Speedster replica floppy tops

Hello All--The convertable top on my Speedy's is ill-fitting with droops and fair sized wrinkles. It is simply a poor fit.

Before all you loyalist die hards (I'm one myself!) jump on me I understand that this top is just an "emergency" device and was never intended to be like a VW convertable with all the padding and rigging. But still--can't if be better fitting than it is now? And it's brand new!

When I was searching for my car on ebay---I noticed that almost all the cars shown with tops down were also ill-fitting. What is that about?

So my question is how can I tighten this top up to fit without the saggiong and wrinkles? Anyone accomplished this or should I jyst start worrying about other things.

Thanks very much!---Jack, Hot Springs`

Your best bet would be to talk to a reputable upholstery shop in your area about retrofitting your existing top.

Jack,
My top does the same thing. It can be adjusted by turning the clips up front to tighten or loosen it but be careful, too tight and you risk cracking the windsheild (possible). I've seen much better fitting tops, I think they are made with Stafast(?) material which, if I'm not mistaken has some elastcity to it? When and if I ever get around to it, I'll be looking for a material to redo my top that stretches so it's snug. I hardly ever put my top on but if it does have to be on I want it to look nice.

The factory female bow anchor point is usually not in the most peerfect location and this can be easily corrected...
With the help of someone, with the top fastened to the windshield and fixed onto the body snaps, unbolt the metal top bows at the pivot point on the body, (they are bent in such a way as they will be spring loaded against the inner tub area ...(BE Carfeful that they don't pop out and scratch the paint).... move them around as a set forward, rearward as well as up a bit observe how they change the entire top profile, be sure that your side curtains still fit and the top still lays flat into the rear tub area so the boot will still be able to snap onto the body, drill a 5/16 hole for the pivots, pass a 5/16 bolt through the body and back it up with a fender washer against the bolt head, on the inside use a small washer and nyloc nut, this is now your male pivot bolt, slide the metal bows onto the bolt add another small washer and nyloc nut, leaving it loose enough to allow for the metal bows to pivot.

Jack -

Be sure that you have pulled up the tension tabs just above where the top bows join/pivot and are bolted to the body (immediately behind the seats). These are supposed to take up the slack once you've got the top up and the clips of the top attached to the windshield.

I thought my top was pretty sloppy also, until I discovered I had not pulled these tabs up to snug up the top.

...I'm just saying...

You can always tighten the canvas by pulling it loos from the front bow and moving it forward an inch. I'd use a chalk mark and pull it up another 1/2 inch then reglue.

Wow! Such fabulous advice. I never even knew about "tension tabs" and the other advice is priceless. Thanks guys--I'll report back how it works out.

I know the top can look better than it does today and you told me some secrets of how to approach this. MANY thanks. 9Is this a great site or what!) Jack, Hot Springs

This is a problem I wish someone would come up with a good top frame like the real ones that has all the frame work that makes it close up neat like a roadster or cabrolet top does.

All the the floppy tops should become obsolete they just arn't that good.

I would be more than glad to offer making patterns from my d top to get most of it but its still diffent than a real speedster frame.

Barry, check out Carey Hine's speedster top asssemblies.

I must admit that my hood actually fits pretty dammed well and the bows work great when it's clipped at the windscreen.

The downside is that due to this design, the hood doesn't fold down 100% below the rear........

I'll second Alan's recommendation. The Beck has a real scissors-type top frame like a Miata. It's easy to raise and lower, and it looks good when up.

That's the good kind, And I hope Jack is taking notes. I sure will

If I had it to do a again! I would still do the Drauzs conversion

My VS came with 2 bows and winshield cap . and a speedster windscreen.

Im sorry ,,But to me the top was junk so I sold it all ,straight up. as soon as I found a D winshield frame and decent D top frame. doing the doors and the cowl post are very tricky, so I will not recemend the conversion to a individual. But maybe a good builder.

