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BJ8 Rear Trim Rail

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Does the top material get glued to the trim rail?
I'm assuming the 38 clips are attached to the curve of the trim rail, correct?

Then the rail gets pressed down on the rubber seal, which is sandwiched between the water channel, which gets screwed in place.

Does anyone have a photo showing the clips on the trim rail?

Thank you guys,
Roger
 
Roger

All you assumptions are correct as far as I have been able to assertain, sorry no photos though. I am sure that in the last year some one has posted some shots of an old soft top and frame showing the clips, and the photos were mixed up in another thread not necessarily associated with soft tops, if my memory is correct it was in a reply to a question?.

Having talked to Rawles's trimmer over here, who can make hoods ( soft tops), he says that there can be issues with new store bought ones and has had to resort to unpicking the seams in the past then altering the hoods to make them fit properly.

I can't believe that the cars were so far out from new, that the hood sticks were different. My bet is that they have been adjusted over the years to overcome problems in repairs. Mine had a great big dog leg in one of the pieces that we had to straighten out with heat and a hammer. I have just finished painting the frame so I have it all to look forward to.

Bob
 
AUSMHLY said:
Keoke said:
Yeah Patric , sumpin funny goin on here. Previously a new top had been put on the car by another shop and according to reports on this forum it was great!! Now these blokes have to use a mountain of washers and still can't get it to fit.????--Keoke
Click to expand...

You've been doing your homework Keoke.
To set the record straight. The previous top looked great, when in the up position. The two problems were:

1. It would not seat into the resting cavity without a lot of force and that ended up ripping some of the seam treads.

2. The top of the drivers glass was hitting the aluminum trim rail. I now know that's because there were no shims, where I now find 4-5 are needed to get the required gap.

So these blokes are addressing all the fit areas, as the other shop did not.
Clear as mud now?
Cheers,
Roger
Click to expand...
As clear as the Mississippi!! I wonder if one of the original workers for the Healey assembly line can be found to shed some light on the Tops fitting??
Patrick
 
AUSMHLY said:
Does the top material get glued to the trim rail?
I'm assuming the 38 clips are attached to the curve of the trim rail, correct?

Then the rail gets pressed down on the rubber seal, which is sandwiched between the water channel, which gets screwed in place.

Does anyone have a photo showing the clips on the trim rail?

Thank you guys,
Roger
Click to expand...
I don't recall my original Top being glued anywhere when it was removed and an AMCO Top installed. I recall the shop that did the work in Rhode Island, where I was stationed while in the Navy, did the job in about 4 or 5 hours and it looked great. There was a sequence in attaching the clips to the Top material and the frame but I can't remember the exact sequence(brain cell in charge of info was killed off a long, long time ago). I seem to recall the front outer edges by the doors being done first and then the middle rear next but the middle rear of the Top had a chalk mark on it to assist in centering the Top.
Patrick
 
Legal Bill said:
... I've seen MANY BJ8 tops that do not fit correctly. My hat is off to those that do this themselves and get it right.
Click to expand...
I must be living right!

IMG_3584.sized.jpg
 
The top of the drivers glass was hitting the aluminum trim rail.
This trim rail rests against the FRONT OF windscreen frame and is covered in vinyl.---???

To the best of my Knowledge the top is not glued to the trim rail. On several occasions the top was unsecured from the trim rail and lifted off to replace bodged rear windows.

Patrick:British lore says:

The designer of the top and it's support assembly was wanker-ed when he did it.

OH!!--STILL SUMPIN MIGHTY WRONG--KEOKE-- :laugh:




I now know that's because there were no shims, where I now find 4-5 are needed to get the required gap.
 
Bob Hughes said:
Roger Not sure how or where I got this from but it is a strip down of a hood from a BJ. (Just rechecked, it has Randy Forbes name all over it) around page ten, picture 84 ish shows the clips around the rim of the rear rail.
https://www.rfdm.com/gallery/album208?page=1
Click to expand...

Bob, thanks. That link helped. It appears Randy's prior owner replaced the carpet with a different style and may have replaced the top? I'm throwing that out as a way of questioning if the top was installed at the factory or not because of the carpet replacement.

It looks like contact cement may have been used prior to installing the clips.
Is that true Randy?
I have a feeling it should not be glued, just clipped.
Roger
 
I don't remember if it was glued when I took it apart, but I don't think it was...

I did not glue the new top (there) because I wasn't sure if it was going to fit right.

When I fit this top (previously posted by me) I started at the back of the door, and made it fit right around the side windows, followed by attatching it to the front header. The rear rail, and clips, were done last.

At some point, I glued the "flaps" to one of the top bows; the sequence of pictures should indicate when...

I remember watching the Moss DVD several times, but I can't swear that I did it exactly the same way they showed; I'm stubborn like that!

Lastly, I'm pretty sure that it wasn't the original top that I removed, as there was some <span style="font-style: italic">funny stuff</span> going on...
 
don't remember if it was glued when I took it apart, but I don't think it was...

No- :nonod: it was not glued except at those little flaps you mentioned that attach it to top of the frame top bows.---Keoke
 
randy, great pictures as usual, the piece that gets the clips to hold on the top material,(looks like an upside down "J" channel) is that in two pieces?, i think its called tonneau molding, moss p/n 806-735?
 
anthony7777 said:
randy, great pictures as usual, the piece that gets the clips to hold on the top material,(looks like an upside down "J" channel) is that in two pieces?, i think its called tonneau molding, moss p/n 806-735?
Click to expand...

It's one piece.
Moss #806-735 rear trim rail
 
ausmhly, thanks, when i first got the bj7 i found inside its trunk this part new with a moss sticker marked 806-735 and it also has a sticker that reads KAS-made in australia. pn. 759. long ago keoke explained to me what it was but when i looked at randys pictures it looked as if his was one piece, the one i have is in two pieces devided in two equal lengths clearly manufactured that way, and not predrilled. id think it would be a bear to put all those clips on a two piece thingy, i dont know why it was in my car, it doesnt need one. :savewave:
 
ausmhly, ah yes our friends at moss! there are two parts that moss has used the same part number for, 806-735 is a trim rail, also 806-735 is a tonneau moulding and it is in two pieces, both not to be confused with 806-215 drainage channel. :crazy:
 
AH Spares sell it as a one piece and SC Parts sell it as a two piece and label them as repair sections. The one I took off looked to be welded at the centre point, but also looked to be electro plated so I guess it was originally made in two , welded together and then electro plated.


Interesting that Randy fixed the front bow before the rear, I thought that the sequence was - around the windows in the door, the rear and top bow in conjunction with each other and then the front bow. One tip of course is to work in a warm environment so that the top is stretchy and pliable. For me it will be in the sunshine - I hope!!


Bob
 
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