Weird Question...

When my Miata was vandalized and a few items stolen the @#&(*&^%s tried
to pull off the tonneau cover by brute force cracking the dash on the
passenger's side where the studs for the tonneau screw in and now
they've become very loose so....

If I pull the glove box or center console/radio or ??? can I reach up
in there to put some kind of backing in place that the studs can screw
into? Anyone know?

I'm pretty sure my hands won't work well enough anymore to R & R the
dash <sigh>, even if I could find a good used one and I think it's one
heck of a lot of labor if someone else does it so some kind of repair
is the best answer. A repair won't show as I had to get a dash mat to
hide the cracks the @$$%^&%^$#s caused.


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I really don't know what the tonneau screws screw into. Is this a hard or
soft cover?
It may be possible to remove the glove compartment bib and see if there is
anything that you might add to help with the situation. It may be that epoxy
will be your best bet.

"XS11E" > wrote in message
. 236...
>
> When my Miata was vandalized and a few items stolen the @#&(*&^%s tried
> to pull off the tonneau cover by brute force cracking the dash on the
> passenger's side where the studs for the tonneau screw in and now
> they've become very loose so....
>
> If I pull the glove box or center console/radio or ??? can I reach up
> in there to put some kind of backing in place that the studs can screw
> into? Anyone know?
>
> I'm pretty sure my hands won't work well enough anymore to R & R the
> dash <sigh>, even if I could find a good used one and I think it's one
> heck of a lot of labor if someone else does it so some kind of repair
> is the best answer. A repair won't show as I had to get a dash mat to
> hide the cracks the @$$%^&%^$#s caused.
>
>
> --
> XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
> The Usenet Improvement Project:
> http://improve-usenet.org

"Chuck" > wrote:

> I really don't know what the tonneau screws screw into.

It screws into holes already provided in the dashboard. You lift out
the factory installed plastic pins that hide the holes when you install
the screws for the tonneau.

> Is this a hard or soft cover?

Soft. http://www.gomiata.com/robheadpocto.html

> It may be possible to remove the glove compartment bib and see if
> there is anything that you might add to help with the situation.

My question is can I reach my hand in there with the glove box removed?
If someone has already done this it could save me time.

> It may be that epoxy will be your best bet.

HERESY! Cars are fixed with either duct tape or baling wire, a true
purist won't use any thing else! Except JB Weld, of course.....

*IF* I can reach the end of the stud from underneath, I can add a
reinforcement somehow, if not, I'll use JB Weld to "glue" the stud in
place but I don't have a lot of hope for that being a permanent fix,
the area of the dash is pretty well damaged when the vandals ripped off
the tonneau w/o unsnapping it.




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pws > wrote:

> I have taken two dashes off and apart, and I don't think that you
> are going to be able to reach up there without removing more than
> the glove box.

I was pretty sure of that, thanks.

> How about a top side repair, maybe filling in the holes with
> quick-set epoxy so that the screws will have something to bite
> into again? With the dash mat the repair doesn't have to be
> pretty, just secure and not raised very much.

That's my current plan. I'll pull the glove box first but I won't
spent too much time or blood trying to get a hand up there....



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"JB Weld" is an Epoxy! I don't usually recommend brand names.
Automotive "Goop" should also work well once it sets up. (not an epoxy, sort
of like RTV that eventually gets hard)
And, I usualy tend to use a mil spec Scotch industrial epoxy that is similar
to "Liquid Steel"
(sometimes free when it goes out of date for mil spec use.)

I always thought bailing wire was used for farm equipment, car mufflers, and
military shipboard radar. (when Duct Tape won't get it)

"XS11E" > wrote in message
. 236...
> "Chuck" > wrote:
>
> > I really don't know what the tonneau screws screw into.
>
> It screws into holes already provided in the dashboard. You lift out
> the factory installed plastic pins that hide the holes when you install
> the screws for the tonneau.
>
> > Is this a hard or soft cover?
>
> Soft. http://www.gomiata.com/robheadpocto.html
>
> > It may be possible to remove the glove compartment bib and see if
> > there is anything that you might add to help with the situation.
>
> My question is can I reach my hand in there with the glove box removed?
> If someone has already done this it could save me time.
>
> > It may be that epoxy will be your best bet.
>
> HERESY! Cars are fixed with either duct tape or baling wire, a true
> purist won't use any thing else! Except JB Weld, of course.....
>
> *IF* I can reach the end of the stud from underneath, I can add a
> reinforcement somehow, if not, I'll use JB Weld to "glue" the stud in
> place but I don't have a lot of hope for that being a permanent fix,
> the area of the dash is pretty well damaged when the vandals ripped off
> the tonneau w/o unsnapping it.
>
>
>
>
> --
> XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
> The Usenet Improvement Project:
> http://improve-usenet.org

I don't blame you! There are a lot of sharp edges on brackets and other
things just waiting to stab and gouge the unwary.
The heater may block underneath access anyway. Taking the dash out is a
really major production, and on older models, an invitation for such things
as breaking brittle plastic parts. To just get under the dash, I usually
end up pulling the seats.

