Trim fixings and finishers cover the small hardware items used to attach hood, tonneau and trim panels to the cockpit and rear quarter areas. These are the period-correct fasteners that secure the soft top, tonneau cover and sidescreen stowage envelope at their fixed points around the cockpit, and that retain the trim panel cards in place.
Lift-the-Dot Hood Sockets and Posts
The lift-the-dot fastener system was used throughout the MGA's cockpit to fix the hood, tonneau cover and sidescreen stowage envelope at their attachment points. The system consists of a stud or post fitted to the body or trim, into which a corresponding socket fitted to the hood or tonneau material clips with a positive locking action.
Replacement hood sockets are supplied in pre-packed sets of four, and twin plate posts (which carry two studs on a single body-mounted plate) are also offered as sets of four. Individual sockets and plate posts are available where only one or two need replacing.
Self-Tapping Screws and Clinch Plate Fixings
Self-tapping screws in recessed raised countersunk head pattern (No. 6 x 5/8) are used to retain the lift-the-dot studs and other small fittings to the bodyshell. The clinch plate fixing is a fabric-side fastener, a small plate that grips the back of the hood or tonneau material to provide a secure anchor point for the lift-the-dot socket on the hood side.
Ordering Considerations
Lift-the-dot fasteners are normally renewed in matched sets, replacing only the worn or missing sockets often results in a hood that no longer clips down evenly along its full length. Ordering sufficient sockets, posts and clinch plate fixings in one go, alongside the matching self-tapping screws, allows the hood and tonneau attachment points to be renewed as a single job rather than piecemeal.