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Spider Tonneau Cover

20K views 42 replies 19 participants last post by  ivan200000 
#1 · (Edited)
Since the subject of whether Alfa did or did not offer a tonneau cover for later model Spiders has come up, I thought it would be helpful to post a picture. This is from the 1986 Alfa Romeo Accessories Catalog.

Best regards,
Enrique

D. Tonneau Cover - Durable reinforced cotton backed weatherproof tonneau. Easy to install, remove or use with only one side open
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Classic car Sedan
 
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#4 · (Edited)
Since the subject of whether Alfa did or did not offer a tonneau cover for later model Spiders has come up, I thought it would be helpful to post a picture. This is from the 1986 Alfa Romeo Accessories Catalog.

Best regards,
Enrique
Enrique:

The brown one on the spider pictured on the other thread actually looks much more luxurious, rich, and classy, imo. At best, and I hate to use these words, but I can't come up with others that seem to express the meaning as accurately; this one appears to be of "cheaper quality" and fits in the category of "serviceable" in comparison. This one looks like a plastic "camping tarp" that you stake a tent through as far as texture, appearance, fit, and the way it attaches to the body of the car.

Are we looking at the difference between a custom made, higher-priced tonneau cover and the standard option that Alfa offered?

Attached, the tonneau cover, I'm referring to from the previous thread....only attached in an effort to show the difference since there are some that indicate that they are in the market for one. Sometimes, spending the extra money is worth the look, the additional wear, and the ease of operation; sometimes the buyer is only after serviceable....all in what the individual buyer desires and requires....simply a choice of products offered, at a difference in cost, I'm a pretty sure.
 

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#8 ·
Cheryl,

I agree with you... but it is just the way the Alfa one looks, because it is weatherproof... The brown one is not an Alfa tonneau - note the difference in the steering and gauge cluster section. When in doubt, that's how you can spot an Alfa tonneau: very raised to accomodate the high steering wheel and instrument pod. (There are also several other ways you can tell that the other car is not an Alfa...)

All:
The tonneau was over $650 and in 1986 (quite a bit of money back then, as many monthly rents were lower than this amount!). They are NLA, and very rare.

Best regards,
 
#6 ·
In real time, many Brit sports cars used them. The Healey 100 I had a jillion years ago had one and it was v. cool to use it, when driving or parked.

Don't recall anything about noise or flapping.

But I don't recall seeing any Alfas with them.
 
#11 ·
Had one on my Morgan Plus 8 and my '67 Cobra. It didn't flap on either car. It is actually useful going down the road as you can put stuff on the seat and it doesn't blow around. It helps keep the interior warm. And, when you park, you just flip a flap over the driver's side, zip it up and you're on your way for a quick pint.

I found a place (TopsOnline) that will makes them for the Alfa, but I'd sure like to see photos on the car and how it attaches to the car...Both of my other cars had little probes on the dash that fit into eyelets on the cover.
 
#13 ·
Well..

For reference and jaw dropping sake, here's a Cobra I viewed and took many pictures of, with a perfectly matched cover.
I was wondering why that cover didnt seem to include the high alfa gauges.
Maybe that site would send someone a tester? :D
 

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#15 ·
A tonneau cover would have some value in providing warmth on a cool evening.

Coming home last evening around the twisties and long straights around the university :) the 50 F temp wasn't offset by the heater:(

Didn't want to put the roof up so it was cold-- a tonneau zipped up on the passenger side would have made it warmer.

Will keep a jacket in the car.

The new 2 L pulls with some authority.:D
 
#16 ·
Yes, the light-brown one is on an MGB, which is why it appears that it wouldn't fit on our Spiders...these things are fitted. Lots of the guys in my Brit-car club use tonneaus to 1) keep the interior warmer on a cold day, or 2) to keep the hot sun from making your vinyl seats be 1,000,000,000,000,000 degrees F right before you plop your shorts-and-tank-top clad self down onto them in August...ouch! I had just such a tonneau for my Spitfire, and it worked brilliantly. It did not flap around at speed, either.

