Source for the plastic rivets on the SMB poptop seal?

[Poptopper]

The poptop on my 2005 SMB is faded and I need to remove the black rubber seal that goes around the entire fiberglass top so I can get it repainted. It doesn't look like you can remove the plastic rivets without breaking them off.

When removing this seal, do you have to get all new rivets? Where can I buy them?

Thanks

[86Scotty]

You can remove and reuse. I’ve done it twice. You could see if SMB will sell you some but I don’t know if they will. They are weird about some stuff like that.
Ask Boywonder, he sourced another type, brass or something.


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[BrianW]

Don’t they have them on the SMB Store site?

[86Scotty]

I'm not sure. The last thing I needed from the SMB store was the little round raised lip washers with black nylon/plastic covers that hide all the cabinet bolts and cover the roof bolts on an SMB. I love those things so I tried to order 50 or so. The guy acted like it was the end of the world! First of all he didn't want to sell them at all, then just wanted to sell me a couple swearing that they were stainless and mine couldn't be rusted. They were rusted to bits BTW and I've seen many others like them. Eventually he agreed to sell me some but it took a few calls and it was like pulling teeth. I was pretty much done ever buying anything from the SMB store at that point. A perfect example of lack of service after the sale.

[Jeffrey]

Most all that hardware SMB uses is readily available as stock items if you know where to look. Start with McMaster-Carr.

[MountainBikeRoamer]

I'd need to go peek at what those plastic rivets look like in particular, but I can say that Harbor Freight stocks a great little plastic rivet gun (and a variety of plastic rivet refillls) and they are pretty slick.

I'll look today to see if the plastic rivets holding the PH seal to the shell aren't indeed similar....if so, that's a cheap and readily-acquired solution.

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by MountainBikeRoamer

I'd need to go peek at what those plastic rivets look like in particular, but I can say that Harbor Freight stocks a great little plastic rivet gun (and a variety of plastic rivet refillls) and they are pretty slick.

I'll look today to see if the plastic rivets holding the PH seal to the shell aren't indeed similar....if so, that's a cheap and readily-acquired solution.

You had my cheap a** at Harbor Freight!!!

[Scalf77]

You can find these



found at the sportsmobile store: https://www.sportsmobilestore.com/pe...-gasket-clips/

I actually did get some from McMaster Carr, but can't get into that account at the moment or I would give you that part number.

-greg

[MountainBikeRoamer]

Haha @86Scotty!

Ok so just went and checked --- the penthouse seal appears to use common automotive push-in plastic body/trim fasteners. You can actually find those in the "help/fix-it" racks of frequently-needed repair parts at many auto parts stores (although not in the significant number you'd need to do an entire PH roof seal....)

^^ those ones that scalf77 linked to look identical to the the ones on my 23-year-old penthouse seal....could be a good price/deal for the sheer number of them you'll need to do the job.

As a technical point:
IMHO, they *aren't* rivets, they're push-in automotive body/trim fasteners/retainers. A true rivet has a sliding internal pin (or screw) that draws the ends closer to each other and thus expands, to create a secure attachment. But I guess anyone can call anything a rivet these days. You will probably have better luck searching for a match to the SMB penthouse seal attachment fasteners if you search for "automotive trim fasteners" instead of trying to search for "plastic rivets"......

In any event --- if anyone is interested.....
Here's a some pics of the kickass (and of course inexpensive) Harbor Freight plastic riveter set, along with some pics of how the plastic rivets expand. These work great on "blind" fastening situations where you don't have access to the backside of two pieces you're attaching to each other. A ton of modern automotive trim requires this fastener approach to properly affix components to each other. (Inner plastic fenderwell to edges of front plastic fascia on many cars, for example....)

It would definitely* work on the penthouse seal as well, just another approach.

*most likely? Need to double-check the OD of the penthouse clips and the hole they affix through.

[86Scotty]

That kit has some really great uses but this one might not be the best use. I think the push in fasteners are better. There are a LOT of em and they can be reused if removed carefully and not oxidized or otherwise destroyed. Then again, I don't guess anyone is pulling/replacing this seal very often. I've seen two 20 plus year old ones that were fine.