spitfires
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Thanks for Top advice - couple questions....

To: Kevin Rhodes <krhodes1@maine.rr.com>, spitfires@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Thanks for Top advice - couple questions....
From: Douglas Braun & Nadia Papakonstantinou <dougnad@bellatlantic.net>
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 09:27:20 -0400
Check all the nuts and bolts, and the two-part plastic sleeves on all the 
joints.
You can get exact replacement rounded-head nuts and bolts, but they are
sort of expensive (and my bolt order has been on back-order at TRF for 6 
months).
Regular bolts are certainly better than nothing, though.

My latches and the metal channels that hold the seal were all OK,
but several years ago I replaced the wavy spring washers on the latches,
which keep the latches from flopping around.

I bought a Robbins top, and if I had known that the Amco ones had pre-installed 
snaps,
I would have gotten it instead.  It is hard to install the snaps then the
top is on the car, because you need a rigid surface to hold the snap while you 
hammer it
on, and the car's trunk lid does not qualify :-)

(If anyone knows where to buy a hand-held tool for installing snaps, let me 
know!)

I used Permatex SUPER weatherstrip adhesive (the classic yellow Gorrilla Snot).
A single 2-oz tube is enough, unless you make a lot of mistakes and have to rip 
it
up and start over.

Finally, make sure that your pop-rivet gun has a relatively long and pointy 
"snout".
Otherwise it will not fit inside the seal retainer channels and the plastic 
snaps.

Good Luck,

Doug Braun
'72 Spit

At 08:54 AM 4/6/00 -0400, you wrote:

>Thanks gang,
>
>I appreciate everyone's comments - you have all convinced me to get the top 
>and give it a go myself! I think I will minimize the chances of disaster by 
>getting the AMCO top with the snaps pre-installed. Now my question is - 
>what should I plan on replacing at the same time? I know I need a new 
>rubber seal, but should I get new front retainer bars? My top frame is in 
>quite good condition, it's just that the top I have has shrunk badly and 
>started to split.
>
>Thanks again,
>
>Kevin Rhodes
>Freddy the Spit


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>