
Posted April
4, '02
Here are the steps
I took to install the soft tonneau and Windguard on my '01 Mustang convertible.
The kit was purchased from Haney
Motorsport for ~$400. The kit comes complete, as I did not need to
purchase anything to fully install the kit.
The kit came with
complete instructions. The Windguard instructions are printed from the
Haney Motorsport site. You can reference them there for larger pics. The
soft tonneau did not come with very good instructions, but they were not
very necessary. It is very easy to install.
This articles shows
the steps that I did to complete the install.
As with all procedures, consult the manufacturer's instructions first.
This is only How-I-Did-It.
The
Kit:
The Windguard
and soft tonneau come in two seperate boxes. The Windguard box had a piece
of plastic taped to the outside that I did not use. It is optional. The
kit contains the Windguard, hardware, and bar for the tonneau, as well
as a set of instructions. The box for the soft tonneau included the tonneau
and a bag of snaps.
Preparation:
Workspace:
A well lit area with the top down on the car.
Tools and Supplies: Allen wrenches supplied with the kit, phillips
screwdriver for snaps, power drill with 5/16" bit, alcohol and steel
wool/abrasive pad, rule.
Left-over Parts: Plastic part taped to Windguard box, screws removed
from rear trim piece.
Quick
Instructions:
- Clean
lightbar with alcohol
- Apply
temporary guides
- Measure
for holes, drill holes
- Install metal inserts
- Install Windguard
- Apply rubber seals
- Install snaps in rear trim piece
- Install soft tonneau
- Place tonneau bar in place
- Tighten everything up
Procedure:
Note: Some full-sized
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Getting
Started
The underside of the lightbar needs to be cleaned before application
of the rubber strips. Oils and gunk will prevent the rubber strips from
getting the best grip possible. The rubber strips are used to hold the
Windguard in place.
The instructions
call for using a steel wool pad and rubbing alcohol. I did not have
steel wool, so I used a Scotchbrite pad and a towel. You only need to
concern yourself with the area in front of the plastic strip under the
lightbar (towards the windshield).
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Apply
the Temporary Guides
There are two small foam pads included in
the kit. Apply these to the front of the plastic strip on the lightbar,
in the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions on the lightbar. Figure the
center is 12 o'clock, and the two ends are 9 & 3 o'clock.
Be sure
to stick these pads only once. I decided to move the pads after they
were stuck (I positioned them too high), and they lost a lot of their
stickiness. They need to be firmly planted to hold the Windguard in
place while measuring.
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Measuring
and Drilling Holes in the Lightbar
This step would be easier if you have someone to help out. With a measuring
tape, find the center of the lightbar and mark. Next, hold the Windguard
up to the lightbar, resting it on the temporary guides. Center the Windguard
using the handle on the Windguard as the middle point.
When the
Windguard is centered, position the L-brackets so that the are ~ 1/2"
from the forward part of the lightbar. Once the brackets are even on
both sides, mark gently with a pencil. Measure from the edge of the
lightbar to the mark to assure they are equal distance from the edge.
Once the
marks are correct, measure one more time - you will be drilling a hole
in your lightbar soon. Make sure you only have to drill once!!
The instructions
call for the holes to be drilled using a 5/16" bit, and to go 3/4"
deep. I used black tape to mark on the drill bit 3/4". When drilling,
be sure that the drill is perpendicular to the lightbar. It is very
easy to drill into the lightbar, so a lot of force is not needed. Also
do not elongate the holes while drilling!
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Install
the Metal Inserts Into the Lightbar
Once the holes are drilled, clean up the shavings and blow out the holes
in the lightbar. Place an insert into the hole. You may need to tap
slightly on the insert to get it started. Use the included allen wrench
to seat the insert fully. Do not over torque.
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Install
the Windguard
Place the Windguard under the lightbar, with the back of the Windguard
resting against the temporary foam pieces. Install the thumbscrews through
the L-bracket and into the newly installed metal insert in lightbar.
Snug up by hand.
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Apply
the Rubber Seals
With the Windguard in place, it is time to install the rubber seals.
