That is an interesting idea... did you make it for both sides?
Ray, this was sort of a 'proof of concept'. Haven't done the other side yet.
This vinyl is sold like fabric - from rolls about a yard wide - so one yard is enough for a pair of these plus a whole lot more. I was thinking it might be handy to have some of the vinyl the seats are covered in for future repairs, if needed.
That is a great idea!
I could call the carpet guy (who does all of Kirk's and Greg's carpet) and have him make a couple squares for me. I was also going to see if they could trim the e-brake cover a bit... just seems like it is too big...
Well it is a great Idea, if you have leather and you can get the company name you can order matching dye for those spots that wear from friction.
Installed the door thresholds this morning. I decided to rivet them in. I think it looks a lot cleaner than using the screws they came with...
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Sacto Mitch posted:So, I found some vinyl at my wife's fabric shop that is a close match to the seats and had her stitch up this protective square. It has some velcro strips on the back edges to hold it to the carpet. It's easy to wipe clean and protects well.
Kirk may be able to get you the same vinyl your seats are made from.
Good idea. I ordered some extra material from Henry to do a couple of 'patches' similar to that. Getting in and out of these cars - oh, the contortions we have to go through - has a way of rubbing on either seats or sills. I like your solution there! I want to do a cover for the driver's seat left side, a common area of wear, and for the driver's sill as you have done.
*LongFella posted:Installed the door thresholds this morning. I decided to rivet them in. I think it looks a lot cleaner than using the screws they came with...
I thought about those metal sill edges. Where'd you get them?
Robert M posted:*LongFella posted:Installed the door thresholds this morning. I decided to rivet them in. I think it looks a lot cleaner than using the screws they came with...
I thought about those metal sill edges. Where'd you get them?
Here is where I got them. It really cleans up the carpet edge and looks better then the rubber stuff VS uses...
Bob I'd be curious to see what that looks like on the seat
I think Its time for Yoga exercises and squats 
installatikn of a monkey bar extension on the roll bar
i think they call it trapeze bar
*LongFella posted:Robert M posted:*LongFella posted:Installed the door thresholds this morning. I decided to rivet them in. I think it looks a lot cleaner than using the screws they came with...
I thought about those metal sill edges. Where'd you get them?
Here is where I got them. It really cleans up the carpet edge and looks better then the rubber stuff VS uses...
Rubber stuff? My car has skateboard tape. Then again my car was originally built in 2001 and like everything else his methods have changed.
Thank you.
IaM-Ray posted:Bob I'd be curious to see what that looks like on the seat
Ray, I'll let you once I get a round tuit...
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Nothing new to update on the build. I did set an appointment with Alex at the end of February to have him look over the 1915cc I have sitting on my engine stand in the garage...
I've decided to use Alex and his engine building talents to help me. I have a 1915cc that I can get up an running for now as I start getting parts for the 2110cc build I would like to do later on...
I haven't put the top up in some time... Nice snug fit
The only thing I have left is the engine and fuel system. SO DAMN CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE ! ! !
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looking good Brian, check out today's "eye candy" post, I think you'll like the color...
Is there a trick to getting the top to fit closer in the middle? For me, the sides are fine, but the top leaves a little gap in the hole left for the support.
Here's a recent pic of my top fit. You can't see the gap like you can from the inside, but you can see the middle is not as snug as the sides. How did you get yours so snug?
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If you figure out a solution let us all know. It seems blue tape is the answer. I have thought there must be a way to add a couple of more latches, but I have never seen anyone attempt it.
BTW North Fork Dam and Lake Clementine. I learned how to water ski on that lake. Great place to boat camp at the head waters of the Lake.
Ryan, do you have one of these? It's a clamp that came with my 2013 VS that screws into a hole in the middle of the top bow and loops over the metal rod that the rearview mirror attaches to. It's supposed to solve the problem your photo illustrates.
