At 08:15 PM 11/4/02 -0700, Andrew B. Lundgren wrote:
>....
>I am thinking about caribou canvas for the $ and the canvas. ....
>
>.... Anyone hate their canvas top? If not a canvas one, then which vinyl
>one[s]?
I have had both vinyl and canvass tops on my MGA(s) over the years.
My first was a black vinyl top from J.C Whitney in the late 60's. It was
surprisingly easy to install in about two hours with all fasteners
pre-installed and full instructions included, and it fit fine. It seemed
to stretch some in the first couple of months of serious use after
instllation, and I had to detach the front and retension it once, after
which it was okay. If you leave them stored in the lowered and relaxed
position for an extended period of time they might shrink to the point of
being nearly impossible to erect and attach properly.
My next new one was a tan canvas top from Moss Motors, installed with my
current MGA's first restoration in 1986. That too was easy enough to
install, but the bottom fasteners came in a separate parts kit and had to
be installed in the fabric. The canvas held up quite well with serious use
for 12 years and 124,000 miles. I only changed it then because the car was
repainted and got new carpet and tonneau cover, so the top looked a little
fadded and soiled by comparison. What I like most about the canvas top is
that it is effectively self tensioning. If it stretches out a bit with
some extended high speed driving, just wet it down with a hose (or drive it
in the rain) and let it dry, and it shrinks right back to a nice snug
fit. If it has shrunken while being stored in the lowered position, the
same applies, just get it wet and it will stretch a bit, and it will dry to
the proper snug fit. It always fit well regardless of age or use or
weather conditions, and was always easy to work with, even when cold (and I
have put it up or down in sub freezing temperatures, often even).
So the "recent" replacement was of course another tan canvass top. This
one is a Stayfast cloth top from Moss Motors, supposed to be more durable
and less suseptible to fading from exposure to the elements. And I gotta
agree. After five driving seasons and another 55,000 miles this one is in
very nice condition with almost no noticeable fading, a good investment for
a high mileage driver. $.02
The new tops now are usually delivered with no installation instructions,
mostly a liability and warrantee thing I think. The idea is that the party
doing the installation will be liable for the quality of the job and the
cost of the material if it happens to get screwed up. Remember, the seller
did not tell you how to do it wrong (what wonderful logic). But have no
fear, as it can still be a DIY job. Check here for installation of
Lift-The-Dot fasteners and tonneau cover and the MGA top:
http://users.ntsource.com/~barneymg/mgtech/top/top1.htm
The MGB top installation will be a bit different, mostly because of the
steel front header rail requiring some rivets rather than tacks or staples.
My money is on canvas for the durability and low maintainance.
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
http://www.ntsource.com/~barneymg
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