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Re: Today's stubborn car part: back of the ragtop

To: Spitfire 1500 <s1500@comcast.net>, spitfires@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Today's stubborn car part: back of the ragtop
From: doug@dougbraun.com
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:04:22 -0500
It sounds like some careless PO has buggered up the threads in those little
net-plate things in the body.  I hope you are not trying to use the wrong size 
bolt!
Be sure that the PO has not accidentally substituted a metric bolt, etc.

Yes, the other 2 holes are for the hardtop.  If those unused nut-plates rattle 
around
work a bit of caulking or bubble-gum around them.

When I got my car years and years ago, I went over the soft-top frame and 
replaced
several missing bolts, nuts and nylon washers.  It greatly improved its 
operation.

I think you can still get those funny dome-shaped nuts and bolts.

Doug Braun
'72 Spit


At 08:43 PM 10/30/2005 -0600, you wrote:
>So I had some free time today(instead of watching "I love the 80s in 3d") and 
>tackled the rattling rear of the ragtop.
>
>It was down to just ONE bolt and nut and I was done. you know that rear plate 
>the back 3 button snaps hold onto to the car's body? The right securing bolt 
>wasn't on at all! In retrospect, it doesn't make much sense(okay, how did I 
>find the bolt if it wasn't on?), but here's what it boiled down to:
>
>THe nice shiny chrome bolt would NOT go back onto the nut "plate" thingamajig. 
>Oh sure, it screwed on, but you had more resistance than a lugnut on a semi 
>cab. I tried a different bolt, same thing. I eventually  took the thick nut 
>out, and put in a regular one. Now it has no grip, and freely rotated. 3rd 
>try: just put in 2 thick washers where the nut was and put a nut+washer 
>underneath it. That did the trick. Now with the 2 bolts put back on, and 
>replacemnt nuts for the 3 screw-on buttonsnaps, that ragtop ain't rattling no 
>more.
>
>Oddly enough, no matter how tight I put the 2 mounting bolts on, there was 
>still some movement available.
>
>Another question: why are there FOUR mounting nuts on the cockpit back, when 
>the plate only uses 2? Hardtop?


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