Weird Question...

XS11E · 2008-02-14T00:05:58+00:00

When my Miata was vandalized and a few items stolen the @#&(*&^%s tried to pull off the tonneau cover by brute force cracking the dash on the passenger's side where the studs for the tonneau screw in and now they've become very loose so....If I pull the glove box or center console/radio or ??? can I reach up in there to put some kind of backing in place that the studs can screw into? Anyone know? I'm pretty sure my hands won't work well enough anymore to R & R the dash , even if I could find a good used one and I think it's one heck of a lot of labor if someone else does it so some kind of repair is the best answer. A repair won't show as I had to get a dash mat to hide the cracks the @$$%^&%^$#s caused.

Feb 14, 2008 24 Replies

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Bill Gunshannon 18 years ago

Huh? Haven't ever seen how they open the door when you lock your keys in it? Takes 2 seconds and doesn't leave a mark on the car. Only the amateurs break windows. I had a Volvo broken into and a ham radio taken out of it in Anapollis, MD over 20 years ago. The police would not even come out to look at it as the same thieves had done the same to over 100 cars in lighted hotel parking lots overnight. Not a mark on any of them.

Sounds like time to get a lawyer. See above. And the pros are even better today. On another note, I wonder how long before they figure out how to use bluetooth to get the car computer to open the doors for them?

bill

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XS11E 18 years ago

Not that easy now. Breaking windows is still very popular, it's the fastest way to get in.

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Chas Hurst 18 years ago

Who has had a theft claim denied because the car wasn't locked?

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XS11E 18 years ago

It's been since the middle of February since I posted the above and we've been blessed with wonderful warm weather for some weeks now and the top has been down, the tonneau cover has been on and off many times and it looks like it's FIXED!

To review, posted February 14th: "I mixed up a batch of JB Weld and, using a plasic knife, started putting the JB Weld into the holes where the studs screw in and also covering the surrounding area. I coated the threaded part of the studs and screwed them in finger tight into the now gooey holes and we'll see tomorrow if the repair will hold."

The studs are solid as can be now. I believe a big part of the success is that the weather wasn't warm enough for a couple of weeks to use the tonneau cover, I put the top down a few times but always has to put it back up in the evening so the JB Weld was left alone to harden for many days.

Years back I added JB Weld to duct tape, WD-40 and bailing wire in my "repair anything" kit, I recommend it highly!

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XS11E 18 years ago

Correct.

That's in my watchmaker's tool kit.

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