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Hardtop hints and tips


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Tried to do a bit more on the hardtop over the weekend when the rain was falling. 

I have drilled and fitted rivnuts so I can screw on the door aperture cant rails. These are painted truck bed black as the chrome was so awful- this is reversible if any future custodian want to have a go at chroming- but it is a contrast and in line with my black and silver theme. The door/side screen rubbers appear very old style so I will still use them just cut out the mounting rail holes. Will probably add a bit of sikaflex on final fit.

The screws are stainless Allen button head type. I have black if it’s suits better. The self tappers were rusty and needed the next size up as they just spin in the holes. 

Its a temporary fit as I’m still considering “trying” to make a head lining and it will glue under the cant rails.

i have also  re fitted the headlining tension bars so I can gauge the level of work !!! And see if I bought enough headlining material in this little black number. Looking a bit daunting!!

i am also considering a rear window brake light and a passenger cant rail interior light (all LED) so will have to fix some wiring and plugs for when the hardtop come on and off before the headlining task.

always takes longer than I think. And I have to triple think what order things need doing.

 

ps sorry about picture order  all a bit random 

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Edited by Hamish
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Hi Hamish for reference the contrails  are not chromed.....they are anodised aluminium. For refurb, dip,in caustic soda for a short time...this will remove the anodising. Then re polish and if you want get them re anodised.

Good luck with the head lining

Iain

 

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9 minutes ago, iain said:

Hi Hamish for reference the contrails  are not chromed.....they are anodised aluminium. For refurb, dip,in caustic soda for a short time...this will remove the anodising. Then re polish and if you want get them re anodised.

Good luck with the head lining

Iain

 

Iain 

Mine seemed to be chromed brass.

(May be doing a Devon run at weekend/ next week if screen tool offer still open?)

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Do be aware that by using those headlining bars (Presumably from a Surrey roof)  for your headling you may find there`s not enough headroom for you.

Stuart.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have read this with interest as I'm currently trying to fit my hardtop and am having similar issues. I think my screen might be raked back at a bit too much of an angle. Please can someone who has a hardtop fitted give me a measurement from the top corner of their screen to a fixed point somewhere on their car? Or will this not help me?

I have also come across this guide which might be of use to others-see pages 378-382

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2H2NJt34OffYWZiN2VlZGMtNTkxMi00NGUzLWE4NzMtMGRkODRkYzU3MDU1/view

 

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Nice car Thurlow ?

to me it does look like the screen could be angled too far back. ??

do you have dzus or bolt fasteners on the screen stantions ? If bolts loosen these off and try and push the screen forward. And loose fit everything.

another possibility is that the stantions could be slightly bent if people have put their weight on them to get out of the car.,

Sorting all this may affect the soft top fitting tho!!!

have a look here top page 26 is fitting guidance  

https://en.calameo.com/read/004463047bfe07aa03403?authid=J03bDXNMzPmS

 

Do you not have windscreen wipers on the TR ?

ps

is YOD 40** a lotus 11

a Devon Reg ?

 

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On 5/28/2019 at 8:20 PM, iain said:

Unusual..

..screen tools are available.

cheers

Iain

Thanks Iain. 

Good to meet up again. Love your TR :)

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Thanks,

the screen stanchions are held on with dzus fasteners. I usually run it with aeroscreens so just have grommets on the wiper holes. The car has been put on its side in its life so I think the screen is bent but have nothing to compare it against.  I don't have a soft top at the moment, once the screen/ hardtop is in the right place I'll worry about that and the side screens!

 

YOD is a westfield xi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westfield_XI its my car in the wiki photo. Much cheaper than a real one! Yes its a Devon reg taken from the MG midget that its based on.

 

Tom

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Hi Tom

You may have to loosen the dzus plates to juggle the fitting.

where are you based ? The local TR group will have meetings where you can compare screens.

At least you won’t mess up the fitting of a soft top !!!

keep up the contact on here as it’s always useful to have hints and tips in one place and moral support !!

H

ps

nice Westfield 

Edited by Hamish
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Hi Tom

long time no see. Attached the dimensions from my HT.

The  measurement is from the screw centre to the top edge of the body at the 3/4 panel capping junction

Shout if i can help

Iain

PS Please excuse the poor drawing!

 

and the error in marking up 

Dims are 660mm - 665mm........doh!

 

 

 

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Edited by iain
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Update

wiring fitted to hardtop this is for 2 interior lights fitted to cantrail area and a high level brake light to be stuck to rear window when that is fitted.

i have also laid out the headlining material cut excess and sewed in first pleat to take the tension bars. 

I Bought my own pegs too !!:)

Fingers crossed I can manage the rest.

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9 hours ago, MilesA said:

You will make someone a lovely wife :rolleyes:

Thanks Miles. 

Luckily I already have one :wub:

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I have the tension bar pleats done. For a first attempt I’m very pleased with these.

The hardest part was the setting up the machine and the tension together with working out how to stop the knotting up under the needle. 

I just need to work out how to do the rear window and then gluing but the gluing edges are very small. And still have enough material to cover the sides and back by the rear window.

little steps with lots of thinking make this soooo slow.

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Edited by Hamish
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Most headlinings are finished round the windows by gluing the material out around the aperture and then fitting the window.

Stuart.

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Thanks Stuart. 

Chatted this through with Iain the other day when I had the chance to look at his car. 

It was thought that would be the most secure method to secure to the outside of the lip but there is less than a cm that would be covered by the window rubber on the overlap to the “outside”.

 

planning on masking this small area for the glue and attach the material, THEN trim. But just doing the top of the window first as I have to tension this a fair amount. 

 

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I presume you have checked for headroom? Reason I say that is the original headling is right up against the roof and it needed to be like that to give sufficient headroom for taller drivers and as your using listing bars it will cut down on clearance.

Stuart.

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Hi folks. 

Another update. And I hope the final one as i think I have finally finished the hardtop refurb with added lights extras.

 

stuart - the headroom - yes there is a gap between head and headlining phew!!

the headlining is all stuck down around the perimeter and the rear window aperture.the front was the last done to get the tension and it’s really tight. I also added foam to the front edge, this I shaped to a recess and lined on each screen mounting point for fixing bolt access.

i fitted a broad flat Rubber trim to the front edge this has a small bead on the front edge that matches the screen top rubber. This is screwed and sealant glued left to set with hardtop on car.

i have fitted the cant rails these these I painted black as the chrome was v poor. I fitted these with ( metric sorry guys:unsure:) rivnuts and stainless M3 Allen screws. I also sealed the hardtop multi skinned edges to prevent water ingress. Then sealed the cant rails whilst fitting.

i was dreading fitting the rear screen as it looks a little crazed thus brittle. But it did come out so luckily didn’t have to trim a new screen.i was able to use the existing rubbers too. I cleaned these up to get rid of the old green overspray and clean up all the grooves.

Thanks to Iain who lent me the screen rubber infill piece tool the job was easier than I feared. I have also added i little sealer around the screen. The method ? I fitted the rubber to the roof, slotted the screen into the bottom then with a plastic trim tool I ran this around the screen easing it into the rubber. The locking rubber trim infill really spreads the rubber into place. 

Then fitted the high level brake light to the top of the rear screen.

plugged it all in to the car and that worked too .

i have a light /brake light led on the roll bar that I can plug in when the roof is off.

 

I just hope that that after all this it doesn’t blow out!!!!!!

thanks for all the moral support and tools etc

fingers crossed its all ok.

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