a.j. herrera writes >
>Less than 1 week ago I purchased a 1964 Sprite (1098). This is my
>first British Car, and in fact, my first car.
I admire your spirit of adventure.
>Also, (and I know this sounds dumb) but the folding mechanism doesn't
>fold all the way down. Is it supposed to, or does it just sort of sit
>about 1/4 open? A trip through the Haynes manual hasn't produced any
>information on the convertible top.
A 1964 Sprite does not have a convertible top. It has a roadster hood (top).
You take it completely apart and put it in the boot (trunk). You gotta learn
to talk Brit to really enjoy these cars :-)
The hood itself is folded, then rolled up around the header bar and secured in
the forward-most part of the boot above the rear wheels by straps attached
through little flat steel loops which look like huge staples welded to the
underside of the body. My straps were long-gone, so I used short pieces of
light nylon rope. To fold, lay the hood outside-down on the boot lid and fold
the two quarter windows in. Then fold the big back window over on top of the
big part that is left. Then, starting from the header end, roll the whole mess
up around the header bar. It has to be inserted in the boot diagonally, then
brought straight across the car and pushed all the way forward and up for the
straps to hold it.
The frame is removed from the car by pulling it straight up out of the
stanchions which are welded to the inside of the body just aft of the door
handles. The frame comes apart into two pieces, a right-of-car piece and a
left-of-car piece. There is an L-shaped factory pouch for these, but I never
got one with my car. Just kind of dress them around the right side of the
spare tire, with the long parts in the front side of the tire below where the
hood is strapped.
To erect the hood (put the top up):
This all works easier with two people. Remove frame from boot. Put two parts
back together. Insert frame into the stanchions with the taller of the two
hoops forward on the car. After it is fully seated, push both hoops fully
forward (they are jointed).
Remove the hood from the boot and unroll it. Flop it outside-up over the
frame. The rear of the hood has a steel bar held captive in the hem. There
are two breaks in the inside of the hem where the bar is exposed. The bar
slides into the two chrome "hooks" on the body from the rear of the car. Then
affix the header bar to the top of the windscreen.
Now is the time to run around and fasten all the various snaps and Murphy
fasteners on the periphery of the hood.
OK, so you have this shapeless mess. Get into the car and push the rear hoop
back until the little arms on the sides lock. This has stretched the hood out
into it's classic shape. Be sure everything else is fastened before you do
this. Pulling this rear hoop forward is thus the first thing to do when
removing the hood.
The method of folding and storage is described and pictured in the owner's
manual. This is reprinted in the Bentley's reprint of the factory shop manual.
You should attempt to obtain one of these books anyway, as it is more
comprehensive than Haynes. I sold all that stuff with the '66 I had.
Tell us all about your car, what kind of wheels, what color is it, etc.
Phil Ethier, THE RIGHT LINE, 672 Orleans Street, Saint Paul, MN 55107-2676
h (612) 224-3105 lotus@pnet51.orb.mn.org
w (612) 298-5324 phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov (list goes here)
"The workingman's GT-40" - Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman
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