Hi Charlie,
Here are three shots of the front corner finish of a factory NOS grey top
never installed on a car. The top fitted on a header bar with alloy strip,
seal, fasteners and clamps was available from BMC as an over-the counter new
part.
Top material is pulled forward over the header bar which is clamped to the
windshield. The sides should be a good fit around the sidescreens and the
flaps should butt up against the windshield posts. The top fabric gets nailed
or stapled to the header bow from the center out, cleaning out the stretch
marks as you go. There should be a strip of several inches of extra material
at the front. This extra material was cut off at the junction of the wood
header and the alloy clamping strip.
The corner is carefully made by pulling the side edges around to the front.
This folded sticking up bit lets you see how much of a pie slice of extra
material needs to be cut out of the corner. The slit needs to be very
carefully made and kept low so that it can be covered up by the hidem strip.
The edge binding is brought round to the front and back up in a curve and is
cut off so that it finishes under the hidem strip as well. The size of the
curved "ear" portion is 2" in from the edge of the alloy strip. The hidem
strip overlaps onto the alloy strip just a bit to cover the gap. It turns the
corner just slightly and is finished with a plated edge cap. A home steamer
will take out stretch marks.
Robbins (and Moss) used to include detailed fitting instructions with their
tops, but must have had many complaints from amateur screwups, so they now
state that their tops are to be installed by a professional shop.
For people interested in such things, Robbins has shown an interest in
offering tops and tonneaus to the original factory patterns. Their rear
windows were always too large. I've sent them my NOS BN 6 / 7 top and they
now offer a top with the correct size and shape rear window in either stitched
or heat-welded form, in their normal Colonial Grain or original Everflex vinyl
or Stayfast cloth. I've offered them the NOS BT 7 top as well, but they don't
seem to be in a big hurry.
Best regards
Peter
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