New car, new top, glad to be here!

@62veedub

Hello, and Welcome to the Madness, and that's a pretty car, for sure!   You could post your first name, too, so we know what to call you (we're old fashioned like that on this site).

I have a CMC as well and can tell you from experience that CMC windshield bows NEVER fit well.  You can get in there and do some grinding here and there in the valley of the bow where-ever it has interference and if you're patient you can get it to fit and seal reasonably well.  I used a Dremel with a selection of small rasps to remove material a little at a time until I got it to fit well.  Doing that is time consuming, but it works.

The CMC bow, once you get it to fit, seems to go down over the windshield top frame quite a distance but you can fill that little valley with some black storm door weather strip from Home Depot:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fr...Tape-R734H/100047977

Just figure out the width you need and a suitable depth and lay it in the bow valley.  I think I have two thicknesses, one on top of the other to get the depth right and the bottom edge of my bow is about even or slightly lower than the bottom dge of the windshield's top frame so it looks about right.  That depth also seems to suit the CMC top latches well (they tend to be a little short).  While you're at it and if you're serious about using the top, you could also install a center latch because you're gonna need it eventually so why not now?  We can offer a couple of alternative center latch ideas on here.  

The CMC bow is made of some sort of weird fiberglass compound.  You can re-shape it easily enough with a Dremel or sand paper.  Just place it on the windshield, see where it has interference and gently work the tight spots.  Don't be aggressive and take your time.  Wear gloves and a face mask/filter for the dust.  It helps a lot if the top material isn not glued to the bow while you're working that aspect, but it can be done with the top glued on.

Or you could buy a new windshield top bow from Vintage Motorcars in Hawaiian Gardens, CA and it will probably fit without much fuss, but you'll have to remove the old one and glue in the new one.

Hope this helps.....

Or you could just get a tonneau cover with a split seams, I thought it never rains in California

Thanks for the info!  My name is Jeremy and I'm in Sun City, AZ.

With a VMC top bow, do I have change the windshield too?

Im wondering if the top is a VMC too? Not sure how much if the car is CMC?  Any advice is appreciated!

Also consider that if it's never been up you may just need to stretch it a bit.  Park it in the sun for a while and gently stretch the material.  Be careful not to stress the windshield frame as both it and the glass are easily damaged.  I suspect a combination of this and Gordon's suggestion will be necessary.

Welcome to the Madness!!

I have CMC but used a VS (who used to be at the new VMC) Haartz fabric top and header bow.   Agree, your top is not the vinyl top that CMC supplied.  Gordon too used a fabric VS top.  The VS top bow fit mine perfectly - no need to change the windshield/frame at all.  The VS top bow appears to be molded butyl material.  The CMC was made of layered fiberglass (I stored mine in hot attic and it started to delaminate).  You can see the layers where the VS one is one piece. 

I don't believe CMC made any Haartz fabric tops ---- unless it was their brief Street Beasts venture.

Another option would be to buy a header bow and windshield frame from Beck (Special Edition).  You'd probably need both as they use a different latch mechanism that is more like the original.  You'd want to reach out to Carey HInes ( @chines1) for details, but it's an option.  He'd be able to let you know if it is feasible and how to make the purchase.  You can't ask for better support than the Beck folks.

For top and windshield fitment picture it in its simplest shapes; two semi-circles.  They have one position that they match evenly.  Rotate one of these semi-circles forward and the contact remains in the center while it gets further away on the ends, rotate it the other way and it retains contact on the ends and gets further away in the center.  Often times these gaps at the header bow are simply a matter of the wrong angles.

Remove any tension from your top or remove the header bow from the frame and lay it on the windshield frame.  Find what position it sits snug with no gap and work towards that point.  If it does not fit the windshield no matter how it is rotated, then you're fighting a losing battle but you'll know that before wasting too much time.

As for using Beck parts, yes, you'd have to change the full windshield frame and header bow for sure, but likely the entire top frame also.  Hopefully you can get what you need with some adjustments or rework of what you have.

@62veedub

I sent you a private message (check at the top of this page and click on your name for a drop-down menu - it's in there) with complete top installation instructions attached.  That should help a lot, too.

Adding the third center catch is good idea.  Unless the bow is really warped (or not fitting in the groove)  it will gradually bring it in.  The top appears loose enough that it will pull wrinkles out.  Just tighten the center clamp a very little bit each day after its been out in direct sun's heat.  The windshield is fragile so use extreme caution!  Other than a few wrinkles that sun will address, the top install looks good (save the gap).

I have a coffee (ok tea) mug I got in London that has subway map and says "Mind the Gap".

I made a center "latch", see attached,  works great.  My real latches I got from Carey and are the billet machined ones.  Very cool, pricey, but absolutely the best way to go for latches.  What I have done here is bend up a piece of sheet metal into a broad "C" shape.  If you make it just about right, you can clip the bottom under the windshield frame lip, and then push in on the belly of the C to get it to expand a little, enough to slip over the beam when the bottom is tucked under the windshield frame.  I put some duct tape over the upper edge to avoid scratches.  I should say to avoid any more scratches, as two early ones are visible here.  Its a safety item.  Before I got Carey"s ultra cool latches, I had the cheap-o spring loaded jobbies that often broke.  One popped out while I was running down the highway in a goodly rain storm.  Felt compelled to hold the beam in place with my right hand while I limped back to the garage.

Thanks for the info and advice, I REALLY appreciate it! I’ll mess around with it this weekend and see what I can figure out.  

An old thread on subject.   Sure there are others.