TR2/3/3A TR-3 Top Frame Webbing Questions

[af3683]

I would appreciate if someone could explain to me how the convertible top frame webbing adheres to the back of the car. The Moss/TRF catalogs seems to imply that the webbing is held on by 2 (of the 8) plates and each rear plate takes 1 screw and I believe 1 peg. Also, I believe that these screws are different from the others screws used to mount the plates to the top frame. Can someone please verify this.

Also, are all of the plates identical? Is it a good idea to stretch the webbing a bit before putting it on the car? Is it a good idea to wrap the webbing around the front rail a few times and also fold the back end a few times?

Thank you very much.

Art Forman

 

[Don Elliott]

Art - Here is a photo of mine. The plates you see are the original ones and this photo was taken in 1990 as I finished my restoration. The webbing is new but the plates, lift-a-dot peg and screws are all the original ones that came with the car when I bought it brand new in May 1958.

 

[af3683]

Don, thank you very much for the photo. It is very helpful. I hope I can find that screw in the back at the local hardware store. I assume there are no nuts holding the peg and screw on? Did you stretch the webbing before installing?

Art

 

[ekamm]

There is a small threaded plate welded to the body where the lift-a-dot stud and the machine screw go in to hold the plate on. I've heard that people have found the loft-a-dot studs at ace hardware stores, otherwise try an upholsterer or one of the big 3.

 

[Moseso]

Around here (The Land of 10,000 Lakes) LTD fasteners are available at the place(s) that make boat covers.

If you buy your webbing from some LBC supplier, you WILL have to pre-stretch it. I found some nice beefy nylon webbing at a surplus store. Fits perfect. Doesn't stretch. Won't rot. Not a very pretty color (they didn't have black) but I'm a function over appearance guy.

 

[Don Elliott]

I didn't stretch my new webbing in 1990. I kept it tan because that's how in came when new. I folded it up under the bottom plate so it is doubled. Look closely and you can just see it extending a bit out the near edge, This keeps the loose cut end from fraying. Same with the top end. I put it around the fre-floating spar at least once before screwing it on. Same reason. Keeps the ends looking neat. It developed a sag in the soft top almost immediately and I often lost a point at TRA or VTR because of this. But in 105,000 miles, the top had been up about 10 times during the rain (maybe 3000 miles) and I had to put it up about 25 times at concours shows for the judges.

To correct the sag and make the top tight without any long wrinkles (mostly above the door cut-outs, I took off the bottom screw and the peg you can see and gave it another fold in the webbing. This made the back section about 1/2" shorter with lifted all the other spars for a tighter top. Finally I gave the roll around the front spar another turn (or may-be it was half a turn) and put the screws back into place. This makes the top very tight and over these past 20 summers, I think all the stretch has gone out of the webbing. But it's hard to put up because it's so tight. But the judges like it now. The photo is from VTR in 2007.

 

[af3683]

Thanks for all your help. Do you think it is best to start from the back or the front? I think you have to start from the front since it is probably the only way to double wrap the webbing around the front bar. As far as stretching the webbing before hand, I quess one could put some sort of weight on the bottom and let it hang for a day or two.

Art Forman

 

[Moseso]

As far as stretching the webbing before hand, I quess one could put some sort of weight on the bottom and let it hang for a day or two.

That is the recommended procedure.