Start with the front seal and remove a small amount of the orange plastic.
Position the seal slightly above one of the L-brackets and slowly apply
to the lightbar. Remove the orange plastic as you need more sticky stuff.
Keep the rubber seal snug against the Windguard and press firmly against
the lightbar. Do not press too much against the Windguard, as you don't
want to distort the temporary foam guides on the back side.Once
you have worked your way to the opposite side, there will be a bit of
rubber left over. Trim with a kife.
Repeat
the process for the back side of the window. When you get to the first
temporary foam piece, remove it and use some alcohol to remove any gook
left from it. Continue along the Windguard and lightbar in the same
manner as the front seal. Remove the second temporary foam piece and
clean. Be sure to allow the alcohol to dry before continuing.Once
you reach the other side, you may not have to trim the rubber.
When the
rubber seal is in place, remove the Windguard. Go along the rubber seal
and press firmly to seat them. Re-install the Windguard and the installation
of the Windguard is complete!
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Install
Snaps in Rear Trim Piece
To install the soft tonneau, open the trunk to access the screws in
the rear trim piece. Remove a screw and replace it with a supplied screw/snap.
There will be 6 of these to do. The screws that are removed will not
be reused.
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Install
Soft Tonneau
Unfold the tonneau and lay it out on the back part of the car. It is
best if you let it sit out in the sun before doing this process to warm
up the material. Slide the rear part of the tonneau into the opening
between the open trunk lid and the rear trim piece. Snap the tonneau
to the newly installed snaps on the trim piece.
To install
the sides, slip the plastic flaps on the tonneau under the trim piece.
Completely tuck one side, then go to the next. There are also metal
clips that connect to the slot where the seatbelt comes out. I did not
connect these clips.
Once the
tonneau has sat in the sun a bit to warm up, you can slide the top around
to even it out.
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Place
Tonneau Bar in Place
The tonneau bar is a cross-bar that sits on top of the thumb screws
for the Windguard. The tonneau fits under the Windguard and over the
top of the cross-bar. The tonneau then hangs below the bar. Placed the
bar under the part of the tonneau that is hanging down, install the
flat end of the bar over the a thumb screw. Lift up on the bar and place
over the other thumb screw. There is a notch in the bar - place that
over the thumb screw and rotate into position.
I had
to trim a small amount off of the bar for it to fit as I wanted it to.
To do this, I used a Dremel Tool (could have easily used a hacksaw)
to cut off the straight end of the bar. I then rounded the edges and
applied some black tape to finish it off.
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Tighten
Everything Up
To finish the job, make sure the thumb screws are tight, and the tonneau
is centered and stretched as well as possible. If the L-bracket in the
Windguard loosens up at all, there is a supplied allen wrench to tighten
it. The L-bracket attaches to the Windguard using a rubber compression
nut and a small allen head screw.
As a final
touch, be sure to apply an "fnsweet.com" sticker to the Windguard!!
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A few pics of the final product |
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Its Done!
This was
a pretty simple installation. The most difficult part was measuring for
the holes to be drilled. If I would have had a second set of hands, it
would have been helpful. This install is very possible with one person
though.
I give this
product high marks. I have taken the car out on the freeway several times
and the difference in the wind is remarkable. At cruising speeds, windows
down, you can easily carry on a conversation with you passenger. It does
a great job doing what it is supposed to do.
The fit of
the tonneau is good. There are slight puckers in the rear when it is first
installed, but as the material warms up, it is easy to slide the top around
into position. The puckers are now barely noticeable. The part of the tonneau
that hangs down does not flap around, and the tonneau itself does not move
a whole lot while driving.
I typically
drive with my seat move as far back as possible. With the Windguard/tonneau
combination, I am still able to have my seat moved fully back, but I had
to "decline" the seat by one or two clicks. So, I am sitting
in more of an upright postion now. This was done because I did not want
the seat actually resting on the bar.
The Windguard
was designed and built by Pat Haney of Haney
Motorsports, and the tonneau is a Ford product. The kit is available
from the above web site.
See you with
the top down!
}}kev
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