Tenax Fasteners... What's the Full Story???

Go for the better quality. the Tenax are a breeze to install

Make sure you order the special little wrench for tightening the fasteners to the fabric.

Do the tenax fastners install right where tghe snaps were?  How easy is it really?

 

Thanks!

If it's a car you're flipping, I'd say go the cheaper version (still better then snaps) 

       
       

Flipping these cars is a hobby for me.  I agree with you that the cheaper ones are better than snaps, but as long as I am able to make a profit while I'm doing it, I really prefer to use the better quality parts.  That just makes them easier to sell and the new owners happy campers.

Troy:

 

IIRC, (it's been a while) the Chrome version is chrome plated over nickel plating, so you get a double plating and it will not rust - the nickel plating by itself is relatively porous and gets 'sealed' by the chrome over-plate (chrome being slightly denser, too).  I have double chrome over double nickel on my Nerf bars and they look as good today as when I brought them home from the plater in 1998 - even though the car has lived within 100 yards of brackish/salty water.

 

The only Tenax I've ever seen on a Porsche is the knurled, button-topped version.  I've seen some of the smooth versions on older (usually wooden) boats, but those are few and far between.

 

Don't forget Tom's comment about the tiny wrench you'll need to install the caps.  Looks like a miniature, pinned spanner and is crucial to get the caps on.

Geeze there are also stainless steel ones and black chrome ones too which might be nice on a black top.  http://www.eagleday.com/tefage.html

 

There are also English and German ones.

 

English ones are cheaper. I ordered mine directly from England.

 

OK, I'll play dufus's advocate and ask, "What's so bad about snaps?"

 

Granted, I keep the full tonneau on most of the time and seldom put the top up, but I haven't had any problems with the snaps.

 

Yet.

 

Is there another rude awakening in my future?

 

 

       
       

Mitch.  What's so bad about a Miata?  Nothing really.  We drive these cars because they are fun.   Part of that fun is the way they drive, but a big part is also how they look, so we do things to them to make them look better.  There isn't anything wrong with snaps and they look fine and get the job done.

 

 

Geesh Troy, your car's so dialed in that all you've got to worry about is the fasteners?

 

Some of us can only dream.

 

Funny you should mention Miatas, though. My old '93 used real Tenax fasteners for the tonneau - on the dash, at least. That was another detail influenced by Bob Hall, the 'godfather of the Miata'.

 

Hall was a somewhat eccentric motoring journalist who convinced the future chairman of Mazda that they should build an entry level rear wheel drive roadster when the rest of the industry had turned its back on such cars. Mazda hired Hall - who had no engineering experience - to be part of the Miata design team.

 

Hall was a rabid car nut, whose dad had owned a bunch of British sports cars when Hall was growing up. He hounded the team to stay true to old school sports car roots. For an entry level car, a detail like real Tenax fasteners was an extravagance - one that 99.9 per cent of Miata owners probably never noticed.

 

BTW, found this site that has a variety of the German Tenax fasteners - which are advertised as chrome-plated brass, and priced for the man who has everything.

 

http://eagleday.com/tefage.html

 

 

 

 

Yup.  Eagleday is the site in the first link in my post.  That is where Teby bought his and the only place I can find that has them in chrome.

Tenax come in English and German and they are slightly different sizes. German ones are slightly larger. I got mine for my top from Carey at SE. Carey uses the English chrome ones. I try to buy as much as possible from him as he is fast, competitively priced, and I'd rather they made the profit as I know them.

 

I haven't installed them yet but purchased Airkewld brakes (all 4 wheels) through Carey, among other small parts over the years. Even though I bought my Spyder from Vintage Spyders, I get the best service from the Hines.

Ha - only finish they don't seem to come in is brass - to match the gold faux PORSCHE scripts.

 

I wish Carey had a list of parts available and prices - like VS does on their site.  I know they aren't in parts business but with the excellent quality new VDO replica gauges they should support a side business and increase their volume. Might even create a new US job!

