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Where To Buy Poppers For Tonneau ?


matt nossiter

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Need to fit a tonneau I bought second hand but havn't got the poppers that go on the car side , apart from Westfield does anyone know where I can get hold of some , and are there different types of poppers ?

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car builder solutions - online - really helpful :-)

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Any of the car trimmers will stock them, they're only cheap, Woolies., Martrim etc. the ones used for cars all seem to be pretty much a standard size as far as I can see.

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It's the applicator tool that's quite expensive for something you may use only once. Unless anyone has a trick for avoiding it? ???

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The bases don't need the tool, they just rivet on - just to avoid confusion for the OP

I got one of the tools to do the press stud itself from Moss, dont think it was more than about £7, so not dear.

Had to replace some poppers in a hurry before I'd got the tool, it is do-able.

Have to say though it's a bit laborious, I've had as good, if not better results using a centre punch to first flare the rivet section of the top half of the popper, followed by the widest parallel punch that would fit, to peen the rivet bit over and flatten it out. I made a die to hold the domed face side of the popper body by drilling a shallow depression in a block of hardwood with a drill bit that roughly matched the size and curvature at its tip, and then just sticking a couple of layers of masking tape over the depression to protect the poppers paint finish.

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That's very useful Gadgetman, thanks! Mine has a few missing and I must get round to replacing them. :)

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ebay

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  • 3 years later...

Just to bring up an old thread, rather than start a new one....

 

I'm in the same position as the OP - I have a tonneau with poppers, and I need to attach the studs to the car. I've found these:

 

http://www.softbitsshop.co.uk/stud-mod-417-p.asp

 

http://www.softbitsshop.co.uk/rivets-4mm-471-p.asp

 

http://www.softbitsshop.co.uk/recommended-rivet-gun-932-p.asp

 

in the soft bits shop. Will I need anything else? Studs are the right size.

 

Sorry if it's a stupid question, I've never done riveting before... 

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Should all work...

 

They may or may not be the cheapest, I wouldn't like to say without comparing prices, but as a convenient one stop shop - with the postage saving to match, I'd just go for it!

 

You'll also need a 4.1mm drill bit or two. (Though you can use a 4mm bit and wiggle it around in the hole a little to open it up), plus making tape to protect the car and draw alignment marks on.

 

Note, bizarrely you DON'T want razor sharp bits when starting to drill fibreglass, as it chip the gel coat, so if buying new, you can either blunt them a little first, or running the drill in reverse till you're through the gel coat layer can help.

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Just to add ( if no one mentioned it )  better to use peel rivets for GRP or be sure not to damage the GRP with too much force if using normal rivet :)  

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Ah cheers. I've ordered the ones linked in my original post. Will practice on some scrap panels first before attaching the car :)

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I've used the rivets they supply to fit some pull the dot fasteners - also from SBFS, They're pretty straightforward to use, just make sure the rivet is pressed tightly home in the popper base, which in turn is pressed firmly to the bodywork, as you tighten the riveter.

 

Alway test a new riveting tool on scrap first, but ideally scrap of a similar thickness to the material you'll be riveting too. Many hand river era feel subtly different from each other, some needing more pressure than others - get used to what to expect, also get used to how the riveter finally snaps the rivet off - it's very easy if squeezing hard and not quite concentrating, for it to sort of spring back in your hand, but you're still pressing down, so the head of the riveter tends to lift off the workpiece, before smacking back down in it, alongside the freshly pulled rivet, and scratching the grp. (It can be handy to only remove the masking tape immediately underneath where you're putting the popper base, and leave some tape on the panel.)

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