I've never tried using it for the following reasons:
a) I never drive in the rain and just use the top if I have to drive in really cold (and dry) weather, so this wouldn't help in that case.
b) I'm afraid to put any more tension on the aluminum windshield frame than the side clamps already do - the windshield is very prone to cracking if the frame is bent.
If you don't have one of these, and if you have the tapped hole in the center of your top bow, you can try using this if you want. Send me a PM.
That said, there's no guarantee this will seal up the top bow against rain, and it's pretty likely it won't. There's a reason they sell so much blue masking tape in areas where there are a lot of Speedster drivers.
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I bet that would really do the trick, Mike, but HOLY HANNAH! $100 bucks for an 8-foot length of weatherstrip? Wow....
Alan Merklin swears by that little clampy-thing that Mitch shows up above and it would be interesting to see how much better (than nothing) it works. Sure is simple.
I went the other route and installed a third header bow latch, just off center in the middle (to avoid the center strut). That pulls the bow down very nicely and I've had zero header leaks after installing it. Still, I used a combination of header weather strip to get it to seal and now I'm thinking $100 for a proper seal that lasts 20 years longer than I'll have this car might be worth it!
Of course, there are all those other leaks to contend with, too....... It is just an "emergency top", after all.
Stoddard lists another top seal for $145! They show another seal they call a top seal for $35 but it looks like it is actually the windshield bottom seal.
I have the Merklin clampy-thing. It doesn't draw the header down like your 3rd latch.
It only holds it down if you can manually press the bow down. Right now I can't press the bow down enough to engage the clampy-thing. To some extent I think of it as something to prevent the header bow from coming loose at high speed.
What looked interesting about the Stoddard seal is that it looks like it has a lip that wraps around the front of the windshield frame.
The trick to a good seal id to use, the right seal, A thin wall D shaped seal must be used the thicker wall D molding will not fill the voids. I use the thin wall for the header bow, bonnet and doors. Available for McMaster Carr. The VS center latch will draw down if installed with the right tension ...The latch does not put tension on the aluminum windshield frame , it draws up on the mirror rod tht is anchored ot the underside of the dash. .... if the flat piece is in the wrong orientation just fabricate the hook piece from flat stock
Rolled back the tonneau cover (where the top lives 99 per cent of the time) and looked at how the clampy thing attaches to the header bow. There's a threaded ferrule set into the fiberglass. It's counter set about a quarter of an inch. The thread's a 1/4" x 20 - the same thread used for camera tripod sockets.
So, if your car didn't come with the clampy thing, you'd have to do some minor surgery here to attach one. I'm assuming you could get the clamp itself from Kirk, although it wouldn't be too involved making your own.
If I recall, I tried using the clamp the first time I put the top up and, like Michael, found it would take more force than I was willing to apply to get the bow down enough to make this work, so I never bothered using it.
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That $100 seal is way too thick to make a good weather seal for our header bows.
Mitch your technical expertise if far too copious for my diminutive comprehension. You used the words "clampy thing" and "threaded ferrule" in the same paragraph.
Noel, I don't really know what a ferrule is.
I just like saying, 'ferrule'.
I think that is a CA legal Ferret.
DAMN! I thought I was reading posts from some of my old designers, for a minute there!
I stead of sinking a ferrule into the header material - which is a good choice, actually, if the ferrule outer diameter is knurled to provide a good "bite" into the header material, - You could use a knurled "Pem Nut", drill the hole to the recommended size for the material (I would use the drill size for wood) and tap the Pemnut in from the back (top) side with a small hammer and punch. Rather than a Pemnut, you could drill a 1/4" hole where you want it, then drill a slightly larger hole on the backside (in the trough of the header) and tap a 1/4-20 nut into that larger hole as a press fit so you could run the clamp bolt into it and it wouldn't pull out or spin when tightened.
I still think that the best solution is a third latch just off-center, because you're pulling down on the header and up on the windshield frame, not the glass or the center strut.
