Ross wrote :
>>Speaking of "cramming the canvas", where can one find instructions on how
>>to properly fold the top of a '75 Midget?
Well the answer is - Right Here.
How to fold down your soft top - Andy's guide. For a Midget, probably similar
for a B.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Unclip the three or four fasteners round the outside edge.
2) Unclip the press-studs inside the car holding the top to the hood frame
(there are two each side on mine - on little loops of vinyl)
3) Unclip the press-studs each side of the windscreen frame top.
4) Unclip the two big clips on the windscreen top edge / header rail.
I guess you all know this up to here. Basically you've now unclipped everything
that's not screwed on, even the ones holding the middle of the hood to your
frame.
5) Fold down the frame, pulling the hood out over the boot (trunk to some of
you).
Here I'll try to draw a picture.
The hood is shown in double lines.
Hood screwed to body here.
|
| Hood attatched to frame here.
| |
| V
v ========|| <--- Point X
===============||
/----------------------\
---/ \
Car body \
\
_____________ \
/ \ \--|
________/ Wheel arch \_______\
6) Take hold of the hood at point X. First fold in the side windows along the
join between
the rear window and side windows, which should at this point be hanging over
the sides.
Roll it up (two layers together) until you get a roll of hood up by the hood
frame.
7) Tuck this roll of hood down under the frame.
It should now look like this :
Roll of hood here, ready to tuck under frame.
|
V
|==|
==/----------------------\
---/ \
Car body \
\
_____________ \
/ \ \--|
________/ Wheel arch \_______\
8) Cover the whole lot with a half-toneau (hood cover).
The advantages of this method over the simpler method of just pushing the frame
down
to meet the body are as follows.
Firstly and most importantly, the side windows don't get folded but rolled. The
folding in
of the side windows along that strip of vinyl between the rear and side windows
prevents the
see-through bit of the side window getting a crease and cracking in cold
weather.
Secondly, the rolled up hood takes up less room as it fits neatly uner the
frame this way.
Thirdly it allows you to get the hood cover on which looks nice and neat.
Disadvantages are that it takes longer than just slinging the frame back and
hoping for the
best. You also need to get out of the car to do it. It's worth it in the long
run though
as the hood should last longer.
I hope that helps.
Andy
**************************************************************
Andy Castellano Smith. | email: a.d.smith@umds.ac.uk
Image Processing Group. | http://www-ipg.umds.ac.uk/~as/
Cunliffe Labs, New Guy's House. | tel. : 0171 955 4208
Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT. | fax. : 0171 955 4913
1977 Chrome Bumper Midget "Mungo" for short.
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|