Holdsworth Villa Pop-top clip replacement - rivets

[jameshear]

Hi,

I'm replacing the pop-top clips on my villa, which have become rusty, and I have some stainless ones to replace. It appears like I will have to drill out the old rivets, and put new ones in. I'm unsure if there is a metal plate inside the pop-top, and was wondering if I have to get some special rivets, so that I don't just pull the new rivets straight through the fiberglass, if there is no metal backing plate?

Cheers

[MidLifeCrisis]

Is there a plate behind the bit of the clip that is attached to the part of the roof that lifts?
I'd like to bet/suppose that they've done the same to both sides.

[jameshear]

No - the rivets don't go all the way through, so the other end is inside the pop-top. I guess that's why they used rivets in the first place. I haven't drilled the old rivets out, so that's why I wondered if anyone else had done it, what they found. I'm worried about damaging the fiberglass, through being a dumbarse.

[MartinR]

Hi guys
One of the wonderful things about this forum is that as soon as you think of a question someone else asks it!
Now I also have a Holdsworth pop top with somewhat rusty clips and was wondering if there was a strengthening plate behind them. I’ve had a bit of a poke around today and find that the rear of the hook on the upper part is visible, and has a spreading washer behind each rivet. I can’t find any way of getting access to the inside of the clip mounting without major dismantling.
I seem to remember that in the days when Holdsworth were based at Woodleigh, you could arrange to go there and they would fit new clips while you waited – so I assume there wasn’t much stripping down involved.
I understand that my van was a DIY job using a kit supplied by Holdsworth ( they confirmed that), so fitting might not be quite standard, but if anyone knows or works out just how the clips are fitted I’d like to know, come to that I’d also like to know a source of the clips, especially if they have the same fixing hole spacing.
Cheers
Martin

[johncccc]

On my Holdsworth I have replaced the clips with new stainless steel ones. I just drilled out the pop rivets and used new ones. Fortunately the new clips were exact replacement and all the holes matched. This was three years ago and I don't seem to have had a problems.

Protex sell them here:

http://www.protex.com/toggle-latches

[glennhod]

have you got a link to the exact latches you used