The Lotus Grand Tourers

rbgosling wrote: Wed Sep 04, 2024 10:41

Alan_M wrote: Tue Sep 03, 2024 21:17 Yes, I noticed that! 4 years old and faded wherever it is exposed to sunlight. All ripped out and will be redone when I start the rebuild.

If your headlining is exposed to direct sunlight, you are leaving it parked the wrong way up

When fitting the rear cant rails - the metal "blade" clip that pokes through the hole in the fibre glass - how do you re-mount it without tearing through the material? I've just retrimmed my cant rails and don't want to rip it. I'm tempted to make a little plastic grommet and paint the metal to match the material as best I can.

dancroft1984 wrote: Wed Dec 10, 2025 11:42 When fitting the rear cant rails - the metal "blade" clip that pokes through the hole in the fibre glass - how do you re-mount it without tearing through the material? I've just retrimmed my cant rails and don't want to rip it. I'm tempted to make a little plastic grommet and paint the metal to match the material as best I can.

Just slide it back over the plastic of the can’t rail. There’s no glue in that area, so will just slide under the material without damaging it - done it like that on 4 rails with no problems.

Alan_M wrote: Wed Dec 10, 2025 20:49

dancroft1984 wrote: Wed Dec 10, 2025 11:42 When fitting the rear cant rails - the metal "blade" clip that pokes through the hole in the fibre glass - how do you re-mount it without tearing through the material? I've just retrimmed my cant rails and don't want to rip it. I'm tempted to make a little plastic grommet and paint the metal to match the material as best I can.

Just slide it back over the plastic of the can’t rail. There’s no glue in that area, so will just slide under the material without damaging it - done it like that on 4 rails with no problems.

Cheers Alan. Looks like I'll be doing that. Didn't realise when I removed the cant rails that they were push-in, thought they were just a fold-over metal tang. So just folded it back - didn't have any material on the cant rails when I started due to tearing it off 13 years ago so didn't realise I should have refitted them before covering the area with fabric! Think I can wangle it into position though.

dancroft1984 wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 13:00

Alan_M wrote: Wed Dec 10, 2025 20:49

dancroft1984 wrote: Wed Dec 10, 2025 11:42 When fitting the rear cant rails - the metal "blade" clip that pokes through the hole in the fibre glass - how do you re-mount it without tearing through the material? I've just retrimmed my cant rails and don't want to rip it. I'm tempted to make a little plastic grommet and paint the metal to match the material as best I can.

Just slide it back over the plastic of the can’t rail. There’s no glue in that area, so will just slide under the material without damaging it - done it like that on 4 rails with no problems.

Cheers Alan. Looks like I'll be doing that. Didn't realise when I removed the cant rails that they were push-in, thought they were just a fold-over metal tang. So just folded it back - didn't have any material on the cant rails when I started due to tearing it off 13 years ago so didn't realise I should have refitted them before covering the area with fabric! Think I can wangle it into position though.

They’re basically the same as MGB door card clips.

In case anyone finds this in the future - I did manage to just wangle the clips in from the back. You only need to lift the material for about 10mm so just take it steady. They are MGB clips as another poster said. At least that's what I bought as replacements and they look the same and work fine.

Talking of clips, I've found the tag that's supposed to go into the door seal won't go in so now it's sticking down ready to slice my passenger's head open. Going to try to snap/cut it off. Even if it will leave me with a pointless slit in my shiny new headlining!

dancroft1984 wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:17
Talking of clips, I've found the tag that's supposed to go into the door seal won't go in so now it's sticking down ready to slice my passenger's head open. Going to try to snap/cut it off. Even if it will leave me with a pointless slit in my shiny new headlining!

Just check you fitted them the right way up. I inverted mine the first time