1957 tonneau cover shrunk

[PeteC]

When I purchased my '57 last year I found a tonneau cover with a zipper down the center in the trunk. Someone told me today it was an aftermarket (not original?) cover. It has approximately 10 eyelets in the front and approximately 10 snaps between the sides and rear. Bottom line: it's shrunk to the point I cannot fasten it from side-to-side nor from front-to-back. I've tried with the zipper open and closed. It's just an inch or so too small all around. Is there a way to stretch this thing?? Someone suggested laying it in the hot sun all day (90º temps) which I tried and did NOTHING. I'm not sure if this is a vinyl/canvas mixture. There are no markings on the cover to indicate manufacturer or a way to identify it.

Does anyone know how I can stretch this bad boy to fit??? I don't have a soft top on this car, just the hard top with portals so I don't want to chance it on a questionable day with showers possible.

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[pltmgr]

Id try a heat gun and once fastened Id leave it for a week or so. No soft top for my 56 so I bought a water proof rain cover. Figured it was easier than dealing with fasteners and zippers.

 

[PeteC]

Id try a heat gun and once fastened Id leave it for a week or so. No soft top for my 56 so I bought a water proof rain cover. Figured it was easier than dealing with fasteners and zippers.

I have a heat gun for stripping paint - very powerful. I'll give it a try working slowly. I wonder if there is some form of "conditioner" to keep the darn substance relaxed. I don't want to rely on a heat gun all the time. I may put this off until the fall when there are less shows to attend in the NYC Metro area.