Section : Hoods and Hardtops

Hood Bag Too Small

Posted By : Paul Bennett, 27-Aug-2005, 11:06pm

I have just tried to fit the hood bag supplied with my 1500 car and it seems to be to small.

Could it be off a MK3 (or 2 or 1) or is it the correct one and needs to be stretched (a lot)?
Also the female poppers are plastic and have already started to break when trying to fit.

Thanks.

Followups :

Hood Bag Tooo Small

Posted By : Colin Lindsay, 27-Aug-2005, 11:57pm

By how much is it too small? It's a while since I went topless but I remember the only way I could get mine to fit was by starting in the middle and stretching the bag as I came to each popper until it reached both outer edges. Hopefully they stretch with use!!
- Hood Bag Tooo Small
  
  Posted By : Ian Mulford, 28-Aug-2005, 01:19am
  
  I seem to recall reading somewhere that there were 2 types of popper fitted. The early MkIV's had plastic ones and the later ones and 1500's had the metal kind (someone please step in and correct me if I'm wrong). My MkIV has plastic male fittings attached to the car and they seem perfectly happy to accept a metal female fitting on the hood bag I use. To me, the plastic fittings look to me to be smaller than the metal ones so that is maybe why yours are breaking being as they're the other way round to mine. Also, I think, the spacing of the fittings were not standard and each car varied to a small degree which might be why you have to stretch the bag to fit the poppers.
Hood Bag Tooo Small

Posted By : Julian Saul, 28-Aug-2005, 07:21am

I had a similar problem after purchasing a NOS cover from Rimmer for my late 1500 Spifire. Mine has metal male and plastic female fittings.
The situation was resolved by leaving both Spitfire and cover outside on a very warm summer day and after a while coaxing the cover over each of the studs one by one starting from the centre moving outwards. The corner studs closest to the boot front corners proved to be the worst. After a couple of days with some cool night temperatures, the cover had assumed its correct fit and can now be fitted relatively easily even after a winter "rest".
- Hood Bag Tooo Small
  
  Posted By : Paul Bennett, 29-Aug-2005, 12:42pm
  
  Okee doke, I think I'll take your advice and stretch fit on a "warm" day;
  I was tempted to say hot but I think there is little chance of that.
  
  Can the female metal poppers be fitted relatively easy?
  - Hood Bag Tooo Small
    
    Posted By : Julian Saul, 29-Aug-2005, 01:02pm
    
    Mine were already fitted to the cover, though they were a pretty tight fit getting them over the males.
    - Hood Bag Tooo Small
      
      Posted By : Paul Bennett, 29-Aug-2005, 01:21pm
      
      They do have the female popers already fitted but some are broken because
      they are plastic and some are in the wrong position. So I'll need to fit some
      metal replacements.
      - Hood Bag Tooo Small
        
        Posted By : Colin Wake, 29-Aug-2005, 07:21pm
        
        Paul
        
        Chances are it is the ones on the car that are in the wrong place if it an original hood bag. If it is a copy, then anythiung could be in the wrong place.
        
        Reading back I don't think we ever worked out if you aheva 1500 hood bag.
        
        It is a mk3 one if it has 2 chromed ring holes at the front corners.
        
        Cheers
        
        Colin
        
        Hood Bag Tooo Small
        
        Posted By : Martin Wood, 29-Aug-2005, 08:49pm
        
        Now this topic is aired, can someone enlighten me on how the thing is supposed to fit at the inside sides?
        The one I got off eBay fits fine outside plus the hooks inside except there are is a popper at each inside end plus one male buried under the hood frame on the quarter panels. No way will these ever mate up so the side ends just rub against the seatbelts!
        
        Hood Bag Tooo Small
        
        Posted By : Paul Bennett, 30-Aug-2005, 00:22am
        
        Thanks Colin,
        
        I think you may be "hitting the nail on the head" when you mention it being the wrong one.
        I will certainly have a look, bearing in mind what you have described to me, tomorrow (Tuesday) and
        take it from there.
        
        Thanks,
        Paul.
        
        Hood Bag Tooo Small
        
        Posted By : Colin Wake, 30-Aug-2005, 08:02am
        
        I can tell you exactly how a Mk3 one should fit.....
        
        Starting one side you hook the frame into the 'pocket' on the end of the hood bag, then pull it up over the chromed peg that hardtop fits to and push it through the chromed ring. Attach the poppers round that side. do same for other side. Now hook the 3 elasticated clips onto the hoodframe right up under the folded down hood.
        
        In order to do this, and the whole operation go easily, the hood must be folded down correctly in the first place.
        
        I will look at my mk4 one tonight, it rarely gets used, and certainly never fitted properly.
        
        Cheers
        
        Colin
        
        Hood Bag Tooo Small
        
        Posted By : Mark Stradling, 30-Aug-2005, 11:29am
        
        For the Mk4/1500 it's poppers around the rear deck lip, then either hock's on straps over the folded hood frame (origonal) or poppers on straps (after market) to hold the bottom of the hood bag down.
        
        I've got a club hood bag and, while the main rear deck poppers work fine the poppers on straps a) fowl the seat belts b) pop off if you even look at them wrong, let alone drive.
        
        Hood Bag Tooo Small
        
        Posted By : Paul Bennett, 30-Aug-2005, 05:17pm
        
        It fits!!!!!!
        
        Well dress me up and call me Susan
        
        It actually fits.
        
        You were right, it been quite warm today and I managed to stretch it.
        It was hard going and took me about half an hour of swearing, but I've done it.
        
        My thanks to everyone for the advice.
        
        Paul.
        
        Hood Bag Tooo Small