TF Hood rivets

Hi All,
I’m soon planning to replace the hood on my 03 TF as the plastic screen has finally cracked and the zip’s failed.
Reading about the rivets used, being a novice riveter and their length what riveter did you use? Is do-able with the normal manual plier types or do you wish you’d hired/ got a cordless one?
Thanks,
M

When I replaced my hood, I just used a standard squeezy-type pop-riveter. No problems at all.

I was invited to the funeral of an add on riveter attachment for a battery drill. It was bought from Ali Express & along with it being of no value it subsequently became clear it was not going to be easy to return.
The ceremony was held on a bridge over the Leeds Liverpool canal & we all gave a hearty three cheers as it described an arc over the adjacent lock, where it dropped out of sight.
A grand finale for a useless & disappointing Chinese failure of a tool.
M

Hi,
Thanks both for your replies.
Bruce.
Many thanks for the clarification on whether a basic one was man enough.
Mike,
Yea, well the less said the better on that!
I looked on the HSS site today to hire a battery one - £85 for the DAY!!!
Screwfix do a Milwaukee one for around £200 with charger and battery. So basic one it’ll be.
Waiting for ‘Bitz to open now…..
Cheers,
Michael.

Weel it's going to depend on the rivets used, size and material will make a big difference larger sizes in stainless steel or monel will be too much for a toy like the standard squeeze rivet guns sold in the handyman hardware chains, those things are only good for alloy rivets.There are however manual rivet guns that will do it like the one pictured here:



Even most battery and pneumatic rivet guns will have trouble with 1/4" (6.4mm) stainless steel or monel rivets
in my experience only Bosch or Lobster make battery rivet guns up to the job of 1/4" stainless rivets, they make doing rivets easy. but they cost.
These two pictured are excellent:





there are other brands such as Makita, and Metabo that are meant to be capable, but I myself haven't used them. so I hesitate to recommend them

I've not fitted a set of hood rivets but I've recently drilled some out from my old hood when I donated the screen to Len. They were very quick and easy to drill out, just small soft aluminium rivets which a basic DIY hand riveter could cope with.

I have three go to rivet guns, a lazy tong big bugger for big bugger jobs & the two smaller ones. Both of these have been used to rebuild several Land Rovers amongst all manner of stuff.
The oldest which came from my dad has a finer chuck which is fine for finer spaces but has done 10k operations & now tends to slip.
For your job a decent general purpose such as my MFX150 is my recommendation.
I’ve just had a look on eBay & there are dead ringers for the 150 & at less than a tenner.
If these are capable of the same service as mine, they are cheap money.
M

Thanks again to all who’ve replied.

Got some guidance now as to what to go for. Seems the powered jobs aren’t required, just a decent quality manual type.
Cheers,
Michael.