Original soft hood fixing

[umbyfer]

Hello,

how is the original system to fix the soft hood for elan sprint convertible? i bought a new soft hood in everflex, with round corner glasses, swan to the everflex, (not the pvc welded type) without any holes for Tenax. I saw here many pictures and it seems that the 5 side Tenax right and left, starting from the doors, are female type; the centre Tenax are male type fixed to the body; it means that the hood is permanently fixed to the body.
My previous hood was with all female Tenax and was possible to remouve it and storage in the boot.

I am looging for the original system.
Here a pictures taken from the forum as example that i assume it is the original system; anyone could confirm? thank you.
http://images.lotuselan.net/lel/13843/0 ... 20rear.jpg

[richardcox_lotus]

Mine is the same as the picture.

Always has been.

[umbyfer]

Mine is the same as the picture.

Always has been.

Last question: is the length of male tenax all the same or different from 5+5 external and the other in the centre?

[MarkDa]

The standard arrangement is fixed hood as per folding instructions pared in hood tray.
However some people have gone fully removable so the hood gets less creased when stored in a bag in the boot.
Obviously the centre tenax males need to be marginally longer to accommodate the hood material.

[umbyfer]

Now all is perfectly clear! thanks to all guy! i am going to the garage starting home work.

[Elanman99]

Umberto

As others have said the hood was fixed to the car originally and that is the method I prefer (not because I like originality) but because it makes it easier and quicker to erect the hood..

There are several things to be careful of when fitting a new hood. Mine came without any instructions and I was really careful about fitting it but I still got it wrong.

Both the hood and the bodywork are probably not perfectly symmetrical about the centreline. I folded the hood to find what I thought would be its centreline and then made the holes in the cloth to match the body holes. The fit was terrible!

I eventually had to make a new holes in the cloth so that the hood to window frame was the best fit I could get, I now do not notice the unwanted holes but I do know they are there. I think if I did it again I would drill new holes in the body work!

One thing I want to say is that, to my knowledge, replacement hoods do not have the position of the cloth either side of the main window (the strips between the rear and quarter windows) in the optimum position. The original hood folder really neatly because the strip had a fastener directly below it. Once that strip does not fold cleanly packing the hood is a compromise.

Anyway, take your time and check and recheck!

Ian

[umbyfer]

Umberto

As others have said the hood was fixed to the car originally and that is the method I prefer (not because I like originality) but because it makes it easier and quicker to erect the hood..

There are several things to be careful of when fitting a new hood. Mine came without any instructions and I was really careful about fitting it but I still got it wrong.

Both the hood and the bodywork are probably not perfectly symmetrical about the centreline. I folded the hood to find what I thought would be its centreline and then made the holes in the cloth to match the body holes. The fit was terrible!

I eventually had to make a new holes in the cloth so that the hood to window frame was the best fit I could get, I now do not notice the unwanted holes but I do know they are there. I think if I did it again I would drill new holes in the body work!

One thing I want to say is that, to my knowledge, replacement hoods do not have the position of the cloth either side of the main window (the strips between the rear and quarter windows) in the optimum position. The original hood folder really neatly because the strip had a fastener directly below it. Once that strip does not fold cleanly packing the hood is a compromise.

Anyway, take your time and check and recheck!

Ian

Ian,
thank very much for the warning!! Now i know is not so easy, so... be carefully!!
Also my new hood is without any holes. I am here with a headack thinking about how to approach to the installation. Now I share my thought and headack:
1. starting fron the front, inserting the frony side in the retaining strip and checking the correct symmetry on right and left door side.
2. Sign the posizione where to make the holes for the two corner front clips.
3. Open the hood frame in the full open position
4. Check what happend on the rear side fastener by fastener position, starting from the centre and going to the left and the right until the last one near the door.
5. only after double or triple check if the hood is nice, start to make holes.
That is only an idea how to move in that process...

[Elanman99]

You are very much correct with your method, the only thing I would say is to delay making the holes (in number 2) until near the end.

Another difficulty is getting the front to back tension correct, its something you can only check after you have made the holes.

Ian

[umbyfer]

You are right, saying how to mak the correct tension without making holes!! I may use silver strong tape on the front on the windscreen; also on the rear but by small pcs in order to avoid body color damage. If i am able to fix properly by the tape giving the good tension, i start to sign where to make holes...

[el-saturn]

i'd start wwith the males in the body, get the hood attached to the screen, pull the hood tight and start marking your hole markings. then have your punchpliers (?) ready and start where the 1st hole has to be (le and ri near the doors.). i think i thereafter did the one in the middle. before you punch any holes, pull the hood's marking to the male (you'll se the point and the accuracy of xour prior marking and if nessesary correct the possible slack by punching the hole a bit higher than you marking - and continue doing so with patience and a firm stretch. the hole for the female should be a small as possible! hope you get the message sandy

[ericbushby]

I was scared of punching the holes in the wrong place,so I punched 3mm holes first and fitted the cover with the Tenax fittings protuding through these holes in the everflex fabric.
I could then see if an individual hole needed moving a small amount to remove creases before I punched the 9mm hole in it`s final position.
Take your time and do it in a heated garage.
Good luck
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

[richardcox_lotus]

The comment above about heat is a good one. You want the hood material to be easy to work so nice and soft.

When I did mine many years ago my previous non-original hood would always lift at the front. So I made sure the new one was nice and tight. This now means though when I use it in cold weather it?s a real stretch to get it on.

Tight as a drum when fitted and tensioned though.

Regards
Richard

[umbyfer]

Thank you to all of you!
Here pictures of my old and new hood; why an additional rubber parts on the new one?
I don?t know if my old hood was original or not.

[gjz30075]

My original hood has the rubber parts and the two subsequent hoods I've bought in the past years don't
have the rubber.

[umbyfer]

My original hood has the rubber parts and the two subsequent hoods I've bought in the past years don't
have the rubber.

very interesting!! it means that the new one is much more correct than the old one that was also black inside and not grey.