surrey top question

doughairfield

Jedi Trainee

Offline

• Apr 17, 2011

• #1

I recently purchased a surrey top for my TR4, the fabric portion to be specific. Before I just either ran with the hard top on or nothing. I received the fabric and was going to put it on but there are 4 snaps across the front edge that I thought just slipped under the top cap on the windscreen like a soft top does. Can someone tell me what those 4 snaps across the front are for? I can't see how it would slide under and fit and stay on with those snaps in the way. Do I have the wrong surrey top?

 

DNK

Great Pumpkin

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• Apr 17, 2011

• #2

They made more than 1?

 

OP

doughairfield

Jedi Trainee

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• Apr 17, 2011

• #3

I thought there was always only 1 but I can't for the life of me figure out what those snaps are for. I'm sure i'm about to get schooled though.

 

HerronScott

Darth Vader

Offline

• Apr 17, 2011

• #4

Doug,

My understanding was that it just tucked under just like the TR4 soft top and if it had any snaps those would be on the outside edge. How about snaps on the rear edge?

I've got a new in box soft top and frame that I bought from TRF probably 25 years ago awaiting a future install since the top didn't come with them. I can try to take a look the next time that I'm in my parts storage.

Scott

 

Got_All_4

Luke Skywalker

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #5

The only place there are 4 snaps together is inside the top that holds it to the sticks.
There is 1 snap in all 4 corners and one more inside the drip edge above the center of the driver and passenger windows.

They are correct in the surrey top slides under the ridge on the windshield cap and then snaps on each corner.

I'll send 3 separate pics of my top on my TR250.

 

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Got_All_4

Luke Skywalker

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• Apr 18, 2011

• #6

# 2

 

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Got_All_4

Luke Skywalker

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• Apr 18, 2011

• #7

#3

 

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poolboy

Yoda

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #8

The snaps along the leading edge indicate a top that can be used on a TR6 or TR4 that doesn't have the lip on the windshield cap to tuck the beaded edge under.See the different caps in the Moss catalogs for TR4 and TR6.I believe there are 3 versions.
For those applications the male part of the snaps had to be installed on the windshield frame.
I installed a Surrey on my TR6 using the TR4 surrey windshield cap, but I had to remove the snaps from the soft top to make the top bead tuck under the cap.

Did your top come from the Texas guy ?

 

OP

doughairfield

Jedi Trainee

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• Apr 18, 2011

• #9

YES, it did come from the guy in Texas. Have you had some dealings with him?

I bought my complete surrey from him a while back. I was pretty satisfied with the backlight and center hard top section. He sent the center soft top section but it has those snaps along the front that I could not figure out, but now I know, it's for a TR6. I guess I could just remove them and it would fit.

The only other thing that has not been perfect about my top from that guy is that the backlight was not drilled out for the H Frame. I've got to get on that this week.

 

poolboy

Yoda

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #10

Yeah Doug I did. I think it was about a 3 month ordeal before everything arrived. I heard so many excuses I lost count.
In addition my soft top was a poor fit. I had a shop add a section of material so the top would make it from front to rear and the window "awnings" are a little short as well.
But for now, like Scarlett, I'll think about that tomorrow.

 

TRMark

Jedi Knight

Bronze

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #11

Bought mine from TRF some years ago. If I remember correctly, I had to install the corner snaps, it fits very well. The only very minor complaint to those who worry about such things is the original was black on the outside and off white on the inner, replacement was black on both. Mine has 6 rivets across the front holding the stiffener in place.

 

L

lbcs_r_fun

Jedi Hopeful

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #12

If you have four snaps across the front, you do not have an original surrey top! Proper surrey tops were produced only for the TR4, 4A and 250 models. The front leading edge of the soft top fits under the aluminum windscreen capping and there is a snap in each front corner, for a total of two snaps and not four.

 

TR3TR6

Jedi Warrior

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #13

I had the same issues as Poolboy with the top from Texas. I also removed the center snaps and had to add a 3-4" patch to make it long enough. It doesn't fit good on the door windows, but does stay on. The hard top fits much better. If you have to drill the holes for the brace, your going to have have fun with that. Purchasing and installing the surrey on my TR6 was a real interesting experience. Good luck!

 

TR4nut

Yoda

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• Apr 18, 2011

• #14

I'm not sure I'd want to rely on 4 snaps to hold that top on in the front - I'm skeptical it would ever hold.

 

OP

doughairfield

Jedi Trainee

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• Apr 18, 2011

• #15

Whoa, what kind of fun am I in for with drilling those holes in the backlight for the HFrame?

So that sucks that surrey top doesn't fit. Has anyone gotten one from Moss and been happy with it?

So I had multiple delays in getting the whole surrey top (backlight, hardtop, etc.) and more excuses than I've heard in a long time. I actually wound up getting the center hard top in a few weeks from ordering, but then the backlight didn't come for another 4 weeks.

 

poolboy

Yoda

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #16

I don't see where drilling those 2 holes thru the Fiberglass would be a problem.
Making the soft top fit, that's another story.
Is it the Microplas backlight ?

 

HerronScott

Darth Vader

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #17

Doug and Poolboy,

So this is an aftermarket Surrey top? I think that Revington makes/made one.

Is this all fiberglass (backlight and center section?

Scott

 

OP

doughairfield

Jedi Trainee

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• Apr 18, 2011

• #18

This is actually an original surrey top, not the microplas one. At least as far as I know it's an original surrey top that has been restored. It was sold to me as an original top with new paint, new back window, and new new seals. It looks like they filled in the front holes where the H Frame goes in and didn't put the snaps back on the frame. Thus I am going to have to man up and drill in to allow the H Frame to mount.

 

TR3TR6

Jedi Warrior

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #19

Doug:

There appears to be a metal plate in the fiberglass to reinforce it. Drilling the holes shouldn't be a problem. But, make sure you have the bracket lined up correctly to mark the holes for drilling. The rag top snaps onto the bracket in the center and also on the sides. You don't want one side hanging lower than the other. In spite of all the problems I had in getting the surrey top to my home (and there were a bunch, my top toured a good part of the country), and the problems I had fitting the rag top, its still on my car and I like it much better than the original one that was on it.

 

HerronScott

Darth Vader

Offline

• Apr 18, 2011

• #20

Doug,

Why in the world would they fill in the holes on an original backlight??

Just to verify that it's original, aluminum backlight frame with glass rear window and either aluminum or steel center section?

Scott