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Soft top to window adjustment?

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memphis said:
Thanks Guys!!! That makes sense! Drop the wood bows. I had another local club member suggest the same thing. I need to find a good local top shop, dont want to try this one myself since it will require adjustment of the canvas. Thanks again! Bob :smile:
Click to expand...

Bob, you may not have the correct wood bows?

From one of your photos (1st one here) it does not seem like the wood has the notched, cut away section that follows the convertible top frame. Or the wood is screwed in too far back. The 2nd photo (mine) shows the notched cut away section. My photo (second) shows more wood forward too. (By the way, the cover on the wood should be cream colored, if you care to know that, or you end up replacing the wood. Your color looks nice and it matches your top, just pointing what was original).

The wood over the window appears to be correct. It appears to be notched to follow the top rail. It also seems to be showing the right amount of wood. 3rd photo yours, 4th mine.

Depending on how much you move the wood, your top may not be able to extend to cover the move amount.

If this were my car, I would carefully remove the Everflex top and look at how things are positioned. I would lock the top in place, roll up the windows and see why the frame over the window is not low enough. (Should look like the last photo here).

Maybe there's too many shims under the base. Maybe the fame needs adjusting somewhere. Maybe you have the wrong wood. Maybe the window is not placed correctly in the track and it's not setting in the correct place to mirror the top curve. Lots of maybe's to look into.

To me, moving the wood down may solve the seal problem, but create an another issue. The top side edges of the top will most likely stay were they are and create a look that the top does not fit correctly. Too much wood is showing. The rain gutter will most likely be too high too.

Now to the good stuff. What a beautiful car and attention to detail. All of your photos show someone did a great job. The Everflex top looks fantastic and was installed with no wrinkles and looks good from both the outside and inside. The question is why was the convertible fame not tested for fit with widow up and rubber tim on before the Everflex was put on. This is all fixable by the right shop.

Is this a Kurt Tanner restoration?
What color is the car?

Cheers,
Roger
 
Hi Roger,

It seems to be making better sense now....
It does look like the rear bows needs to be repositioned to follow the window contour.
To do this correctly will probably require peeling the material off and re-gluing... Something for the pros!

Thanks for you help!
Bob

ps. The color is Sage Green Metallic. Not a Tanner resto, but a competitor. Overall it is a very gorgeous car.
 
Pictures of an original set of wooden cant rails:

IMG_3333.sized.jpg


IMG_3342.sized.jpg


IMG_3391.sized.jpg


For a closer look, any of the pictures in this album can be viewed in a higher resolution image with a *right-click* on any opened picture. Cant rail work starts on page twelve (12): https://www.rfdm.com/gallery/album208?page=12
 
Randy, your photos help a lot. Thanks for searching your archives for them.
Nice to see you're saving the original wood too. You rock!
 
Hi Roger,

In re-reading yours posts, in the one where you posted pics of the inner drivers and pass side and made mention of the difference between the two sides, what was your point on this?
Should the drivers side be different than the pass side with fitment of the frame, bows, seal?
Thanks for clarifying.
Bob
 
memphis said:
Hi Roger, In re-reading yours posts, in the one where you posted pics of the inner drivers and pass side and made mention of the difference between the two sides, what was your point on this?
Should the drivers side be different than the pass side with fitment of the frame, bows, seal? Thanks for clarifying.
Bob
Click to expand...

Hi Bob,
Good question. I posted that to show that everything needs tweaking and what you end up with, may not be a mirror set up or look perfect. In my case, after the frame was tweaked and everything was in the place it needed to be, for the frame/bow/rubber and window to meet, that is what I ended up with.
Cheers,
Roger
 
Thanks Roger.

So, it is clear that each frame, bow, top, rubber will be different depending on the car, any sages in the frame (body, door, soft top frame, etc). Based on each unique case, you adjust the bows to the windows, then install the canvas.

Thanks again, Bob
 
memphis said:
Thanks Roger. So, it is clear that each frame, bow, top, rubber will be different depending on the car, any sages in the frame (body, door, soft top frame, etc). Based on each unique case, you adjust the bows to the windows, then install the canvas. Thanks again, Bob
Click to expand...

Bob, sort of. With the wood installed as per the cut out sections of the wood to the top frame, you adjust the top frame to fit the car. In your case, that includes getting the frame area over the side windows to fit better (lower) than what you have. You should not have to move the wood an inch lower as in your case. Doing that, the top material will not cover the wood bows enough. In a perfect world, the wood bows would not show at all, for the top sides would be low enough to cover them. This has been discussed in this thread.

Once you've gotten all the adjustment out of the frame as you can, then you might look at repositioning the wood. But if you have to move the wood a lot, then something is wrong.

Once the top frame/wood is correct, adjustments of the aluminum rail that hold the rubber seal should be all that is needed to make a water tight seal.

Things that get adjusted:
Top frame.
Shims under the top frame.
Windscreen.
Side windows which include the entire window frame mechanism.
Wood.
Aluminum rails that hold the rubber seal.
Rubber seals.
Top material.

Ah, good times ahead.
 
Hi Roger,

Thanks again for the additional clarification. This really helps! Looks like I will have some fun this winter...
Regards,
Bob :smile:
 
Hi guys,
I need help with a soft top installation on a BJ7, any body has pictures of the rear bow hardware ,clips etc.. section, on the early style non zippered soft top?
Car came with brand new top but old top had been converted to zippered syle. All parts missing. Would appreciate someone sending me some pictures. Thanks
Joe
 
Hi Joe,

The only hardware for the rear bow is the upper trim rail. #6 in the diagram.
What exactly do you have? Only the top frame?
No wood, aluminum rails, clamp set, springs, etc?
 
Hi guys

Just had my frame altered by a specialist, heated up one section and bent it and cut 3/16 out of another and re-welded all together on both sides. If you have to do such major alterations, make sure you sort out the side windows <span style="text-decoration: underline">first</span> as the frame would then be adjusted to them.

Bob
 
Roger do you still have the pictures for this post ? Ă—there not showing on my computer ? I am now attempting mto fit the hood frame after first having a look 5-6 years ago.
Rob
 
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