By the way... I was told by many people to leave the car out in the hot
sun with the top roughly in place for 40 min before installation so that
the top will stretch. This avoids the hot day sag or flapping at speed.
On Fri, 22 Sep 1995, David Hay wrote:
> LelandS@dow.com wrote:
> >
> >This spring I purchased a new convertible top for my 69 MGB. The top
> was manufactured by Robins. During the installation when I had with
> what I considered the right amount of tension on the top, I noticed
> that the corners of the top rail were still exposed. I hear Robins
> made high quality top, and since I had never installed one before I
> figured that I was just too conservative with my tension. I stretched
> the top tighter until the corners of the head rail were covered. By
> this time the top was very tight. I should have realized at this point
> I was in trouble, but I convinced my self that the top would "relax"
> after a while. Besides the tabs that snap to the window frame barely
> reached the male snap on the window frame and I wasn't even sure I
> would have enough material to install the female portion of the snap.
> so I persevered.
> >
> >Now I'm stuck with a top that is so tight it takes two people to close
> it and too tight to fasten the lift-on-dots in the rear.
> >
> >The two most logical scenarios are either installed it incorrectly or
> got a bad top.
> >
> >Has anyone else had any problems with Robins tops?
> >
>
> Dear friend,
>
> About 9 years ago I replaced my top with one manufactured by
> Robbins and found it to be of excellent quality. The snaps were all
> alligned and there was about 5 inches of extra material that needed to
> be trimmed off the header rail. I have the opposite problem you have, I
> was afraid of stretching the material too tight and after the top sits
> in the sun for a while it has a very slight sag. But when the weather
> is cold out it becomes quite taut.
> Beware, the material may stretch over time but avoid raising it in
> cold weather (isn't that what they are for?!) for a while or the seams
> may rip. Sounds like you got a lemon. Best of luck.
>
>
> Dave Hay
> 77B
>
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