FE-EK Holden ute hard torneau cover

[Chuck]

I also have this thread in Parts Wanted but thought that it might do a little better here.

Im hoping that someone out there has come across a manufacturer of a hard torneau covers for early model Holden utes (FE-EK).  I am trying to find something that resembles the fibreglass strut lift covers fitted to the current Commodores.   Harko said that he saw some at the All Holden Day in Sydney last month that you could buy as a kit and he thinks that it was a boat building company on the Central Coast.  Any further contact details for this supplier or any other would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers - Chuck

[Longhurst]

There is a manufacturer in Bemboka NSW between Cooma and Bega, try 02) 6493 0416 or consult the Bega phone book. A club member of ours has one fitted to an FJ and was at the AHD.
Regards Peter

[Chuck]

Hi Peter

Thanks for the reply.  I have just contacted the manufacturer in Bemboka.  At the moment they dont have a cover to suit the FE - EK range, only the FX - FJ.  They said that if they were to make one they would make a mould and sell copies, these being around $1200.  My ute is still some time from being registered and therefore no good for this purpose.  The supplier that Harko saw at the AHD was in the order of $600 for the kit.  The search continues.

Chuck

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

There's that ute from the QLD Nationals (also featured in Street Machine) that had a hard tonneau from memory. Maybe someone has contact details?



Otherwise, if you are handy with a welder and know a fibreglasser, you could do one yourself.

[HARKO]

Chuck ,See if you can find that French blue (royal)blue EK Ute pic that was on here about 2 - 3 months back ,Im sure slim posted it here after a mate dropped over in it . From memory it was for sale at the time and possibly it has a new driver but theres an avenue there to track him down.

Cant believe no ones heard of the supplier seing as there were so many cars at AHD with this companies torneau's on em.

[Ed]

If u have the time and patience...

make up the shape using ply and get the desired shape and edges by sculpting bodyfiller.

paint it up (so its not porous), then wax it up with releasing agent, then mold it using gel coat and fibreglass.

ive been playing a little with making up a centre console and various trim panels in place of the standard door cards.

messy but not that hard... the hardest part about the tray lid would be getting it nice and flat.

If u need a good fibreglasser try:

Danny's Custom Mobile Fibreglass
4626 6212
0418 649 963
Woodbine NSW (Campbelltown)

Danny does some amazing stuff, and he's a nice guy too.


Cheers

Ed

[RET]

Kevin (the owner of the ute pictured above) does occasionally visit the forum here, and I'm sure he'd be only too happy to fill you in on how and where his tonneau was made.  Send an IM to "old-blu".

cheers
RET

[craiga]

Kevin told me that this cover was made by himself and the guy who assisted building the ute (sorry but I have forgotten his name    was it Jason? VERY talented guy anyway). I remember that he said he had lots of trouble with the hinges, and am sure he also said that he wouldn't be doing any others off the mould, but maybe, like RET says, Kevin is the best one to comment.

Cheers,

Craig.

[HARKO]

Previous owner ?
anyways the guys wife told us it was the boat builder on the central coast, could it possibly be the same cover ? I dont know but i doubt it.
2 other ute owners had same from same company too.

How many boat builders are ther on the central coast.
White pages search may unveil something otherwise looking forward to some chinwag from old blue.

[robbzfc58]

theres a chopped  ek ute featured in current "perth sreetcar" mag ( www.perthstreetcar.com )which has an awsome hard cover.  they guy who built the ute is a cabinet maker & made the cover himself ,using metal tubing curved from front to back & side to side, then fitted with mdf skin -top & bottom.  he's routered the holden lion into the skin..awsome.maybe he could do a second one.  he says it took 200hrs!!
might be able to scan if ya want
cheers trev

oh yeah   its solenoid operated too!

[Chuck]

Hi All

Harko, great minds think alike, I called Slim this afternoon and he is going to try and catch up with the brother of the guy who knows a guy who once lived next door to the guy that bought the EK ute you saw with one of the mystery covers (well maybe I exaggerate   but hes onto it).

I saw the blue ute at the Queensland nationals and spoke to Jason (Craig I think you are right) and he said it was a nighmare, from memory, it was fabricated similar to an areoplane wing with wooden ribs spaced across the tray every few inches.  This was then covered in fibreglass, apparently the hinges were a real hassle to get right.

Ed, yeah I have had a fair bit to do with fibreglass (built a lot of Kayaks in a previous life) and can visualise the process involved including the feeling of all that chopped strand sticking into me    The reason that I am keen is that by the time that I construct a steel frame, come up with a hinge system, purchase struts and locks, fibreglass mat, resin etc... Spend a heap of hours in the garage getting headaches from the fumes, $600 is starting to look pretty cheap.

