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Don't want to blow my top.

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roscoe

roscoe

Jedi Knight
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Hello all,
I've just finished fitting the soft top to my BN-2. I'll try and post some photos this week. It came out to my satisfaction. It was not as hard as fitting the seat back covers, but that's all relative. I used a Moss vynl top and I swear I thought there was no way it would ever fit. But as with many things that are Healey, little by little, tweak by tweak, you get things to fit. My only remaining problem is that I'm quite sure I won't be able to trust the two front latches at 70 mph (or even 50). I find that the windscreen posts flex a bit and sometimes a latch will pop off the stud. My latches are original and are a little sloppy so I've got to fix that, but I'm just wondering if there is anyone who adds a security measure to keeping the latches on to avoid an unexpectd bout of topless driving.
Thanks, and happy holidays.

Jon Robbins
 
roscoe said:
I'm just wondering if there is anyone who adds a security measure to keeping the latches on to avoid an unexpectd bout of topless driving.
Jon Robbins
Click to expand...
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Jon--

I did and it takes almost as long to describe as it did to make.

I used a short length of 1/8" 1 x 19 stainless steel wire and do-it-yourself sailboat rigging fittings that you can find at any West Marine store. To one end I swedged a forked terminal and to the other end a threaded stud. The forked end attaches to the top bow by knocking out the rubber in the center buffer plate and passing a small clevis through it and the device is long enough so that the threaded stud passes through a 1/4" hole drilled just in front of the rear view mirror in the scuttle.

After I erect the top I pass the stud through the hole and reach behind the dash to thread a wingnut up the stud to pull the top down nice and tight against the frame. No air or water leaks, and it takes all the strain off of the latches. The wire is unobtrusive and if anything looks like the stabilizing bar that early Porsches and Mercedes convertibles used to use, probably for the same reason.

My soft top is permanently off the car but I'll try to remember to take a picture of the piece in the next day or so and post it--or send me an email (awgertoo@aol.com) and I will send it to you privately.
 
Hi Jon,
Congratulations on the top fitting.

Like many things Healey, they usually require some custom fitting.

I found that if the latches are in correct side to side alignment in the vertical plane, & if the top to windshield weather strip has the correct amount of compression, the latches are very secure. They should be stiff to get latched but still go WAY over center when latched.

The important thing is that the latch be aligned with the small part of the stud & have the correct amount of seal compression. I DID have to bend the latches a bit, cut the locking notches deeper & adjust the mounting to the top with spacers.

A quick fix would be to tie the handle to it's bracket with wire, a shoe lace, a wrap of tape, or what ever.

It shouldn't matter if the windscreen post flexes a bit, the top & latches should move with it. Any flex movement will be taken by the top frame.

I won't go into the the center of the top bow lifting enough at speed to let the rain in. PS - I see that Michael already did.

Happy Holidays to you & the rest of the great BCF members!!!
D
 
Thanks to the both of you. By your answers it would seem that it is probably not uncommon for folks to rig some sort of safety device for the top. Michael, your cable sounds plenty strong and I may go the same route. Dave, I will most assuredly try to make the latches do their job a little more effectively. It is always nice to know what others have done. Now for the side curtains.....

Jon
 
Roscoe--

Go to page 3 of the Johnson Lifelines fittings page:

https://www.americanriggingsupply.com/index_files/CSJohnson_Hand%20CrimpFittings.pdf

I used the Toggle jaws #26-415, the threaded stud from the short adjuster #26-406 and the knurled knob #35-620.

Push the rubber button out of the center buffer and attach the toggle to it with the clevis, measure for the 1/8" 1 x 19 wire so that the threaded portion of the stud from the adjuster (abandon the other part of the adjuster) will project through a 1/4" hole in the scuttle drilled just in front of the rear view mirror, crimp the wire into both fittings, then pass the stud through the hole and tighten the top down with the knurled knob.
 
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