David
 
#17 ·
thanks enrique!

hey so ive been cursing your name since losing that damned ebay auction for the tonneau cover.

sorry to derail, but did you find it to be a good fit?? what manufacturer is it? infos!
It's an original Alfa Spider series 3b tonneau - the only one I have ever seen other than in a catalog! It was not complete however, and I knew that when I placed my bid. (You should know better than to bid against me. If I want something, I'm brutal! :D:D:D)

I spoke to the seller at length on the very first day that he listed the tonneau. The portion that goes around the back of the car, like the normal boot does, is missing. The portion that goes over the headrests and the rest of the ****pit is all there and in nice shape. It does fit, but it's not the best fit on the older seats of the series 3, such as my '84 and your Graduate, due to the shape of the headrest and the seatbelt guide next to the headrest. Also, the way in which it attaches to the front is a bit more complex than anticipated. There are three small extensions at the very front that are supposed to slide down in front of the dash. That should work fine, but there is also velcro all around the front edge, so something must have been meant to go around the edge of the dash. There are also similar extensions that slide into the side windows, which hold the tonneau in place. Then there are snaps in several places, but I haven't figured out what exactly is supposed to go with this. The cover is made of heavy vinyl, and it looks much better than in the Accessories Catalog, where it has a "cheap" plastic like appearance. The cover is very well made, and the quality of the zippers, velcro, vinyl handle pulls, etc., is excellent.

All this said, I don't think it's that good for my '84, due to the fit over the headrests and seat belt guides. It does fit nicely over the '74, which does not have any seat belt guides, since it only has lap belts. I have not tried it on my '87 yet, which is the car it was actually made for, because the '87 has a hardtop on it. All three Spiders, and the tonneau cover are now in Ohio for the winter, and I am in NJ.

Now, I'm going to make your day. :) I didn't buy the tonneau for my personal enjoyment. I bought it so that I could "rescue" an original one (like I've said, it's the only one I've ever seen, and I'm sure it's because these were very expensive when new, and no one ordered one), in order to figure out how it fits, and see if someone can make these for any alfista who would be interested. It's not going to be an easy process, because the cover is much more complex than I thought, but my goal is to bring this piece out of obscurity and see if we can have a good and useful reproduction. (I know an excellent upholsterer in Ohio, but anyone on the BB will be welcomed to comment, make suggestions, etc., and to have one made for their car.) I just picked up the piece last week, and took it back to Ohio when I drove my '84 out, last Friday. I haven't taken any pics, but I'll do so later this winter or early in the spring.

Best regards,
 
#21 ·
Enrique, keep me on your e-mail list if you think it will fit an S-4

lenn
Absolutely, guys! I don't think it will be a problem to make it fit any series 2, 3, or 4 Spider. The key will be to ensure that there is some adjustability to accommodate the slight differences between cars with traditional seats and headrests only (series 2), cars with traditional seats, headrests and seat belt guides (series 3a and all Graduates), and cars with more modern seats, headrests and seat belt guides (series 3b, including the 1988 editions, and series 4)...

Here's the pic from th ebay listing:
Clothing Jacket Shorts


Best regards,
 
#20 ·
I got a hand-me-down black tonneau from my B-i-L (when he parted company with Alfas) that is in very good condition. It had snaps. But. I bought my '69 with snap posts installed but they did not match the HMD tonneau's pattern.

Enrique, How does the OE cover mount. I'd like to eliminate all the snap posts. And, how do you avoid putting snap posts on the dash (screwed, crack starters). I've considered a strap that would wrap from the front of the dash. (I can take some pics of mine. It is heavy material and has very heavy brass zippers and headrest pockets.)
Thanks
 
#23 ·
Take a copy of the picture to any custom boat cover manufacturer and they will make you something just like it in any type of material you choose. Naugahyde, vinyl, canvas, sunbrella, etc. It will fit exactly like the factory ones (which in fact were probably subcontracted out anyway) and only cost you $300-500.
 
#24 ·
Has anybody come up with a cleaver way to avoid drilling 16 or so little 1/8" holes into the body and/or trim to screw the self-tapping snap posts (the male end of the bargain) into? This just feels so wrong !!
 
#27 ·
Are you saying that 16 or so 1/8" holes are applicable to the series 3 tonneau? That would be different from how this cover seems to fit...

Best regards,
 
#25 ·
Since the subject of whether Alfa did or did not offer a tonneau cover for later model Spiders has come up, I thought it would be helpful to post a picture. This is from the 1986 Alfa Romeo Accessories Catalog.

Best regards,
Enrique

D. Tonneau Cover - Durable reinforced cotton backed weatherproof tonneau. Easy to install, remove or use with only one side open
View attachment 64418
Enriques at al. I had this exact model tonneau on my 86. I got it from the Dealer (bobcor). It was a pain to use, so I almost never did. a waste of $350 in my opinion. The problems were mostly the velcro attachments to the dashboard.
 
