>I am ready to install a new MOSS top on my 60 TR3A. Are there any basic
>rules/techniques that I should follow? All tips are appreciated.
I can tell you how I did it. I doubt if it is THE approved method but it
seemed to work.
Tops will stretch when warm and contract when cold. A top installed in
cold weather will be a little loose in hot weather. Conversely a top
installed during the mid summer heat may be a bitch to install when it is
cold. I chose to install mine when the temperature was in the fifties.
My thought is that I would like to have it installable with a minimum of
hassle when it starts to get cold. I've seen some people who did the
opposite and need to drive with some snaps unsnapped when they erect the
top during cold weather.
I did mu darndest to mark the center of where a snap would go placing the
backing over the top to make sure of the placement in relation to the
edge seam. Smart people would probably measure. I punched the seam with
an ice pick then followed up with a hot solder iron. There are probably
better ways to make the hole but this worked OK for me.
Each time I set a snap I would reerect the top then measure for the next
snap. If it looked like I was going to get a slight pucker, I would move
the snap over slightly before going on.
First I folded the top in half and located the front and rear center
points then marked them (something easily removable). Next I located and
marked the center of the windscreen top & rear scuttle (mid way between
the nearest pair of snaps).
I did the front snaps first.
I lined up the front marks then marked and set a center front snap. I
placed the edge of the snap right next to the front seam.
Next I stretched the top TIGHT at the front on one side then marked for
the end snap. I removed the top and installed that snap.
I repeated this for the other side. At this point when I installed the
top front the top is tight against the windscreen with the three snaps in
place.
>From then on I marked and installed each front snap individually,
marking, checking, installing the snap, reerecting the top then checking
final placement, one snap at a time.
I think if you try to do them all at once you will run into problems. I
had to move a couple slightly because I did not get them in just the
right place and there would have been a tiny pucker.
I basically did the same thing for the rear pulling everything tight.
I pulled the top tight front to rear with the hood sticks fully erected,
lined up the rear centre marks and set a rear center snap.
Next I set the snaps on both sides at the tub corners, pulling tight in
all directions.
Next I set the end bottom snaps then followed up setting the snaps in
between pulling tight as I went.
Once the top had all snaps installed I checked the placement of the hood
sticks in relation to the seams on the top. There are slight variations
in the sewing of each top and the placement of your snaps might also
affect placement of the top in relation to the sticks.
I did keep the hood erected for a week and drove around during that time
to get everything settled and for the top to do any stretching that it
might do. I don't know if it did any good but I felt better about making
final tweaks after things had a chance to settle.
If you need to adjust the length of the straps for a perfect fit consider
buying new straps.
Use the distance between the rear two sticks to adjust the top sticks
relative to each other and the rear bow to body to move all the sticks
into place. If your top is just a little loose you can tighten it a
little by making the length of straps a little bit shorter between the
rear stick and the body. You can lengthen it a little to make a real
tight hood a little looser (You need new straps for that)
That's what I did. It worked for me but I was very careful and maybe
very lucky.
TeriAnn Wakeman Marigold Ltd.
Santa Cruz, California Web design, site updating, testing
webmaster@overlander.net search engine optimization, graphics
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