Mike, I would be worried if my windscreen frame moved like this. I have no such
problem. If it did move I would be worried about the structural rigidity of my
car. The movable bolt plates, I assume, were designed to take into account
manufacturing tolerances, seal thicknesses changing etc. It's just a fiddly
process of getting them directly below the bolts, tightening them up then
jiggling the top slightly to get the best position, then tighten down back and
front, then do the centre ones.
Alan
-----Original Message-----
From: "spitfires-owner@autox.team.net" <spitfires-owner@autox.team.net> on
behalf of "Michael Hargreave Mawson" <OC@46thFoot.com>
Sent: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 18:21:18 +0100
To: "spitfires@autox.team.net" <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Hardtop Fit Question - 78 Spit
In article <3BC31DA2.ADBF23D3@umassp.edu>, Mike Chmura
<m.chmura@umassp.edu> writes
>Hello all,
>
>This past weekend was the first time I attempted to fit my hardtop to my
>78 Spit. Basically things don't line up the way I would have
>expected.
Join the club!
> Here's my assessment. There are six contact points, 2 on
>the top of the windshield, 2 at the cockpit sides where the doors shut
>and 2 on the back sill of the cockpit.
>
>When I secure the 2 screws on the windshield and the 2 at the door, the
>2 screw holes on the top itself and the car's sill don't line up at
>all. There's at least a half an inch space difference. If I try to
>work from back to front then the 2 holes on top of the windshield don't
>line up with the holes on the top. The top overhangs where it should
>fit snugly on top of the windshield.
>
>Is there some kind of 'trick' that I'm missing here? It's almost as if
>the slope of the windshield is angled more than it should be causing the
>the mis-alignment of the holes.
"Almost"? It *is* your windscreen that is causing the problem. The
only "trick" I have found to deal with this is as follows:
1. Do the back bolts up first
2. Open the driver's door, and sit in the gap, with your feet against
the front pillar.
3. Push forward with your feet, whilst pulling down on the top of the
hard-top with your right hand, and attempting to get the front bolt to
engage with your left.
4. Repeat for about an hour until it works.
5. Now do the same on the passenger side.
6. Now do the tie-bars.
7. Have a beer - you've earned it.
Basically, the windscreen is pulled back by the tension in your
soft-top, and flaps in the breeze when you have no top on. When you go
to put on the rigid hardtop, you will find that the windscreen has leant
into the car to a greater or a lesser extent.
When I first got a hard-top, I planned on putting it on and taking it
off as and when the weather changed. Now I reckon to put it on in
September, and take it off the following April - and that's quite enough
effort for one year!
ATB
--
Mike
Michael Hargreave Mawson, author of "Eyewitness in the Crimea"
http://www.greenhillbooks.com/booksheets/eyewitness_in_the_crimea.html
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