Surrey top fitting

[peejay4A]

We're getting there and thanks to everyone for their perseverance with me on this.

 

All my dimensions match Stuart's from his original with the exception of the threaded part which measures 14 3/4 inches and not 13 1/2.

 

As it is the height in comparison to Stuartmac's dimension of 67mm is 120mm. The crank is in a direction to reduce the overall height - I think there's something in the background of the picture that looks odd.

 

So out with the cutting disk and trim the rear length to 13 1/2 inch and it looks like it will reduce the threaded portion to 1 1/2 inches and the height to very close to Stuartmac's 67mm.

[AlanT]

The ends of the central bar curve downwards. They get quite close to the edge of the glass when wound right up hard.

 

This must be so or there will be a gap where the Surrey does not overlap the glass and you would have a leak.

 

The Surrey top lies almost flat. Just a little hump in the middle

[peejay4A]

So, hacking done and this is what it looks like now. It's at it's minimum height and measures 60mm from Stuartmac's datum. Looks better?

 

[stuart]

That looks a bit more like it Pete. Now lay the soft section over it with the fan heater going .

Stuart.

[peejay4A]

Under way. Maybe I should do this at night to keep the electricity bill down.

Edited May 11, 2013 by peejay4A

[AlanT]

You may have to move the two press studs that mate to the backlight.

They leave these out of new tops for you to get in exactly the right place.

 

I should think this is more like the maximum height than the minimum.

The flaps over the glass will tell you.

 

It looks like you got two full-nuts on the threads.

Should probably be at least one half-nut. This will drop you down a bit more maybe.

 

These nuts naff up the backlight. For this reason I used smooth pegs that bottom in the backlight

and made the tube length adjustable, so I dont know exactly how these nuts go.

[peejay4A]

Thanks Al. The studs on the backlight are in the original holes so quite likely not in the ideal place so I'll move them if I have to. I'mmthinking of using a half nut and a nylon washer when it all settles down.

Edited May 11, 2013 by peejay4A

[RogerH]

Hi Pete,

when you get the heater under it can you do me a cheese on toast.

 

Roger

[AlanT]

I had to fill up my backlight where the nuts had ground away at it.

Lumiweld. Not too hard to do.

[peejay4A]

Hi Pete,

when you get the heater under it can you do me a cheese on toast.

 

Roger

Back of the queue Roger.

[stuartmac]

Just got in from a day out - good to see its looking sorted, please post a pic with the surrey top fitted for comparison

Regards

Stuart

[JANA]

Peter ,

 

Looking more like it ! Don't forget your welcome to call in to compare measurements.

 

By the way , put me down for a 'Cheese Toastie' with Roger the Dodger , but with tomatoes, and don't forget the salt and pepper!

 

All the best

Bob.

[littlejim]

%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz331/jetobler/IMG_0979.jpg

latest Photobucket variation!

Edited May 12, 2013 by littlejim

[peejay4A]

Thanks LJ. Yours are a little shorter than mine but not much. I'm stretching the edges at the moment. Looks like it'll be a slow process.

[RogerH]

Hurry up Pete, Me and Bob are getting hungry.

 

 

Roger

[peejay4A]

Here's how I'm stretching the top, very slowly. But it's raining now and the Brighton Great Escape beckons so I reckon a week of this should see it right. I don't leave the fan heater on all the time by the way.

 

[Prambert]

You'll need to 'Bungy' it on - otherwise it'll likely fall off when you take it out on the road.................

[peejay4A]

Good point. Plenty of downforce eh?

 

Actually I don't have a mains lead long enough either.

Edited May 13, 2013 by peejay4A

[RogerH]

...no evidence of a cheese toastie anywhere....

 

Roger

[Tom Fremont]

From this pic, the front edge of the fabric is way forward of where it should be. As posted prior, the silver trim in the screen rubber should be completely exposed:

Here's how I'm stretching the top, very slowly. But it's raining now and the Brighton Great Escape beckons so I reckon a week of this should see it right. I don't leave the fan heater on all the time by the way.

 

[RogerH]

Good spot Tom. It does look too far forward.

 

Roger

Edited May 13, 2013 by RogerH

[peejay4A]

Exactly what I think. It doesn't look like any of the surrey installations I've seen. That is where the front edge of the screen capping is though. It can't go any further back. The capping isn't original to the car and purported to be original - all the rivet holes lined up with the screen frame. If it was a bit further back, not forward, it would make fitting the top a whole lot easier.

 

On the off chance that it's not a correct screen cap, does the 4A one have the holes for the hard top front fixing plus the poppers at each side?

Edited May 13, 2013 by peejay4A

[stuart]

If the 4a was a Surrey equipped car then it had the same capping as the TR4. Original TR4 hood fits the same at the front as a Surrey top. There have been some poor cappings around that dont allow the front of the soft section to go far enough in and can allow it to peel off at speed.

Stuart.

[peejay4A]

I think it can only be the screen capping that's wrong but I can't see how changing it would move the leading edge back at all. Weird.

[Tom Fremont]

Let's see a pic of the fabric panel's front lip. This should be reinforced with steel strips and all should tuck neatly under the capping. Your's looks like it's not going under at all in front / center, which would account for 1/2"-3/4" of missing length.

 

Some windscreen rubbers crowd the gap where the lip tucks in. Until I resorted to lubricating mine I had a hell of a wrestling match each time I put it on, sometimes using a thin slat of wood and rubber hammer to pound it in.