-
Hi Guest!
You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
There are some perks with a member upgrade!**Upgrade Now**
(PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Slide Assemblies, BN4L
- Thread starter Papa Fox
- Start date
Share this page
healeyblue
Jedi Warrior
Offline
Last edited by a moderator:
The Longbridge tops are miserable to store away properly in the car. That may be why Healey did not make this design of top mechanism for long. We went through restoring the top mechanism and associated top parts for our BN4 this past winter. Once finished it looks great and works well, except for trying to store it behind the rear seat area. It's easier just to remove it from the car and install it if we want to use it. That does not take long. If we get caught by bad weather away from home, we have the tonneau cover to help protect the car interior.
DerekJ
Luke Skywalker
Offline
Blue skies, there is a particular method to be followed in how to fold the Longbridge top in order to get it to stow away properly. It’s set out in the owners manual, If you haven’t tried it, check it out at http://www.healeysix.net/Longbridge Top.htm
Derek, we have that link printed out and did try that, but it just seems easier to remove the top and reinstall it when needed. I did not spend a lot of time trying to master the method and possibly damage the top. One reason is that when I asked for pictures of the J hook design on this forum another owner(s) say they could not provide those, because of the difficulty in accessing the top once stowed in the car. Once stowed it stayed stowed, it seems.
DerekJ
Luke Skywalker
Offline
I’m not sure that it is especially difficult in accessing the top when it’s stowed. True that it takes a some time to erect and it’s not something worth doing for a light shower, however accessing and unfolding isn’t difficult. If you are leaving it off the car unless really needed then you would probably be better off with a hard top, which is much easier to attach. Plus it looks much nicer than the soft top.
Derek, it's too bad that you're not closer to give me a demonstration on stowing the Longbridge top. Erection is not too difficult, but I don't want to damage it during stowing.
Using a hardtop on the BN4 is a possibility. I do have a nice original hardtop for a 2+2 that I picked up a few years ago. A previous owner had repainted and restored it. I'm not sure how the white hardtop would go with the black coves on the red BN4 (a black hardtop may look better). I had bought it for the Healey blue BT7, but never installed it on that. I would think that the same top should fit both cars??? The BT7 folding top is very easy to erect, and the Healeys virtually never go outside when there is much chance of rain.
Using a hardtop on the BN4 is a possibility. I do have a nice original hardtop for a 2+2 that I picked up a few years ago. A previous owner had repainted and restored it. I'm not sure how the white hardtop would go with the black coves on the red BN4 (a black hardtop may look better). I had bought it for the Healey blue BT7, but never installed it on that. I would think that the same top should fit both cars??? The BT7 folding top is very easy to erect, and the Healeys virtually never go outside when there is much chance of rain.
Offline
When I replaced my Longbridge soft top, I put a towel in the rear window when I folded it to keep it from scratching. Once it was in place, I never put it up again. I use this instead:
It's easier.
Yes, a BT7 hardtop will fit a BN4.
It's easier.
Yes, a BT7 hardtop will fit a BN4.
Let me add to my original question. All of the pictures I can find do not really show the slide assembly. Its location /mounting is hid by the upholstery next to the fender. Parts book s don't help much. My BN4 has no mounting holes, so am looking for a schematic or picture of the exact mounting spot, and if there is an additional plate that the slide mounts to. Thanks in advance.