Ree,
I see that you have had several answers to your question. Let me
chime in here as I have owned my '73 since '75. I am the only
person to have replaced the top on my car (in 1979). Granted
that today is my 50th birthday and my memory is probably
totally shot.
The Spit top should have an extra flap on material on the rear.
This would have had adhesive on it where it wraps arounf the
underside of the retainer. The snaps were through the outer
part of the top, and through the retainer, but _not_ through
the inner, glued on, part. This probably was used as a buffer
to keep the metal and the rivets from scraping on the body.
As for weatherstripping, there was none, but there were some
rubber pads to keep the retainer from metal to metal contact
with the body. My original pads appeared to be nothing more
than a small piece of inner tube, so when they rotted, that
is what I used.
Cheers,
Doug
--
Doug Mitchell
mailto:dbmitch@peoplepc.com
'73 Spitfire 1500
-----Original Message-----
From: Ree Gurley [mailto:reegurley@mindspring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2001 3:10 PM
To: Spitfire List
Subject: Soft-Top Retainer
The rear retainer-bar for my soft-top has always been missing; the top
is screwed on through small holes (at each snap position) drilled directly
into the rear cockpit lip.
I just got a retainer-bar via Ebay, wire-brushed it, de-rusted it &
re-painted it. Before cleaning it up, it had some residue (trim adhesive? /
gasket cement? / ?), but now I can't remember which surface had the residue.
My plan was simply to screw/rivet through the snap>outer
top>retainer-bar>inner top (in 3 places) --- and then bolt the retainer bar
to the body via the two big holes provided. However, mulling over the
residue that was on it, I'm having second thoughts. Thus, two simplistic
questions -----
1. Is it SOP to use trim adhesive where the retainer bar fits into the
sleeve along the rear bottom of the top? (or are the 3 screws/rivets through
the snap-holes sufficient?)
2. Should there be a gasket/weather-stripping under the horizontal
part of the retainer-bar (between it and the lip on the body) ?
Cheers, Ree G. in Silver Spring, MD - 78 Spit FM73070U O
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