>Date: Wed, 03 Oct 2001 15:12:17 +0000 (GMT)
>From: "Andy Drake" <adrake@mail.ru>
>Subject: Best top for the money?
etc.
>Ok, now on to an even more interesting and probably just as subjective
question: what top is the best deal for the money?
etc.
Last year I purchased a top from Crown Tops and finally got it installed
this last week. I don't even remember what I paid for it, but it wasn't
expensive.
Here's the story;
I've got a '67 with a stowaway and have been missing the advantage of a
zipout rear window since I crashed the maroon ('74). I found a fold down
frame and cleaned it up then ordered a top for it from Crown on the advice
of a close friend.
I had never done a top before so I was a little apprehensive, and working
out of the Lidsay Porter book. There are a few things that Porter doesn't
do and one of them is qualify the type of contact cement. You want a cement
that will allow you to rip it off and reposition for an hour or two. I used
Weldwood's 'Original'.
Another important point is amount and direction of stretch. And the
importance of patience and trust.
I had to start the project by attaching the rear snaps starting from the
front going side to side until I couldn't pull hard enough and then, with
the top laying inside the rear deck, let it stretch for a while until I
could get them all snapped. Pick a HOT day for this or find some other way
to heat the material.
As soon as I got all the snaps to engage, I went into installation.
The first stretch I pulled WAY to tight, both front to rear and from center
out on the headrail. I found that, with the Crown to anyway, 90% of the
pull is rear to front with just enough pull from center out to get the hem
at the front edge of the side panel to meet just below the curve of the
header end. The other indicator is the lay of the material along the top of
the window. Adjust until the hem lays straight from front to rear along the
top edge of the window and you should have no problem.
Once I was satisfied with the fit, it took a while to get all the snaps
down again and once I did, I drove around with the top up for a few days
letting the cool of the night stretch the thing and the heat of the day
form it. All told, letting nature do a lot of the work for me, the whole
thing took about a week until I felt comfortable trimming off all the
excess material.
I'm happy. I'll have to reposition the two snaps for the frame at the top
of the 'B' post on the door, but I'm very satisfied with the quality and
fit of the Crown.
Glenn
--------------------------
Glenn Schnittke
Production Manager
Belcourt Theater
Nashville, TN
schnittke@mindspring.com
Office - 615-846-3150
Cell - 615-319-5534
--------------------------
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