the surrey top saga

[littlejim]

Thanks to Pete R, my door restrainers are in already.

After ripping the front interior panels out for access I thought I'd take all the back ones out too, and have a go at reclaiming the 1+ inch my Moss Surrey top misses out fitting by. The back screen didn't seem to move very much, but I might have reclaimed a quarter of an inch on one side.

I've had it(the Surrey) on my version of the rack with 50lb of garnet slung off the bottom, but what with the Canberra winter I've only reclaimed about half an inch, despite a couple of beautiful sunny days. (Could you northern hemisphere bods send the sun back down here please?)

The windscreen bolts are now loosened, the internal one is a doozy, but I found a socket that takes an Allen key that got to it.

All the running round returning stuff from wifey's charity dinner, means part 2 occurs tomorrow.

I've already bated my breath, in anticipation of still missing out by a couple of mm. (to be continued)

Edited August 8, 2011 by littlejim

[RogerH]

Hi LittleJim,

not completely sure what your problem is with the surrey top but I think most peoples are tight.

Assuming that the front and rear screens are apprx the correct distance apart the procedure I use to fit mine is as follows -

 

Fit the frame and completely slacken off the two tensioner nuts.

Fit the cover into the front screen and pull very very tight, and button down.

For the rear I insert two 4" x 1/4" plain shank studs into the rear rail attachment spigots. These may require a slight curve to them but mine haven't. This allows the attachment spigots to pop into the frame.

Remove one stud at a time and insert the screw.

Attach all poppers and the tension the frame for the cover.

 

If this isn't the problem and the cover is still too short then either the cover is not right or the front/rear screen spacing is way out.

 

Roger

[Tom Fremont]

Odd I've not had such trouble with mine, a TRF top I got in way back in the 1900s. Looks like it might be a pretty good repro, cream vinyl over canvas. It's been fitted to (2) different cars, and the problem I've had is getting it stuffed under the windscreen capping ( I've found vinyl/rubber preservative indispensable ).

 

Tight may not be necessary. I've found the flapping/slapping against the frame is aggravated by tighter fitment, and all's quiet once the fabric is pulled away at speed.

 

Edited August 8, 2011 by Tom Fremont

[littlejim]

Part 2

 

Thanks Roger for the fitting technique, and Tom for the piccie of what the final result looks like.

 

Looks like I didn't have enough rake on the front windscreen.

I loosened the nuts holding the screen (the inside ones could only be described as exquisitely awkward to get at) and pulled it back with a couple of strap tensioners.

I can now get the the thing(Surrey) on. Looks like I need to do a bit of positioning to get it even at the front, then put some female clips through on the corners.

Suspect my weather forecasting will have to improve otherwise I will be soaked before I get it up. I'm hoping for a bit more stretch with the passage of time.

Can also see that in addition to what I have ripped out to get at the front and back screen nuts, I should also pull the doors apart again to perfect the angle of the window glass. But I don't, at this stage, think that is really going to happen.

Edited August 9, 2011 by littlejim