Top has shrunk?

[Hoghead]

My BJ8 has a canvas top (Stayfast or Sonnendeck?) and it appears to have shrunk and does not fit around the windows nor behind the doors. The rain gutter seems pulled tight and sticks out at 90 degrees

The car came from AZ and the previous Owner claims that it has shrunk due to his hot climiate

Any credence to the shrinking theory?
Any recommendations for a good installation shop in Vancouver

 

[Randy Forbes]

Tops definitely shrink. As an installer, you *think* you should fit them tightly for the best customer First Impression; in reality, they should be left <span style="font-style: italic">just short</span> of being baggy, so the car can grow into it.

From the Hard Lessons Learned file...

 

[AUSMHLY]

Tops definitely shrink. As an installer, you *think* you should fit them tightly for the best customer First Impression; in reality, they should be left <span style="font-style: italic">just short</span> of being baggy, so the car can grow into it.

From the Hard Lessons Learned file...

Hey Randy,
Not so sure that is true. I worked side by side with my top installer and learned a lot about how tops are installed.

The finished top should fit tight and look as good as one can get it. Once the top is on and finished, the top should be left in the up closed position for two weeks to let it settle. All convertible tops should be in the up closed position when the car is stored. That keeps the top in shape. Convertible tops should only be lowered right before the drive, then put back up when the car is stored.

 

[AUSMHLY]

My BJ8 has a canvas top (Stayfast or Sonnendeck?) and it appears to have shrunk and does not fit around the windows nor behind the doors. The rain gutter seems pulled tight and sticks out at 90 degrees

The car came from AZ and the previous Owner claims that it has shrunk due to his hot climiate

Any credence to the shrinking theory?
Any recommendations for a good installation shop in Vancouver

Hoghead,
I have a Robbins Sunfast cloth top.
Convertible tops do shrink. But how much depends on how well the top was installed and what measures were taken to keep it from shrinking. There's not much one can do to keep a Healey top from shrinking across the top, pulling inwards from over the side windows. To lessen that amount, my installer added a cable that ran across the top of the window. (Photo attached).

I think the reason your top shrunk is because either it was not installed as good as it could have been or the previous owner did not keep the top up when the car was stored. Keeping it up, keeps the top stretched in position.

A good top guy may be able to find the problem areas and fix them. It may be that the wood was not installed in the correct place and moving it may help pull the top back into place. Another option could be to remove the staples at the front bow and the side wood around the back of the window, and pull the top material, then reattach. Your top may be adjusted to solve some of the problems you're seeing.

Good luck,
Roger

 

[Randy Forbes]

Tops definitely shrink. As an installer, you *think* you should fit them tightly for the best customer First Impression; in reality, they should be left <span style="font-style: italic">just short</span> of being baggy, so the car can grow into it.

From the Hard Lessons Learned file...

Hey Randy,
Not so sure that is true. I worked side by side with my top installer and learned a lot about how tops are installed.

The finished top should fit tight and look as good as one can get it. Once the top is on and finished, the top should be left in the up closed position for two weeks to let it settle. All convertible tops should be in the up closed position when the car is stored. That keeps the top in shape. Convertible tops should only be lowered right before the drive, then put back up when the car is stored.

The tops I put on since fitting them "tight as a drum" have stood the test of time much better than the first ones did.

Lots of variables; experience gained, top materials then & now, etc. Bottom line is that material shrinks if left in the sun Cars used to be driven and parked outside more than they are today, and my knowledge doesn't have a cut off date, so the good old days are part of my reference resource.

 

[Jeepster]

My vinyl top has shrunk so much that it is about 2 inches short of reaching the top of the windscreen. I did let off the rear to try and get a bit extra but its still way off. Not sure how old it is but as an ex US car it could well have sat in the sun for a while. The same thing has happened with the hood cover (for when the top is folded down).

 

[AUSMHLY]

My vinyl top has shrunk so much that it is about 2 inches short of reaching the top of the windscreen.

This is a top that was installed on the car I assume?
I would guess that it is 2 inches short from reaching the windscreen, because it was not stored in the up position. If a car is always stored in the up position, these problems don't happen. Sure the top will shrink, but not to that extent where it's 2" short. Most of the shrinking happens across the top, side to side, pulling the material away from the top of the side windows.

 

[AUSMHLY]

Tops definitely shrink. As an installer, you *think* you should fit them tightly for the best customer First Impression; in reality, they should be left <span style="font-style: italic">just short</span> of being baggy, so the car can grow into it.

From the Hard Lessons Learned file...

Hey Randy,
Not so sure that is true. I worked side by side with my top installer and learned a lot about how tops are installed.

The finished top should fit tight and look as good as one can get it. Once the top is on and finished, the top should be left in the up closed position for two weeks to let it settle. All convertible tops should be in the up closed position when the car is stored. That keeps the top in shape. Convertible tops should only be lowered right before the drive, then put back up when the car is stored.