I was always bothered by the third latch being off-center. Maybe I will install two, one on each side of the rod.
It's a threadsert, or "riv-nut" in some hardware catalogs.
Ryan--I have a center latch and don't have that spread in the middle of the top. It doesn't matter if you never put up the top but it matters a LOT if you want to keep the water out in a hard rain. It is clear (to me) that your top isn't gonna seal with that space at the top.
Mike, back when I was looking for the water resistant holy grail, I bought that Stoddard seal made for a metal Speedster and it was a mess---much too thick so that the clips couldn't possibly close. It looked good but was not the answer for my VS.
If one looks in the resources section of this site and finds the CMC construction manual he will see that a center latch is used, but my VS came with only the left ad right side latches and my top looked like Ryan's---and leaked water like crazy. I got a latch from Vintage and installed it onto my bow a little off-center which is fine--in fact I never thought about the symmetry---just about having a water- resistant car. I installed the "center" latch just like the other two were installed into the bow. I did find improved rubber too---not as thick as the Stoddard stuff but thinner and more pliable. It works like a charm with never a drop of water entering the cabin in the hardest rain.
I must add that the job of adding the center latch was a challenge for me. I wanted to get the top tighter as part of the project but I damned near blew it by removing too much top canvas material and had to stretch it pretty good to have enough material to re-glue it to the top. I never did figure out that "lefty loosey" thing early on, and forget about that "measure twice and cut once" thing. If you try this fix just be a little smarter than I was, which is not a big challenge. Be careful!! The 3-M spray in the can is a great glue. Don't spray it on----Spray it into a glass jar and paint it on with a brush---much neater that way without the overspray.
Last--I do use the blue tape, but not for water sealing. I have had nightmares about the wind getting under the top and flinging the whole business up and over the car so I use the blue tape to get the air to flow over the crack between the windshield and the top to prevent the top from going bye-bye at 85-90 mph on the interstates. It has worked OK so far! Maybe I don't need it but it couldn't hurt.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it! (Pun intended.)
@Jack Crosby, when you installed the center latch did you cut a notch in the header like the outer latches have?
What happened to my build thread?!?! jkjkjk 
Outstanding build!
This has to be an SOC record long thread...Way past the "Brass Thingie"
Well now I don't know about "way past". I know the "Brass Thingie" thread was over 20. Might have hit 25, but I don't think so. Harumpf!
That's OK, Lane...... You'll probably lose something else. Be patient.
Oh I have. Anybody seen a mind running around lately?
In Lane's defense his thread was about "One Topic" (with the exception of the necessary thread drift) not the whole build. You go Lane. Keep on building Brian.
Bringing my thread back on topic... LOL!
Started working on getting the 1915cc prepped for starting her up. I have a bunch of parts on order from CB Performance, Air-cooled, and amazon... decided on the Odyssey PC680 battery and mount... new spark plugs and oil... timing light... and some hardware to build an engine run stand...
I have already prepped MusbJim to help prepare for engine surgery 
I also cleaned and painted some of the good tins I had when I picked up the engines from Ted. I'll need to replace a few since they were pretty rusted. I used some high temp paint with the "bake in the oven" procedure.
Mandatory pics below...
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Question for the pros:
I need some help figuring out the oil temp and oil pressure sensors... and their respective location on the engine. I know there are multiple ways to hook them up. I am looking for the simple work with what I have set-up. My gauges are VDO from Beck (I wanted the original look). Pics below are what I have...
The small skinny VDO sensor is from Beck when I got the gauges. The large VDO sensor and silver sensor came with the engines. The dual VDO is on the 1915cc now. The last pic was on the 1600cc in the same location as the dual VDO on the 1915cc...
So from what I can tell... I have two VDO oil temp sensors and a silver oil pressure sensor. The dual VDO is an oil pressure??? and the 1600cc sensors are both oil temp and oil pressure...
Keep in mind I have Beck VDO gauges so I want to make sure the sensors work...
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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