Newbie Hardtop Question

[frank3]

I just came into possesion of a Snugtop fibreglass hardtop for my '79 B. It's in great shape, but needs new seals and a couple of parts for clamping the top onto the car.

Can't seem to find a source for parts...from what I can tell, Moss only sells a new hardtop and doesn't offer parts.

Does anyone have any suggestions? (I've e-mail snugtop, but they never got back to me).

 

[William]

What parts are you missing? If it's the clips for the header rail, they're the same as the soft top (or should be). The clamps at the back should be whatever worked for the standard HT. As for seals, I beleive you can buy general purpose window seals that'll work.

-William

 

[frank3]

Thanks...there are no clamps for the back - rather there looks to be some sort of clamp that attaches to the two side recepticals for the grey tonneau bow on the inside of the car behind the seats.

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure what the "Snugtop" looks like. I have the factory hardtop on mine. I looked on line doing a search for snugtop MGB and came up with one that looks similar to mine. Victoria British Limited has parts for my top. Also mine has fasteners that fit into the rear hooks that the soft top rear bar fits and also the side pieces you mentioned. I don't use the side pieces, just the front and back ones.
Bob

 

[frank3]

The Snugtop and OEM hardtops appear to look very similar. As I understand, a couple of differences are that the Snugtop rubber molding is glued on while OEM is in a "c" channel around the top. Also, Snugtop does not have fasteners that go into the rear hooks, while OEM does.

 

[Guest]

OK, thanks,
Bob

 

[William]

The clamp at the sides of the HT (about where a shoulder belt would be on other cars) should have a bolt that tightens up to hold the top on. That's actually pretty important. Sounds like your HT has most of the fittings!

-Wm.

 

[frank3]

The PO had been using a couple of eye-bolts that ran up through the tonneau bow brackets which he bolted down to the top via l-brackets on the hardtop. I'd prefer a bit more elegant (read: OEM)approach. I would have thought the the snugtop clamps that came with the top would have been some sort of quick-release rather than bolt-down.