Convertible roof front clip / windshield 3rd latch

I hope this has not been gone over too much earlier. In order to try
to leakproof the windshield / convertible roof clip in the center I ordered two more latches from IM. I cut the required notch in the fiberglass clip and tried to mount the new latch to the clip via an aluminum tab with rivets. No joy...the tab had too much leverage applied to it and wouldn't stand the pull of the latch. My roof's in real nice shape and don't want to mess with it unnecessarily. Is there any way to mount the latch without taking the fabric off the front clip and doing some accurate fiberglass work to duplicate
the glass tabs that are on the right and left side? I sat brooding in the little bugger during lunch today and two beers later came to the conclusion that a simple Cee shaped clip was my best bet. No latch, just a clip. I jogged a couple of miles to work the beer off...ya right... and took it out for a spin and so far, up to 70 mph the little clip performs as well as the Home Depot spring clamp that got us through the rain earlier. Any ideas appreciated.

Very timely post. I was thinking about how to do something similar while trying to go to sleep last night. Got any pictures?

You might try a nut-sert, this is like a rivet and is installed with a tool that is similar to a rivet gun.
The nut sert is a female threaded insert. I have not done this but thought is should work.
I have.... peeled back the canvas material from a header bow, then drilled through it adding recessed nuts into the top of the bow to accept the latch screws, smooth the surface above the nut with a skim coat of bondo and reglue the canvas back in place. ~Alan

Here's a couple of fuzzy pictures, Lane. The clip was quickly made of .090" 4130 that I had laying around. 1.5" high and 9/16" wide. I think it'll work fine. Alan, I got the impression that the mounting part on the latch needs a flat surface to be mounted to and that's why my aluminum tab attach part wouldn't work. Unless you can get three rivnuts involved to triangulate things, or incorporate a bonded fillet to add support, I can't see why your method would not tilt, or give. My structure might be different from yours too. Maybe I missed something in your description earlier. My "clip" or U shaped fiberglass channel that the front of the roof canvas is attached to is quite U shaped in profile and I can't see any way two screws, rivets, etc. could work without the flat surface to attach to.

The biggest challenge on mine is that the shape of the header is such that the VS-style latch won't work. I am working on a plan B.

I need to add that I've added the latch on a VS bow but don't know about Special Edition and or a IM bow. ~Alan

As you can see in the picture below, the area were the latches are not is raised so that the flat surface is nearly vertical, and is well back from the windshield frame. Makes it a bit more difficult to get the right angle.

Here's a pic of my VS with the "new & improved top header bow from Kirk" and the addition of a stock VS clamp installed in the center of the bow...works well ith a minor amount of altering to the bow.
Probably an IM or CMC is different, but the combination of the new ( much stronger & stiffer ) header bow and center latch works very well on a VS.
Doug

Hi Doug, good to see someone else from Maine... I'm going to have a new top installed on mine this spring, bought a stayfast from vintage...

Bob,
Do the top install yourself save some pocket jingle for egg sammiches at Carlisle. It's easy to do and a shop will not be any more familiar with the VS top installation than you are. Plenty of tech help here. ~Alan

Bob--if I can install a center latch, anyone can! My car is a Vintage, I don't know how a center clip would work on other brands.

I noticed that my header bow was not pulled down as much in the center as on the sides and figured a center clip would fix this.
(I have always had a keen grasp of the obvious. Plus i had water just running into the car from the center of the bow when driving in the rain.

The CMC assembly manusl I downloaded from the "library" section at the top of the page here shows a center clip.

I had planned to tighten my top by removing it from the bow channel. cutting some off and re glueing it. Plus putting in superior rubber to stop the leaks.

Kirk sent me a 3td clip and I did all the work. Just cut out the same kind of notch in the bow and install the clip. I don't see how this could be done without removing the bow from the top.

My top is tight without the unsightly sags I see so often and 100% sealed up tightly with zero drips in rain.

One of the benefits of attending the various gatherings is to see what improvments others have made like this one.

Bob

There's a whole article on installing a Vintage Stayfast top on a CMC (even shows bow conversion if you currently have high-bows) over on Speedstershop.com. Can't remember if the third latch installation is in there or not, but it's around somewhere.

gn

Jack there's somthing that you could teach me to do ... ~Alan

Wow!

Tech session opportunity for Carlisle!!!!!!!!!

Great idea and most everyone can benefit !

Uh, what's a top? Where does a center latch go?










Haha, just kidding!