Soft Top Installation
For those of you that have great manual dexterity, lots of patience and are
truly crazy do-it-your-selfers I post this method of top installation. For
those of you that are not so inclined I include the same instructions at no
extra cost as you may wish to supply these to the upholstery shop that you
choose to install your top. I do not profess to be a qualified upholster
but I do have some knowledge as my sister owns a upholstery shop. She did
not help with this installation but I used the principals that she taught
me. I INSTALLED a Robins top PURCHASED FROM CAT.
This may or may not be the correct way to install TIGER "weather equipment"
but it did work for me. YOU TAKE YOUR CHANCES IF YOU FOLLOW THIS!
READ this ALL BEFORE you start. The entire top may be fitted with glue and
duct tape to ensure that you know what you are doing BEFORE you punch any
holes. Practice FIRST.
Sandblast and paint the top-bows or finish them by industrial plating
before you start.
1. Adjust the tension rods. (See following)
2. Adjust the Top-bow webbing (see following)
3. Ensure that the Top-bow pivots (on the top of the B posts) are adjusted
and function perfectly. Check that the top-bow side-window surround
fits the side windows when they are in the up position. The thin metal
pieces that the top pivots on are the most delicate part of the top
assembly. If they are bent the top will not fit the side windows. If
1,2,3 are not done properly you will never get the top to fit. Your
side glass must also be correctly adjusted in the door to ensure that
they do not lean too far in or out.
4. Place the new top over the top-bows. Align the front cross seam over
the non-folding, front top-bow. The rear cross seam should line up over
the rear, folding, cross-bow if the top-bow web is correctly fitted.
5. The vertical seam at the rear of the side window openings should line
up with the vertical post of the top bow. The seam at the bottom of the
top should touch the body of the car on both sides at this point. If
not, center the top.
6. Replace the Velcro on the top bow stays if required. Use book binders
tape or duct tape to hold the hood on to the Velcro (Remember Velcro
sticks best if it is rubbed down several times). Do not leave this tape
on for more than a few hours or the glue will mark the top
7. Tape the Top-bow-to-Windscreen rubber to the top of the windscreen..
Now tape the top to the chrome of the wind screen surround.
8. Use GEL TYPE contact cement on the top-bow uprights and then on the top
to glue the vertical seam to the upright. GEL contact cement will not
melt the plastic that the top is made of. It also will not string out
and get all over everything and it will clean off. Let both sides dry
and then make contact. Do not bunch holes for the screws that hold this
area on to the top bows at this time. It is essential, though, that the
top be tight from side to side, over the top bows.
9. Brush contact cement on the rear cockpit cowling and on the rubber
edging that finishes the cockpit. Attach the edging to the car after
both surfaces are dry. If the rubber trim is new use a white marker on
the rubber to pin point the screw holes in the rear cowling metal. If
you are re-using the rubber, line the screw holes up with the screw
holes in the metal. You may now put a screw in each end of the rear
trim, pulling gently outwards form center on each side.
10. From inside the car pull the rear of the hood back - at the center (not
too hard as it is better to be loose than too tight). Locate the center
hole in the aluminum trim and screw through it and the top into the
center screw hole in the rear cowl. this is the first hole that you
will put into the new hood and your stomach will tie into knots here.
11. Check that the hood fits correctly at the back. The flap that contains
the snap and the "Lift-a-dot" must fit flat on to the car body. The
rear edge of this flap, were it is sewn to the hood, should just meet
the car body.
12. Check the fit over the cross bows. It should be tight. Install the lift
a dot on each side now.
13. Install the rear snap pulling gently back on the flap against the lift
a dot. If your top is properly installed you will not have to pull down
only back. This is the secret to having a properly fitting TIGER top
with no wrinkles in the side panels.
14. Now go back to the inside rear and begin working from the center
outward on alternate sides, screwing the rear trim to the body. As you
do this pull gently down and away from center. Remember that you are
only pulling against the binders tape at the front. You may pull harder
towards the sides as this must be a good fit for the top to be tight.
Check the outside fit as you put in each screw. Be sure to see that
your tape has not pulled free at the front. You do not want wrinkles to
develop either.
DO NOT screw the inside shorter side trim on at this time.
15. Now work on the leading edge. Pull the top tight and re-tape working
from the center outward to each side. Run long pieces of tape from the
hood down to the windscreen. Now mark the top with masking tape where
it crosses the leading edge of the peak rail. Also mark the center of
the top with masking tape and with a second piece mark the center of
the peak rail. You will have to remove some of the binders tape to do
this.