"I'll pull the glove box first but I won't spent too much time or blood
trying to get a hand up there...."



"XS11E" > wrote in message
. 236...
> pws > wrote:
>
> > I have taken two dashes off and apart, and I don't think that you
> > are going to be able to reach up there without removing more than
> > the glove box.
>
> I was pretty sure of that, thanks.
>
> > How about a top side repair, maybe filling in the holes with
> > quick-set epoxy so that the screws will have something to bite
> > into again? With the dash mat the repair doesn't have to be
> > pretty, just secure and not raised very much.
>
> That's my current plan. I'll pull the glove box first but I won't
> spent too much time or blood trying to get a hand up there....
>
>
>
> --
> XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
> The Usenet Improvement Project:
> http://improve-usenet.org

On Feb 14, 6:47 am, pws > wrote:
> Chuck wrote:
> > I don't blame you! There are a lot of sharp edges on brackets and other
> > things just waiting to stab and gouge the unwary.
>
> I still think that they hone the edges razor sharp at the factory. One
> piece that I encountered during a shock replacement left a near-surgical
> cut on my hand.
>
> > The heater may block underneath access anyway. Taking the dash out is a
> > really major production, and on older models, an invitation for such things
> > as breaking brittle plastic parts.
>
> Yes, I have a dash that will fit his car.
> Cost for the dash, maybe $5.00. My cost to install it, about $5,000 or
> so with no guarantees that the replacement won't snap plastic pieces off
> or rattle once in place.
>
> I wonder what a shop charges. A dash replacement is probably the single
> last car repair that I would want to do on the Miata, especially on a
> 1992 model.
> A brand-new dash would have a good chance for a clean installation, but
> it hurts to even think of what Mazda would charge for one, and there is
> still a lot of labor involved.
>
> > To just get under the dash, I usually end up pulling the seats.
>
> That helps a lot, but I still usually do the contortionist act. Being
> thin helps, but it gets harder to do each year.....
>
> Pat

My backs begins to hurts just picturing all this>LOL.

Not being too much of a mechanic myself, I would concentrate on
finding a good NON dealer shop around my area. Check out cartalk.com
(Click & clack). They have an area on their site, where you can put in
your zip code and find some honest/trustworthy shops.

OK so far. I'm VERY lucky in that it's a fairly warm, sunny day
although the forecast was for possible rain.

I removed the glove box and found, as everyone said, that reaching up
to the area where the tonneau studs screw in isn't possible. I was
able to determine this with minimal blood loss. ;-)

So, I mixed up a batch of JB Weld and, using a plasic knife, started
putting the JB Weld into the holes where the studs screw in and also
covering the surrounding area. I coated the threaded part of the studs
and screwed them in finger tight into the now gooey holes and we'll see
tomorrow if the repair will hold.

If not, you'll all be happy to know the local dealer has a fix that
*will* hold, he suggests I remove the studs and tonneau cover and put
them into a 2008 MX5.

I suspect this may cost more than the JB Weld? ;-)


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On Feb 14, 12:34 pm, XS11E > wrote:
> OK so far. I'm VERY lucky in that it's a fairly warm, sunny day
> although the forecast was for possible rain.
>
> I removed the glove box and found, as everyone said, that reaching up
> to the area where the tonneau studs screw in isn't possible. I was
> able to determine this with minimal blood loss. ;-)
>
> So, I mixed up a batch of JB Weld and, using a plasic knife, started
> putting the JB Weld into the holes where the studs screw in and also
> covering the surrounding area. I coated the threaded part of the studs
> and screwed them in finger tight into the now gooey holes and we'll see
> tomorrow if the repair will hold.
>
> If not, you'll all be happy to know the local dealer has a fix that
> *will* hold, he suggests I remove the studs and tonneau cover and put
> them into a 2008 MX5.
>
> I suspect this may cost more than the JB Weld? ;-)
>
> --
> XS11E, Killing all posts from Google Groups
> The Usenet Improvement Project:http://improve-usenet.org

I never even realized that you could use a tonneau cover with the
Miata, mine being a 2000. I either always have my Convertible top up
or down. Why would the idiot have had to do such damage?? Could he
have just as easily unsnapped the cover, looking for whatever. Even a
convertible top isn't much security, if something was stupidly left
within pure view, like a laptop, whatever. I'd imagine some scum
sucker could just slice right through that. I am glad that mine is
garaged nearly all the time, while at home.

Jazz_Azz > wrote:

> Not being too much of a mechanic myself, I would concentrate on
> finding a good NON dealer shop around my area.

I have a very good shop he

http://www.mikes-place.biz/

but replacing the dash is a last resort because of the cost. I could
do a bunch of the easy stuff I guess? I could remove the center
console, radio, glove box, passenger seat and then drive it down there,
that might save $50 or so but it's still an awful lot of money....


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