Summer driving

htfx19

Herzel Frenkel
Our weather fits the X year round but I am looking for an advice.
I like driving it top off, but then, once I park outdoors it gets too hot to sit in again.
Years ago I had a tounue (sp?) cover on my MGB and I loved it.
To this day I wish I coud install one on the X, or devise some other solution.
Any ideas?
Enjoy -
 
Tonneau

While browsing through the ideas of 2013 (Tony and Ricardo et el) I came up with thought. It may be suitable for parking only.
A bar can be mounted on the rear firewall, actually two separate bars, one behind each seat.
The bars will be rotatable and spring loaded, like the seat belts only much softer.
A cloth will be tailored to fit over each seat.
A shallow metal strip to be mounted on the dashboard, up front, which will serve as anchoring catch for the unrolled cover.
What say you...
 
Somone otta make a metal strip that

stretches between the 2 mounting cups atop the X that will hold the array of rivets that can hold that cover.
At least that way, it becomes more modular.
Same goes for the place above the windshield where the seal is.
 
I made this a dozen years ago

It is light and stows easy. I drive with it in place and it keeps what little brains I have left from baking. I lets light and air through but keeps the sun out shading the seats while parked and me while driving. I used 1/8 copper welding rod because that was what was on hand at the time but keep threatening to steal a couple of my son's carbon fiber tent rods that are about the same size. the plastic tabs were from an old radio case that I cut up and melted to shape. It is getting kind of tattered over the years but still does the job.













 
To attatch,,,,

I think something with very STRONG flexible magnets would do a great job. Something like refrigerator magnets but stronger.
 
Magnets

Neodymium magnets are the strongest by far. Since I do have access to such I'll consider them for a cover design.
FYI - shipping such magnets is very difficult, the are so strong that they are hazardous to the surroundings. If you carry a 1/4" Dia slice in your wallet all your credit card will turn to a mere plastic nothing and imminently.
Still, using them for a Tonneau cover.
 
I dunno Herzel... The VACUUM at speed really...

SUCKS at the roofs... and when I used an inexpensive canvas for my Bimini Prototype top... after ONE 60 mph jaunt it left it stretched out and limp. (Wetting it shrunk it to be too small afterwards too...)

(This one was affixed using the front and rear sections of a standard top and side bars holding the glued on canvas over the entire top taunt. Essentially, it was a conventional top with the center section missing so it could be folded up and placed in the rear trunk.)

My point being... I can't imagine a magnet strong enough that would hold the top in place that I could/would feel confident about... but I sure don't know much about the ones you speak of. They sound so strong that they would probably suck the paint off the car when you went to remove the top.

Knowing that you have had trouble in the past due to your stature and position in life...



(Herzel pictured second from the left...) I think I would have someone in your area build a top like the prototype that I attempted. A sourced top as a donor for the front and rear latches... and then some strong "scissor-like" arms on either side to stretch and hold them apart with a GOOD convertible top material glued and secured down over it would probably be the best for you. Light, strong, portable, and stores in the rear trunk leaving your 'dual-shock' opening front trunk a wide open void for your groceries!

Jimmy D made a simple drawing of what I mean...



My only change would be to use scissor supports on each side that are FIXED as I found that straight supports such as these could not easily be latched and then stay inflexible as well. I think the scissor supports I mentioned can be found at hardware stores for supporting legs on tables and such... or an old (or new?) table could be a donor.

Have fun!
 
Ya drangonsgate

I looked at those magnets after my post also. Grade 40 is strong and they go up to 52. Rough GUESS perhaps a 35 or so may be the best. The charts show a fridge magnet about a 2-4 ,,,, they are not strong enough.
I did make a first prototype many years ago but had just used fridge magnets. They were sewn in between the vinyl to avoid scratching the paint ( they were rubberised magnets and flexable). Those magnets were not strong enough though.
My plan at the time was to only use it when stopped,, if it looked like a sudden shower, overnight ,when shopping etc. It usually seems to rain some here almost daily ,enough to mess the roads and soak the seats. I still have it and will dig it out after the next 1.5 feet of snow melts. I forget how it had fit and stuck. It was made very basic.
 
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