#26 ·
Tony,
Now you tell us! :p I have to "interview" you to understand exactly how this attaches & yes, from the velcro that runs around the front of the cover you can tell that the dash must be fitted with the velcro counterpart. What about the snaps? There are more than just a couple. Did the piece that was fitted to the dash also have snap attachments?

I did come up with a straightforward design, which I think will work better than the OEM, but I wanted the OEM to get the dimensions just right, and also to ensure that I am not overlooking something critical.

Best regards,
 
#28 ·
The previous owner of my 69SV must have had a tonneau cover (I did not receive) as it had intstalled the little stainless steel male receptors for the tonneau cover snaps around the outside of the ****pit. There are about 4-5 per side. They sit just below the SS outer window trim piece drilled into the body and in the rear just outside the rear edge. The stock boot conceals those. They had installed 4 on the dash (2 inboard and 2 outboard) by screwing through the plastic/foam dash material. Those would not hold for long and left little cracks (which have not propagated fortunately). I'll take a few snaps tomorrow if you like. I was wondering if there were a more cleaver way to securely attach the tonneau without the unsightly little snap posts, especially something that would hold on he dash. I'd thought of a thin piece of SS strap wiht eh snap post riveted to it, wrapped around the front of the dash and secured firmly underneath. Put some felt on the bottom. If anybody has any cool ideas, share them!
 
#30 ·
well that makes me feel alot better!

but OMG did you kick my *** in ebay. NOBODY takes me like that. i had hi-bid at ten seconds, and a max bid of double-my current bid, and zunige still beat me to it. (there was another item at the same time that he took me on as well. both were irreplaceable items and nobody else was bidding but us)

firstly, im definitely interested in purchasing what you produce.

secondly, there was a piece missing on the rear? was it the top-boot that he was selling with it? im guessing not.

perhaps what it needs is a kind of buttress support behind the seats.

wow so it was an official AR part too.
 
#34 ·
Guido,

We weren't the only ones bidding for sure... In the tonneau auction I counted 5 distinct bidders, and in the other auction 2 bidders. That's besides me in both cases... In this case I was concerned about people not realizing that the tonneau was quite incomplete, with the entire rear section missing, and also minus the pieces that would be attached to the dash. I think this contributed to driving up the price. I was still determined to pay a pretty penny for an original Alfa piece, so I entered the full amount I was willing to spend. Even with friends agreeing not to bid against each other, there's always the possibility that any unrelated party will drive up the auction or outbid everyone...

Yes, this will need some work, since the back is missing. I'm also convinced that the design can be improved upon so it's easier to install and use. I'll be taking the piece to an upholsterer in Ohio who does exquisite work, and I'll see what he says. I'm sure reproducing these tonneaus will not be cheap, so my idea is to see how many we need in order to get a decent price. Otherwise, I think that the cost of just one could be prohibitive. (I'm not sure what I'll do with this original piece, besides use it as a mold. I can tell that it is awkward to use and I'm not wild about gluing velcro to the dash, although I think it is a very well made piece and should match a black interior Spider well...)

There was a regular top boot that came with the tonneau, but it's worthless as far as being able to use it with the tonneau. The seller was really not familiar with these parts, so he thought that they could be attached somehow. I will take the boot cover to the upholsterer so that he doesn't start from scratch as to the shape of the back piece. The OEM back piece is attached to the tonneau by a heavy zipper that runs the entire width of the piece.

Best regards,
 
#31 ·
Although that tonneau looks cool, I wonder if it'd be a big seller for our Spiders. I have tonneau covers for my MG's (MGA & MGB) mainly because 1) it is so hard to erect the top on an MG and B) because the MG tonneau is relatively inexpensive.

The Spider's top is so easy to erect (I do it sitting in the driver's seat) that it is no big deal to pop it back up if the weather is threatening or I'm going to run into the store. On an MG, you have to get out of the car, run around from side to side, fold & unfold, re-fold, snap & unsnap, etc, etc, etc that a tonneau is ideal for a quick cover-up.
 
#32 ·
LOL Agreed the MG's tops are a PITA. But you're in NC, I'm in NY, and having grown up with Healey's and Jags (and Fiats), a tonneau that fits is a blessing after September and before April. 35 degrees? No problem--heater on, zip up the tonneau, and smell the fireplaces as you drive...

Frank
 
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