Thanks to all who educated me on the hard-top/soft-top mounting and the
rear Retainer Bar ("bar/slat/stiffy"). Due to your help, the pics/diagrams
in Haynes, Bentley & supplier catalogs have come into focus in my feeble
brain. The bottom line is I have no retainer, a retainer would be somewhat
difficult to fabricate, and (to me) a new one isn't worth the $35 or $40 it
costs. Conversely, 3 skinny rivets through the back snaps don't seem
sufficient. So I'll take the middle ground: I'll cut a 29" length off of
some 3/4" aluminum flat I have, drill three holes in it, put it within the
sleeve at the bottom rear of the soft-top, and secure the whole bit to the
rear body-lip with some stainless screws & nuts; should hold fine as long as
I don't exceed 70 mph in reverse.
I'm anxious to (finally) re-install my refurbished soft-top & then (for a
while) to put the hard-top in place over it. Not any time real soon though;
this morning (3 or 4 miles N. of the DC Beltway) it was 16 deg F. and is
only about 21 or 22 deg F. at mid-day - not conducive to outside
Spit-tinkering!
Thanx, Ree Gurley in Silver Spring, MD - 78 Spit FM 73070U O
P.S. If anyone has a surplus top-latching handle & screw (left side), I'm
interested. -RwG
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