Hood fitting - a couple of questions

[Gavin207]

I'm replacing my original style hood with zip out plastic window with a modern TF hood with fixed glass window.

On the third hood bow I've removed the 7 bolt bar that fixed the hood, and the riveted bar that fixed the window zip. I assume neither is replaced, and the hood isn't fixed to the third bow, so that it separates from the bow when folding the hood, and sits flat on the rear shelf when folded?

Also, I need to buy the rivets to fix the hood, can someone please confirm the size and length of rivets required - I've read that the majority are 3.2mm dia by 15mm long, with two longer 20 mm rivets, but these seem a bit long?

[Tipper]

Peter at MGFMania is the one to talk to.

http://mgfmania.com/

[Gavin207]

I contacted him but he’s not supplying hoods at present.

[talkingcars]

It is a few years since I fitted my glass screen hood but IIRC it was the same as the zipped version.

And the rivet sizes sound right.

[RobboMC]

I'm replacing my original style hood


Also, I need to buy the rivets to fix the hood, can someone please confirm the size and length of rivets required - I've read that the majority are 3.2mm dia by 15mm long, with two longer 20 mm rivets, but these seem a bit long?

Hey Gavin,

As luck would have it I rivetted in a new fixed plastic window last week. The rivets are indeed as you describe, all 3.2 mm ( 1/8" ) and the length is correct, they are especially long rivets. The original ones are black but I could only get shiny silver ones so I'm headed to a model shop for some black paint.

There are 2 longer ones that in my car had a larger diameter head, but I couldn't get the correct size so I just tried the 15mm long rivets and that seemed to work fine. A couple of spring loaded clamps will help a lot, oohh and a vacuum cleaner to collect up the drillings from the old rivets.

While the job is a bit fiddly, I found it straightforward enough and quite rewarding to now look at my perfectly new rear screen. I worked from the centre outwards when replacing the rivets.

[Gavin207]

Thanks for the responses. I understand that when fitting a glass screen hood to a car which currently has a plastic screen, additional webbing straps are required between the frame hoop and the rear bow to support the weight of the glass ? If so, does anyone have fitting details or a photo? Do the Chinese TFs with fixed rear windows have these additional straps?

[ArntyR]

Do these pics help?

I think all glass-rear-screened TFs have these webbing straps; my '05 did and my current Chinese '10 has. The glass is relatively heavy and would 'settle heavily' when putting the hood down.

(It's strange, I miss having the zip-out, fold down rear hole that the plastic screens have. To me the glass is a bit clunky and unnecessary...)

[Gavin207]

Arty, that's a fantastic help, thanks for posting the photos. i bought some webbing from the market today, so will fit it as per your photos. I can also see from your photos that the rear bar is left bare, and the hood just rests on the top of it, as i suspected.

[talkingcars]

I used seat belts from a scrapped ZT for my webbing.

[CubMG]

Both the cant rail cables are broken on my hood are these available and easy to change .
Posted here as it is about hood fitting and may help some one find the answer later.

[Gavin207]

Where did they break? When i took mine off they were OK, but they had copper sleeves over the 'pinch' point where they are clamped, which i suspect helps prevent them failing at the clamp. The sleeves looked like long rivets, if i cant find a piece of suitable copper or brass tube, i'll probably use the body of an aluminium pop rivet.

[CubMG]

Mine have gone above the the window about 8 inches back from the front ,they look rusty.

[Gavin207]

Another question about the additional straps - on my hood there is a roll of material above the rear fixing with a slot on either side approximately 2” wide - are these where the straps fit?

You can just see one of the slots in the photo.