Thanks to Barney Gaylord's website, I decided to install the ragtop on my
'59 MGA myself rather than pay $150 or so to have someone else do it. I
know I owe a great deal to all the list moderators and folks like Barney
who take the time and energy to set up and maintain these sites and are
willing to share their expertise with the rest of us. I'm about done (have
the trim caps on the hide'em strip and LTD fasteners to install on the back)
and am really satisfied with the appearance. I don't know about leaks yet
but the car always leaked (water in/oil out). I made two modifications to
Barney's procedure as a result of what I found when I removed the old top.
Now I don't know that this was the original top but it had been on the car
since before 1968.
First - I rubber cemented strips of foam rubber weather-stripping to the
bottom of the front bow before wrapping it with fabric. I also added strips
to the tops of the first two metal bows where they rub against the top. The
old set-up had this. I can see that the foam on the metal bows may have
provided a bit of protection to the fabric. I notice that Clarke Spares
offers a foam piece for the wood bow. I used 3/4" wide and 3/8" thick
Second, I ran two strips of 2" nylon webbing from the front (wood) bow back
to the last metal bow (just before the window). My original set-up had
these made from the same material as the top but I did not have enough
excess to do this and settled for nylon webbing. I believe the idea here is
that the webbing will pull the bow in place rather than put pressure on
those two little screws (and tear the fabric). I tacked the front part in
place after I covered the bow and before I stapled the top down. I've not
attached the rear yet but will loop it aroung, probably either staple or sew
it together and then run the screws through the material.
I offer the above suggestions as trivial addendums to a very useful
contribution. If not for Barney's website, my MGA would still be running
around Atlanta topless.
ralph cordell
rzc4@cdc.gov
'59 MGA
'84 Turbo Regal
'87 Grand National
'96 Roadmonster
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