[TR] TR6 top R&R

[Greg Lemon]

Same issues with a Robbins vinyl top fitted on my TR250.  It is very tight,
there was not really a lot of extra material to make it less tight.

Installed myself, it looks good because no wrinkles, but best erected warm
and in the sun.

I make a point to store it with the top up every winter, if it shrank at
all I would never get it back on.

Greg Lemon
TR250

On Fri, Apr 11, 2025, 3:49 PM Dave MacKay <dave at mdmackay.ca> wrote:

> I experienced the same with a vinyl tonneau I got from Robbins for my
> TR3A.
>
> I had a professional install it. The installer complained that it was too
> small. When we compared it to the previous tonneau we could see that it
> was noticeably smaller. I sent it back to Robbins and they replaced it
> with a slightly larger version. Even that was VERY tight. Eventually we
> got it fitted but it was a bear. It wasn't a job I'd want to tackle
> myself.
>
> My convertible top is so tight that it's almost impossible to erect unless
> the car and top have been sitting in the sunshine on a hot day (which is
> exactly when I don't need it).
>
> I always contended that the darn things shrink. Dave's explanation of why
> that happens fits with my experience.
>
> Dave MacKay
> 10960 TR3A s/n 68639L
> near Toronto, Canada
>
> >From: Robert Rochlin <rrochlin at comcast.net>
> >To: dave northrup <dave at ranteer.com>, triumphs at autox.team.net
> >Subject: Re: [TR] TR6 top R&R
> >
> >The top looks great, but is a bear to get up when the weather is cool. I
> spoke to a very experienced >top installer years later about how tight the
> top was going up and he told me that that the rear >section of the Robbins
> cloth top is cut too small and it make sit hard to get the top perfect.
> He >said that vinyl tops were more forgiving.
>
> >From: DAVID MASSEY <dave1massey at cs.com>
> >To: dave northrup <dave at ranteer.com>,  "triumphs at autox.team.net"
> >Subject: Re: [TR] TR6 top R&R
> >
> >Ditto.? For the same reasons.? Unless you are looking at doing several,
> there is too much learning >curve.
> >
> >Vinyl and the rubber layer on canvas tops all have a chemical called an
> elastomer.? This makes >the plastic flexible (stretchable) but this
> chemical will dissipate (evaporate) over time and the >material will not
> stretch as before.?
> >
> >This has worked for me on both vinyl and canvas tops.
> >
> >Correction.? I used the term "elastomer" when I should have said
> "plasticizer."
> >Another example:? Many years ago I was given a TR6 top by an acquaintance
> who bought it 20 >years previously but wrecked his car before he had a
> chance to have it installed.? In other words, >this top sat in his
> basement for 20 years before I had it installed.? This was the easiest top
> to put >up and down in all my experience.? I believe it is because the
> plasticizers had all dissipated and >the top did not stretch when the
> installer got his hands on it.? So it didn't "shrink" after
> >installation.? It went up easily in any weather.??
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