BJ7/BJ8 Boot Cover Question

[60TR3A]

My car came with an unfitted black boot cover that I have not gotten fitted. I was thinking of getting a custom-made cover using vinyl to match my interior, complete with the BRG piping. I visited an upholsterer today and he noted that there are only 4 pins on my car onto which to snap the Lift-the-dot fittings and he was a bit incredulous that only 4 attachment points would hold the cover in place. There aren't any in my car's interior, either. Is it correct that only 4 contact points will suffice? Pic of my interior attached which is the look I am going for if I can get more of the same vinyl. Heritage did the interior but they claim that it must be Everflex and that interior vinyl won't be beefy enough. So, if anyone can recommend a convertible top and tonneau vendor that has experience with Healeys and does custom work, please refer them to me.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

My car came with an unfitted black boot cover that I have not gotten fitted. I was thinking of getting a custom-made cover using vinyl to match my interior, complete with the BRG piping. I visited an upholsterer today and he noted that there are only 4 pins on my car onto which to snap the Lift-the-dot fittings and he was a bit incredulous that only 4 attachment points would hold the cover in place. There aren't any in my car's interior, either. Is it correct that only 4 contact points will suffice? Pic of my interior attached which is the look I am going for if I can get more of the same vinyl. Heritage did the interior but they claim that it must be Everflex and that interior vinyl won't be beefy enough. So, if anyone can recommend a convertible top and tonneau vendor that has experience with Healeys and does custom work, please refer them to me.

Go to this link and "BJ8 Convertible Top/Tonneau/Boot cover.
https://www.heritagetrim.com/austin_gall/m_gallery-aust.htm They have lots of colors to choose from.

 

[60TR3A]

That's Heritage, the people who made my interior and who said they could only do my boot in Everflex. The only color Everflex offers that's even close is Ivory and it's too bright and light.

 

[richberman]

Ask Adam at AHSpares. They send me color samples of green to custom make my boot linings.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

That's Heritage, the people who made my interior and who said they could only do my boot in Everflex. The only color Everflex offers that's even close is Ivory and it's too bright and light.

They sent me samples to choose from too but I'm waiting to get the actual interior to see how the match is. I believe my interior might be the same color as yours, before ordering a Boot or Tonneau cover. Top is staying black.

 

[richberman]

They sent me samples to choose from too but I'm waiting to get the actual interior to see how the match is. I believe my interior might be the same color as yours, before ordering a Boot or Tonneau cover. Top is staying black.

I sent them samples of my cinnamon and green interior and they matched it spot on! I didn't care for the boot armacord so I stuck with black like Abingdon built cars.

 

[Sparkie93]

My 67s have 6 Lift-the-dot fasterners (4 on the outside as you mention, 2 on the inside attached to the rear side panel) and 3 snaps across the top of the rear seat back.

Robert

 

[60TR3A]

My 67s have 6 Lift-the-dot fasterners (4 on the outside as you mention, 2 on the inside attached to the rear side panel) and 3 snaps across the top of the rear seat back.

Robert

I think the BJ8 boot is a little more tailored than the BJ7. I think there are more visible Lift-the-dot fasteners & snaps on the BJ7 boot, but not 100% certain of this, just observation of photos. I don't have a Healey restoration guide to refer to. Does anyone know if the BJ7 boot should have all those fasteners? Robert, is yours like in this pic of a BJ7 I've attached? If this is how mine should be attached, then I've got a lot of studs and snaps to install. The Robbins black Everflex boot that came with the car never got fitted so I've got to examine the fasteners they included and be guided accordingly. I found a vinyl supplier that sent me samples which match quite well. Even though I have a black top, it rarely goes up because if the weather isn't nice, I don't take the car out, so I'd just as soon hide it with a boot that matches my interior. It won't be "correct" but the colors on my car aren't correct for a BJ7, anyway.

Correction: Robert, if yours is a BJ8, then yours should look like the first photo. The 2nd photo is from a BJ7. Not sure if it's correct, though. Anyone know?

 

[bob hughes]

Correction: Robert, if yours is a BJ8, then yours should look like the first photo. The 2nd photo is from a BJ7. Not sure if it's correct, though. Anyone know?

I think that you are pretty much spot on with the BJ7 from what I have discovered. There are two on the out side at the back, then there is one each side on the outside near the front of course. I have installed the two on the top but the inside ones and the end ones are not there yet - no interior panel fitted yet.



Bob

 

[Sparkie93]

Bob,

Yes, my BJ8 is like the first photo, with the exception of the front, inside lift-the-dot fastener that attaches to the interior panel is actually attached to a strap which is sewn on to the inside of the cover. Photo is the driver's side of the cover. You can see the stitching in the form of a square. My father bought both of my cars in the mid seventies. Can't be certain, but think this cover is original to one of them. FWIW.

Robert

 

[healeyblue]

Just to keep the terminology straight, that is a "tenax" snap. They are different than "lift-the-dot" fasteners.

 

[60TR3A]

Thanks, Healeyblue. Are the Tenax fasteners only used on the exterior or are all the snaps Tenax? I have Tenax fasteners on the windshield of my TR3 but everywhere else there are Lift-the-dots. I'm wondering if I need to get Tenaxes for all the rest of the fastener points besides the 4 studs already in the body of my car. Personally, I prefer the Tenax fasteners because half the time I have trouble getting the Lift-the-dots on my TR3's tonneau to snap onto the studs in the body.

Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned about originality since there was never a boot cover offered in the oyster beige with BRG piping and even if there had been, this color scheme with Pacific Green paint was not available on the BJ7 in the first place.

 

[CanberraBJ8]

Its a shame that DHMC didn't decide to use the Tenax fasteners for all the points, rather than those lousy Lift-the-dots. They are so much nicer to use - and look better IMO.

 

[60TR3A]

Well, I've got my Robbins boot - sans snaps - and tried to fit it on my car. What's puzzling me is the way my top folds: there is a large fold that protrudes over the top of the rear seat several inches, thus making it impossible to snap the boot to the three fasteners that are supposed to go on the top of the seat. I'm guessing I have to do some stuffing of that fold to get it out of the way. Even so, the boot looks a little flaccid, as though it'll look "empty" and not smooth as in the pics. Of course, it hasn't had any fasteners installed yet so maybe it'll be taut when stretched and snapped into place. If anyone has insight into this, please give me guidance as to what to expect and any tips about how to make it look good when affixed.

In case you're wondering why I don't just get the top fitted and fasteners installed and then judge what it looks like, it is because my plan is to use the Robbins boot as a pattern so as to get it made out of vinyl matching my interior. The usual vinyl isn't as stiff and thick as Everflex so I've already got that working against the custom boot fitting and looking smooth and full as in the pics. So, I'm trying to get a handle on this before I go to the expense of making something I might never want to use.

This is my first Healey so I don't have anything for reference. Thanks in advance!

 

[60TR3A]

Ta-da! I think it came out great! It took a lot of ordering of samples to find a close match but finally located the piece goods and found a custom upholsterer a 2-hours' drive away and had to sacrifice my unused Robbins boot to make the pattern but he did a masterful job, IMO. Overall cost came out similar to what Heritage charges but they couldn't match the interior, insisting that regular vinyl wouldn't work and only Everflex would. Proved Bart wrong because my guy made what I think is a masterpiece.

 

[Johnny]

Nice color choice Bob. My BJ7 has metal interior ,side front, panels on each side with a hole at the top presumably for the lift-the-dot fastener. Most I've seen put the fastener on the inside side panel, due to rubbing when entering. I have two mounted on the rear seat back, plus the 4 on the outside for a total of 8 altogether.