16. Now unsnap the top clamps that hold the peak rail to the windscreen
remove all the binders tape and fold the tension rods upwards. At this
point you may want to tape the side stays into their retaining pins so
that the whole thing does not collapse on you. Spread GEL TYPE contact
cement on the underside leading edge of the peak rail and on the front
1 inch of the underside of the top. Be sure to cover the top with paper
before you do this so that you do not get any glue on it. Let this
dry. Now attach the top to the peak rail starting at the point that you
marked as center. The masking tape that you marked the leading edge of
the peak rail should just roll under the peak rail leading edge. Press
the glued top edge into place working from the center outwards and
pulling tight as you go. Be sure to work the top well up into the under
side curve of the peal rail.
17. You may now snap the peak rail back onto the windscreen. The top
should at this point be a snug fit with no wrinkles nor loose spots.
You may adjust the fit at the front by repeating step 16.
18. Adjust the fit at the sides by repeating step 8 if required. Wind the
side windows up and make sure that they fit. The screws and trim may
now be installed on the uprights.
19. The back fit may be adjusted by removing the rear trim screws and
pulling downwards and from side to side in order to take up any slack
or to eliminate any wrinkles. Remember I said in #10 that it is better
to be slack here than to be too tight. NOW is the time to take up the
slack. Any holes previously punched in the back edge will be lower
than the new holes and will not cause a problem. You may find that all
fits well and no further adjustment is necessary. I mostly give this
caution so that you do not pull too hard in step #10 and pull the top
out of position.
20. At this point you can now let the work rest a while. Let the car get
cold in the evening. Let the sun shine on it. Drive it a bit. I put 300
miles on my Tiger in pouring rain and the front glue held but I do not
recommend this as a test.
21. Once you are
sure of the fit remove the rubber that you taped on to top of the
windscreen and install it onto the bottom side of the peak-rail.
22. Now all that remains is to secure the short side trim to the rubber
trim that finishes the cockpit. This trim does not hold the top it only
holds the rubber in place. Remember that the top in this area must be
slack for the top to fold down when it is finished. The piece of the
top that hangs down is simply held to the edge of the car by a clip.
Several "alligator clips with the handles removed can be used for this
of the originals are missing.
This is the area that most people including professional
upholsters screw up. It seems logical to pull the top tight under the
short trim pieces and screw it down. You will find that the top will
not fold if you do this and you end up with unwanted holes in the top.
The purpose of these flaps is to guide the water that leaks in into the
drain holes behind the B pillar. Be sure these drain holes are clear.
Top Bows
The top bows of a Tiger are strange things indeed. Their stability depends
upon two blocks of plastic holding two thin rods from moving laterally. The
two rods are called tension rods. They pivot upwards from the top rails and
insert into the "Peak rail" (That part of the top that clamps on to the
windscreen).
These tension rods can be a real pain. As they are part of the "weather
equipment" they are very prone to rust. If you have a set that are free of
rust and the adjustments are able to move with no trouble you are home free
but most that I have seen have long ago given up the ability to move. These
have very narrow threaded ends on them and are easily broken when you try
to make the tension adjustment. Once broken they are expensive and
difficult to repair so treat them with care.
Tip: rather than adjust them with the screw ends bent the rod body a bit. A
small bend in this area will enable the end of the tension rod to be at the
correct angle to the hole in the peak rail. This angle is a more critical
adjustment then the length of the rod. Try this slight bend before trying
to lengthen or shorten the tension rod as it may save you a difficult
repair.
Top Bow Webbing
The webbing that goes between the top bows is critical for a good fitting
top. This webbing spaces the folding top bow and the peak rail in relation
to the fixed top bow. It also takes some of the sag out of the center of
the top. The soft top has two seams across it and these seams must line up
with the top bows for proper fit. Because of this the length of the webbing
is critical to a good fit for your soft top. If you are having a upholstery
shop install your new top be sure to have this adjustment made before the
top is installed as the old webbing stretches and is probably deteriorated.
You can easily do this part yourself by taping the new soft top into place
and installing new webbing to fit the top.
Tip: Use a black seat belt, with the ends removed, as replacement webbing.
The nylon will not stretch nor will it deteriorate with age and exposure to
the weather. It is the same width as the original cloth webbing and the
black looks just perfect against a black soft top.
Well good luck and
Godspeed
Jc
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Sep 05 2000 - 10:16:20 CDT