The tops I put on since fitting them "tight as a drum" have stood the test of time much better than the first ones did.

Lots of variables; experience gained, top materials then & now, etc. Bottom line is that material shrinks if left in the sun Cars used to be driven and parked outside more than they are today, and my knowledge doesn't have a cut off date, so the good old days are part of my reference resource.

Randy,
I agree with you about bottom line is materials shrink. New cars tops shrink too, but they have side cables and a lot of other things to combat the shrinking of having the top pull away from over the windows, windshields, quarter panels etc. The Healey's don't have any of those, and the tops will eventually start pulling away from areas, especially from over the side windows.

All the professional top installers I had talked to about putting my top on, said it would be taught, no wrinkles and that I must leave it up for two weeks to settle. Then make sure I keep the top up, when stored to keep it's shape. No installers would give me the car with a saggy top and tell me it will stretch in time (grow into it) to fit.

My knowledge/reference is spending 9 months on my top, working on the metal top frame, the wood (having new wood made and repairing the stock wood), the rubber seals and tweaking everything before I brought the car to the top shop. The shop and I installed a cable under the rain channel on the top, to help keep the material from being pulled up and away from the top of the window area. A known problem where shrinking happens over the years.

I know more about these tops then I ever planned on knowing. The learning curve was frustrating at times, but I'm now very familiar with the workings and care that's needed to keep a top fitting as good as it did the day it was installed.

Cheers,
Roger

 

[Randy Forbes]

Just short of being baggy, is not to say "saggy." This top is as taught as I saw fit to install it.

I should note that the top was supplied by the car's owner, and that it had already spent ten (>10) years in the box; perhaps it could be considered pre-shrunk...

Label inside top:

The fit around the windows was not to the standard that yours is (I don't think my BMWs are, even with their factory fitted tensioning cables) but if I spent nine (9) months on this car's top, I'm certain that I would've had trouble getting paid.

This car now lives in Los Cruces, New Mexico, so I stand by my decision to install the top less than drum-tight. I've gotten a feel for the car's owner, and I don't think the two of you fall into the same category (this is meant as a compliment to you) and I already know for a fact that his garage space is at a premium, so long exposure to the sun is guaranteed.

Do the pros know more than I do? Well, they better!

 

[AUSMHLY]

Randy, pardon my miss spell of baggy, thanks for calling me on that. See what happens when not using spell check.

Reason I spent 9 months on my top, was back engineering the process and going thru 3 metal top frames (being most of the ones I tried had bend rails, rusted worn out rivets or some other issues). My point was I'm now more up to speed on the entire top process than most Healey owners are, except for you my friend :thumbsup:

And you're right, my standards strive for the very best I can do, resulting in winning 1st place at the Presidio of San Francisco Concours d'Elegance. It's mandatory that the top is up, because you're judged on that too. (I may have had a point deducted because it was not the right material, but did get a nice comment on the fit.)

I suggest that people who read this post talk to a professional who specializes in convertible tops. Randy and I disagree on how taught a top should be when completed.

I didn't mean to get into an on going debate with you Randy. I enjoy reading your posts and your knowledge base.

Cheers,
Roger

 

[elrey]

My vinyl BT7 top sat in a shipping container for a number of years and shrank and pulled the top of the windshield frame up and back. It can happen. I have installed many a vinyl top and now pull them less than tight as they do shrink from new.

 

[RAC68]

Roger,

You mentioned and showed the cable installed in/under the drip rail. Could you provide additional information on how it is installed and works?

Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

Randy, pardon my miss spell of baggy, thanks for calling me on that. See what happens when not using spell check.

Reason I spent 9 months on my top, was back engineering the process and going thru 3 metal top frames (being most of the ones I tried had bend rails, rusted worn out rivets or some other issues). My point was I'm now more up to speed on the entire top process than most Healey owners are, except for you my friend :thumbsup:

And you're right, my standards strive for the very best I can do, resulting in winning 1st place at the Presidio of San Francisco Concours d'Elegance. It's mandatory that the top is up, because you're judged on that too. (I may have had a point deducted because it was not the right material, but did get a nice comment on the fit.)

I suggest that people who read this post talk to a professional who specializes in convertible tops. Randy and I disagree on how taught a top should be when completed.

I didn't mean to get into an on going debate with you Randy. I enjoy reading your posts and your knowledge base.

Cheers,
Roger

I had my first Top installed on my car when I was stationed in the Navy at Quonset Point, RI. The car still had the original Top and looking back I probably should have just had a new rear window installed(about $80.00). The small upholstery shop a couple of blocks from where I lived took my newly purchased AMCO Top and had it installed in far less than one day. The fit as I recall was "excellent". I believe with so many convertibles back then(British cars), there was many important "tricks of the trade" these guys had mastered.