Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Classic Mog - Winter Buddy Half Tonneau.

A full tonneau came with my Mog, but I've rarely used it. It's cumbersome to fit. The head restraints must be removed to close it up, and as a solo occupant, the passenger head restraint must be removed. It also interferes with seatbelt retraction.
I've toyed with the idea of head restraint pockets, and may still do that, but for now I'm trying something else............

I wanted a half cockpit tonneau, which would allow me to keep both head restraints in place, and therefore also the windstop. (See other thread). It's also my intention to use the standard hood cover and my new half-half tonneau gap filler. This is more appealing for winter use.

First I made a brown paper template..............


I'm at the test fit stage. Here it is tonight located under the head restraint stalk.


This is the dash end before final trimming.


This is the nearside and shows how it will fit over the hood cover. The white chalk mark shows the final cut guide.


I will take it to a local trimmer to have edging applied. The fasteners are not yet fitted. To firm it up, I've glued some firm density neoprene underneath.

This is how it looked just before I packed in for the night.....


So far so good........

Dave

Very nice Dave, never used a tonneau myself, but do like the hood down all winter.
I was given a hood cover when I bought the car, never used that either, looked a bit fussy. Does your tonneau only work with the hood cover fitted.

Dave
This half tonneau will only work with the full bag of mashings - so hood cover, half-half tonneau and perspex windstop.
It's just that the full tonneau (which replaces the lot) is such a pain in the arse. Cumbersome to fit, and stops the belts retracting.....and the passenger head restraint has to come off which means no wind stop. I used it like that last winter, but it's very draughty.
I considered having a head restraint cover sewn in the full tonneau each side, but have gone off the idea. I like the hood cover as it's very neat, but difficult to fit due to all the press stud fixings. I inherited a black leather hood cover from Simmonds with the MOG, which is really good, with a single zip fastener, but it doesn't look as good as the factory hood cover which I bought later on - so I rarely use it.

My intention is to run the winter as in the pictures. If I take a passenger all I have to do is remove the buddy tonneau, and I'll use the storm cover if I need to stop anywhere.
That's the plan - I just need the trimmer to get on with it.


PS - it's much warmer in the footwells with a tonneau.

Just to be a pedant - it's not a tonneau, it's a tonneau cover (in Dave's case of course a half-tonneau cover). The "tonneau" is the open body of the car. In French tonneau is a barrel (="tun" in English).

Nigel

Heathen that I am as my "barrel cover" doesn't have pockets for the headrests I just recline the seats forward.

I would accept that isn't so good for driving with 1 seat reclined but it works.

But Dave your solution looks good, patent & sell it to Simmonds!

Ah Nigel, I'm prone to lazy typing...........
Sorry!!!!

What really surprises me John, is how little variation is available from the specialists, given how long Mogs have been the same shape. The quick fit hoods are well covered (Ouch!) by Simmonds, Allon White, Rutters etc, but the windstop, the half-half barrel cover, and the WBH barrel cover above are ideal for my use, so must also be suitable for others. Of course it's a fiddly arrangement which won't suit many, but I'm looking forward to testing it once I get it back and it stops raining for ten minutes...........

Allon White has made a nice 'hood cover'/short tonneau cover for Easter's 4/4 which I saw on the factory tour day out, so anyone with a 4/4 might consider that - it tidies up the rear of the cockpit. The hood isn't there of course but it covers the frame.

Allon White 1/2 tonneau has cut-outs to prevent seat belts snagging and was a reasonable £155 in everflex, their trim shop has a 8-10 week waiting time and as tonneaus are made to measure they need your car for a day

I fetched the "Buddy Cover" back from the trimmer yesterday. I spent last night cleaning the surplus glue off the back. It's not a bad job though. This morning I fitted the fasteners. It took most of the morning to get this finished.

This is the fixing tool from Woollies for the standard button type fastener. It makes a fantastic job. I put a strip of masking tape over the anvil as a bit of protection.


Where it fits over the seat, I've used a head restraint collar to tidy it up. These are a standard size - probably originating with British Leyland - and are available from MG specialists. The chrome eyelet is part number CZA4500, and the backing washer is CZA4263.











Close up of the edging.


So all that remains is a road test........
If it ever stops raining.........

very good idear

Tonneau tested today over 116 miles, and a great success. It just needed a tweak to tighten things up tonight......
Pics to follow tomorrow.

By the way, I bought some knee length socks yesterday, because in the past it was draughty round the ankles, but today, I didn't have to use the heater blower, it was so snug.