However, the look of that chopped EK ute (thanks Trev) is enough to almost make the hours worthwhile  

Chuck

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Another idea, I saw on a show called "Pimp my Ride", is to get a cover that is a close fit then cut-and-shut to suit?
West Coast Customs did this to a Chevy Luv ute, then added four motor/actuators to raise and lower the lid level ie you could put your glass of beer on the lid and raise it without fear of spilling.

orrrr

What about a hinged framework with something like an mdf or marine ply backing then trimmed in usual tonneau material? Something different.

[Fast_Eddie]

Chuck,

1. Bolt a lockable box underneath a soft tonneau.

2. Paint the ute Volcanic grey.

3. Finish my rotisserie.

4. Go surfing.

[RET]

Or:

1.  Buy wagon or panel van.

2.  Put roofracks on vehicle purchased at (1).

3.  Fit surfboard to roofrack, go surfing.

[Chuck]

Stinky,

I saw the Chev Luv Pimp My Ride episode and have priced a pre-manufactured fibreglass hard torneau ($1500 +) and it comes with the risk that it might not work.  I’ve already considered the hinged framework idea with the marine ply upholstered top, but I would like to colour match with the vehicle and I like the strength and durability of fibreglass.

Ed,

1.      But I don’t want a soft torneau (see topic of discussion above).
2.      Volcanic grey, is that a colour?
3.      Are you cooking a chicken?
4.      Can’t, too frustrated at not being able to locate Central Coast hard torneau supplier, considering macramé instead.

RET (AKA the voice of reason),

1.      Far too sensible.
2.      Far too sensible.
3.      Far too sensible, see point 4 above.

Chuck

[Fast_Eddie]

Chuck.

What's a "torneau". Do you mean a "tonneau"?

The rotisserie you have half finished may as well be used for cooking a chicken, because I can't mount an FC body on it until you finish it. (Fine for an EK, I might add)

I can help you out with a wagon or a panelvan. Might even consider a swap for the EK ute. As long as it is painted grey.

Macrame would suit you. Is that what you are doing this weekend, instead of working on the rotisserie?

Regards

Ed

[customFC]

Here's a couple of the utes at AHD with fiberglass covers.


If Harko was refering to the manufacturer being at the AHD displaying his products to sell, then "wayne" or "Graham Fuller" would be able to get the details from the AHD organisers.
Regards
Alex

[Chuck]

The search is finally over.

After chasing every shipwright, boat builder and fibreglasser on the central coast, the town north of Sydney that started with 'G' was not Gosford but in fact Glen Innes, the town I once lived in for several years.  Robert Fakes, who incidentally did all sorts of engineering bits and pieces for my old FC when I was still at school, makes a fibreglass tonneau for FE-EK utes for $1000 (the blue EK ute above has one of his lids fitted).  This doesn’t include the struts, locks or hinges but he can supply if needed.  He owns Fakes Engineering and can be contacted on (02) 6732 1755.  From my fairly exhaustive telephone work, I am fairly sure that he is the only bloke in the country making them.

Chuck

[customFC]

Hey Chuck.
In the current issue of Cruzin magazine (#48 ) there is an EH ute with a hard cover on page 46. He lists in the article that the cover was custom made by the Tuff Lid Co in Melbourne.
Regards
Alex

[Chuck]

An update on the hard cover I recently purchased from Fakes Engineering in Glen Innes.

I received the cover about two weeks ago and it’s difficult to describe how bad it was.  Firstly, the cover was unbelievably ripply with massive shrinkage around the metal frame and a number of hollows and ridges.  It had no structural support other than one light SHS frame around the inside edge.  When you lift the cover, or press on it in the middle, it flexed so badly meaning that any filler applied to the top to smooth the ripples would almost immediately start to crack out.  When the cover was trimmed after being removed from the mould, it was done so roughly that the edges deviated 7-8mm in places from the straight line.  To trim to a line of best fit would mean one side would be nearly 10m higher than the other.  The worst part is that the cover only sits on the top edge of the tray despite having a rounded edge (i.e. It should sit down with its edge coming about 40mm down the sides of the tray).  In other words, the cover is about 10mm too narrow.

I took the cover to two local panel beaters and neither would even touch it as it was so bad.

At $1000 it didn’t include any hinges, locks or struts.  Which I was happy about (paying for the convenience of being able to get a cover), but if you add in the large cost of fixing all the problems it has, it becomes a very expensive item.

When I raised my justified concerns with Robert Fakes in a rational manner, all I received was a tirade of abuse and name calling.  I had no option but to return it.

It has cost me $160 in freight for which I have nothing to show.  I would never recommend purchasing a cover from this manufacturer under any circumstances.

My best option is to trailer the ute shell to Hardcover Bemboka on the NSW south coast and have one made by a professional (they need a shell as they have never done one for a FE-EK ute before).  I have seen their covers and their work is first class.

Chuck

P.S.  Harko, I really regret not taking your advice and avoiding this product.