HEEELP! Quick soft top question

[tosoutherncars]

Hi all,

I'm installing a soft top... '78, common to 70-80.

My (original?) top attached at the back with six snap fasteners that clip to the chrome "retaining strip" as well as lift-a-dot fasteners on the rear quarners.

With the new top... do I install new snaps? Or does the top feed under the retaining strip, with the screws going through the snaps and the top material? That's what I see in a number of websites, for ex. https://www.gerardsgarage.com/Garage/Tech/topWS.htm but I wanted to be sure.

TIA,
Duncan

(Pix to follow once I've changed the batteries in my camera.)

 

[Rik]

Top goes under the steel strip (next to the car body) and the screwed snaps goes on top of the steel strip.
YES(the top feed under the retaining strip, with the screws going through the snaps and the top material?)
Rik

 

[tosoutherncars]

Sweet... is that how the originals were done? Anyone else have one like my oldie, that was snapped on all the way across the rear?

Here's my old top...

And the new Haartz top, construction looks great.

My trunklid had holes from a luggage rack (since removed) so I filled, bondo'ed, primed and am painting at the same time...

 

[zimmy]

what color is that?...
that red/orange is what i want........zimmy

 

[tosoutherncars]

Hi Zimmy,

That's the stock colour, vermillion. Common across the BMC line in the 70s. I posted the various paint codes (PPG, Glasurit etc.) in a previous thread... actually, I think it was the one in my signature.

 

[zimmy]

thx...i love that red/ orange transformation
the color puts out...
.those inner fender pics were very
helpful also ....zimmmyy

 

[SAMidget]

Down here in Johannesburg

Note that if you do your rubber seal at the front for the windscreen that the rubber is shaped to fit one way. Quick trick to fit the rubber, wipe it with a light (very light) coat of dish washing liquid and then just press it in the rail attached to the hood. The next trick is to try and close the hood, currently I can't do it by myself from inside as it is till too new and big. Need my boy to press from the outside whilst I clip the hood in place.

 

[tosoutherncars]

So far so good... haven't got the front edge riveted in yet, it seems about 1/2" too short, but I think that's just because the frame, which I had taken out & reinstalled, is sitting too high / back.

My impressions on the top so far (from topsonline.com) - Construction materials are excellent. It's nice that they pre-punched holes for the snaps - but they're punched in the wrong places. only the centre ones can be used - the rest are all too close together.

Just wish they'd left me an extra 2" on the front to play with... hopefully once I've adjusted the frame it will fit a little better.