Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Problem solved. I am replacing all of the snaps \with Loxx pull up fasteners and studs (all stainless steel) for the top, full tonneau, and quarter tonneau. I got rhem from Sailrite in Indiana.

Pricey, but now everything attaches as it should. The original snaps on my 2019 VMC Speedster could not be adjusted. The Loxx units allow adjustment on the fastener's upper portion that attaches to the material. The studs screw into the original snap mounting holes in the body. They can be adhusted for height.

Jim Ruiz

Westchester, CA 90045

Thanks to Wolfgang for explaining the Loxx/Tenax connection. I could only find the posts and fasteners in stainless steel from Sailrite. The installation tool they have for tightening the upper fastener is a must. Their post tightening tool is very small. A i/4" ratchet & socket works better. I got a six oiece hollow punch set/drill hole cutters from Harbor Freight (#67030). It will be used on the top and tonneau material pieces.

Jim Ruiz

Westchester, CA 90045

It has been a while but I think I used only the wood screw type into the fiberglass.  I made the mistake of sealing the holes with epoxy after drilling.  The hard epoxy made it difficult to screw the Tenax posts in. It is easy to twist off the brass screws. I put a washer under them.

I did use the machine screw post on the windshield frame where the top flaps attach. I carefully drilled and tapped the holes. Since I used Tenax fasteners from England the screws had weird British threads. I cut most of the screw threads off and screwed the posts in with epoxy.

Thin super glue is what I use to seal any fiberglass holes. Only use enough to just coat the fiberglass, then any previous holes or threads will remain.

I used the same wood screw posts that Michael used, and used stainless washers under the studs to prevent galling the paint. They held the top on my old car perfectly fine. There was no need to drill through and bolt the studs from behind. I think there were 6 or 7 that held the back of the top to the Spyder deck. FYI, I went 85mph with the top on, it held up just fine from the wind-load. I made several trips to Alan Merklin's PA house for the Pumpkin Runs, 280 miles each way.

One spring pre-flight I noticed a couple of mine were a little loose. Rather than tightening them and risk  stripping out the threads, I added a dab of 3M Weatherstrip Adhesive aka Monkey Snot to them and screwed them back in.
They’ve help up fine going on three years now and I regularly drive with half the tonneau open and the other half flapping in the breeze.

The Loxx installations on the 1/4 tonneau, full tonneau, and the top are now complete.Everything snaps tightly into place with very little effort. Next project is to improve the full tonneau four front fittings that attach onto the top center dashboard and front body just in front of the front doorThe windshield angle makes the center top dashboard fittings awkward to assess. Will experiment with twist-lock and Loxx pull-it-up units to see if can get better fit than the original lift-the-Dot fittings

Originally I had snaps for my tonneau. I installed them per the CMC manual 1" behind the windshield. When I replaced them with Tenax fasteners, the ones behind the windshield were very difficult to pull up.

So, I made a tool out of a spoon. I cut a slot in the bowl end and put a hook in the handle end. The hook is to pull up on the grille in the engine compartment cover. I dipped both ends in Plastidip.

tool2tool1

Attachments

Images (2)
  • tool2
  • tool1
Post Content
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×