Neil:
My hard top must be of a different design than yours; it attaches at the
frame sockets (behind the doors) and at the top of the windshield frame,
but has no provisions for attaching to the rear hooks. This top must
also weigh considerably less; I would be surprised if it went over 25
pounds (using the "My 9-year-old daughter can lift it" method of
weighing, were I to use the "Lawrie / Battery" method the figure would be
much lower - only kidding, Lawrie - it would be much less). I would also
note that the entire weight of the top is spread out over a considerable
amount of body surface (windshield frame, frame socket, rear deck).
>It needs to be a foam rubber or something else that will support the
>weight of the top, not just close the gap. The hard top is so heavy it
>would collapse the 0 part of the 0| (it is meant to be collapsable for
door
>seals) and put weight on the chrome hooks causing them to break after
>time.
I don't know that this has crossed your mind or not, but I'll throw it
out and you can ignore it at your leisure (I'm used to it, see reference
to the 9-year-old above):
The purpose of the weatherstrip (I'll call the seal this for
convenience's sake) is to both close the gap, put the top at the proper
height, and insulate the body from the hard top (that is, to prevent the
top from damaging the body after it is tightened into place). To do
these things, the weatherstrip chosen must be flexible enough to fill in
the gaps, yet dense enough to, as you note, support the weight of the
top. A weatherstrip of sufficient density won't allow the top to come
into contact with the body, or compress when subjected to the bumps and
rattles of normal driving. Obviously, the thickness of the weatherstrip
will play a role in this.
My top has a lipped channel that runs around the bottom edge; the
weatherstrip in it appears to be original, has shrunk with age, and
deteriorated. I haven't been able to find any weatherstrip of the proper
thickness, but I haven't really looked yet. Thus, my intent was to
supplement the original weatherstrip with the generic stuff I described.
>I did some thinking and figured that if I use firm pipe insulation
>thats cut in half lengthwise, and then glue the two edges to the top,
the
>round part will sit on the shroud and take the weight off of the hooks.
I would be concerned with the material of which the pipe insulation is
made. I think its a polystyrene which may not be flexible enough to hold
up to extended use. I like the idea, though.
> Your idea is valuable, but weatherstrip isn't meant to hold weight.
After considering your thoughts, I agree. Thus, when I replace the
original weatherstrip I will find some rather thick dense square or
rectangular weatherstrip to fill the channel; this should be available at
any hardware store. I'll want to use a closed-cell foam to avoid water
soaking into the strip. The strip should be thick enough to extend
beyond the channel so that when the top is snugged down, and the strip
compressed, all the gaps are filled and the top doesn't contact the body.
In your case, you would want to ensure that the strip, when compressed,
allowed the rear attachements (at the hooks) to be secure but not
stressed.
Luck,
Rich
Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA
'74.5 RB MGB "Miss Maggie"
'78 Chevy Half-Ton "Waltzin' Matilda" (LBC Support Vehicle)
'79 Midget "Miss Molly"
richard.arnold@juno.com or rdarnold@neonramp.com
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