I installed the Tenax fasteners and it's really a pretty dramatic improvement over the look of the snaps.  Snaps are nice, but these really give the car some flair. Here are a couple of cell pics. Not the best, but you get the idea.

 

 

 

 

Did you go with the wood screw bases or the threaded end with nut? If threaded is 3/8' enough thread? 

I went with the screw in.  Just unscrewed the old ones and screwed in the new ones.  I also added a small nylon washer below each of them.

Yes, like Troy, I used the wood screw type. You must make sure the hole is big enough, or the Tenax stud will sheer off, and you'll have to drill it out. Ask me how I know that !

 

I used thin stainless washers under the studs to protect the paint, looks good.

Troy,  looks great.  This is in my winter list of things to do.

 

quick Q.  Did you use the double screw base to replace the VS double screw instillation near the doors?  See picture of the replacement tenax I'm referring to.  Many thanx

 

 

 

 

And did you go w/3/8' or the longer screws?  Million thanks

Looks GREAT, Troy!! 

Yes I did use the double screw base, but beware they are not the same distance apart as the standard base.  I used one of my existing holes and will fill and paint the other hole.  I did not drill an new hole, just used one for now.  The tonneau is always on, so you will never see it.

I used the standard length screw, 10mm about 3/8".

Million thanks Troy.  Looks awesome.

 

ps-  did you do your soft top too?  I imagine doing both probably took some time. 

 

cheers

I like the look of the Tenax fasteners and have just asked my trimmer to fit them to my Speedsters in the re - paint and re- trim.

 

not long now and it will be finished. A new engine, paint and trim.

 

A whole new car..

 

Thanks Troy for the lead.

 

I have the other fastener's on my aluminium Cobra and the pull/lift to get them off has marked the body.

 

You can see the pins here and slight marking needs to be polished out.

 

 

 

 

 

P

Doing top/tonneau represents serious investment - like 50 or so top clips and 25 pins - you're looking at $300.

OH MY GOD!!!  That is so funny!  I could easily just tell you guys that I did the soft top too, but here is the truth.  I was so focused on ordering the exact number required to do the 1/4 tonneau and the full tonneau that I totally forgot about the convertible top, because I never put it up.   I'll be placing an order for 15 more of them.

It took me less than two hours to replace the snaps and it's very easy if you have the right tools.  I ordered a #2 hole punch and a rubber block from Sailrite http://www.sailrite.com/  They also sell Tenax, but they don't sell the chrome Tenax fasteners, only the nickle plated.  Watch this video.  Use a drill to drill out the old snaps from the top and tonneau.

And yes, it's not cheap, but they are VERY cool.

 

 

 

 

i used chrome english tenax's on mine.  they work great.  shipping was killer though.  i can't remember what i paid exactly for them, but i remember thinking 'ouch' when it was all said and done.

 

you don't need a special hole punch either.  i used side cutters and cut two small triangles with the material folded over.  made a tiny diamond shape and left a lot of material for the backing plate to secure to.

 

super fast to install too.

I used a light diameter paper punch from an office supply store.

Michael,

 

Yes great idea I will pass this onto my trimmer.

 

I think he may have the rotating carousel hole punch.

 

Troy my trimmer just watched the video nodding his head...

 

And thanks again the the link to the fasteners and the video. It saved me trying to explain the trimming with my trimmer, the timing was perfect..

Harbor Freight has a cheap set of leather punches like in video.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/h...-punch-set-3838.html

 

 

Looks like 16 base pins, 4 double screw bases (2 by windshield mirror and 2 either side of doors) and 36 upper snaps? Maybe couple spares for side curtains?

$7.99???  Crapola!  I paid Sailrite $26 for mine.  I also paid them $16 for the rubber cutting block.  I probably could have bought a Teflon cutting board for a buck at the dollar store.

I meant to say large diameter paper punch. I think it was about 5/16", slightly smaller than the threaded part of the Tenax thing but the top or tonneau material stretched over it.