best made with a wax crayon. On the top you may want to use chalk. I use chalk on top of the studs to transfer a mark for the snaps to the tonneau or top.

Kurt
26/3754