But I defintly would recemend a better top frame for any speedster replica that had the flimzy mess like what mine had in the begining. and just swap out the latches to match your windscreens catches, and use your top AND bow adjusters if needed.

One thing I'd never tell Dale Bates is how nice his top is. I'd rather get on his case for wimping-out and putting it up all the time. Truth-be-told the IM tops are the best. Period.

Another example of getting whatcha pay for.

I carry a roll of red duct tape and when the top goes up on my Vintage, the tape comes out. Snugs and seals both the top and one of the two side curtains real well. I use a little tape on the driver's inside side curtain.

Dry and toasty but not too tastey. Although even without the tape it is better than two of three of my real P-car tops. Ahh, to be young, broke and too dumb to put the top up anyway. Well two outta three still ain't bad.

I need to replace my front seal over the windshield it still drips in a hard down poor. But the windows are tight.

What does IM use on theirs.

Jack,
If you are ever up my way stop by and I will help out with the top.

Ben

Barry, I got some weather stipping that a guy had for sale on Ebay and it was supposed to be for a 914. It was a length of hollow oval rubber weather stripping about 3/8 inch wide by about 1/4 high with peel and stick on one side. Cleaned off the top of my windshield frame and stuck a length of the rubber on. Works like a charm at keeping the rain out.

Brian

I have that on it now. What's on a IM?

Jack:

Before you run out to the garage to try to pull the top material off of the windshield header to get it tighter, try this:

Put your top up and install the side windows.

Move your tensioners (right behind the seats where the top bows pivot) to the tight position.

Move your car out into that gorgeous Arizona sunshine.

Close your doors, taking care to make a nice seal along the top of the side windows.

Get out a garden hose and absolutely SOAK the top. Use a car sponge to swish the water around a little and make sure the top is entirely soaked and saturated.

Let the top dry in the sun - it will shrink quite a lot, and MAY take out most of the looseness. If not, repeat the soaking/drying process a couple of times more, if necessary, until you reach the point of diminishing return (it won't shrink no more).

If that looks good to you, congratulations (it usually works for me). If not, THEN go the route of pulling the fabric off the header and re-positioning to make it tighter or try pusing the top bows pivot point up an inch or two as Alan suggested (that works, too).

Just remember, it's pretty easy to get it too tight, then sometime later when you're putting the top up, you may run the risk of applying too much tension to windshield frame and subsequently cracking the windshield (not good).

It may look a little loose when sitting on your driveway, but once under way it billows up and looks tight in the slipstream.

gn

Fabulous ideas--I'll get going on them tomorrow and post a report.

Is this a great site full of generous folks or what!!---Jack, Hot Springs

Jack, similar problem. I never use the top (unless to take pics), but I got caught in a monsoon (I live in Phoenix), and the locking tabs on the front would not lock. I actually had to drive home with one arm out the window holding the top down so the wind wouldn't blow me away like Dorothy! But I guess thats the price we pay.

Jeremy - My was the same way in the beginning. Carey told me to strecth the s**t out of it. I erected the top and put a book on the forward part (which actually stopped behind the windshield at first). After a few days like that I could get it closed. I left it up in a hot garage for a week or so, and since then it has been easy to latch. Yet another new car tweaking issue.

I know theres lotsa vinyl out deah.
Do these tips apply (to a somewhat lesser degree ? ) to STAYFAST CANVAS as well ?

Our tops are canvas (don't know if they're StayFast), so I know it works on them.

Oops! Sorry, Dave.....good point, and I should have mentioned this up above;

All of my tips were for a Hartz Stay Fast Canvass top material. That material is actually a bit porous and quickly seals up once it becomes wet.

I suppose that my tips would apply to the vinyl top material as well, but I doubt that the vinyl stuff will shrink as much once you get it wet and allow it to dry in the Sun. Some shrinkage will occur, just don't think it'll be much.

gn

Gordon--tensioners? What bees tensioners? Another prime example of lack of documentation. I found my tensioners after Gordon's post---pushed them to the "more tension" position and voila---a good looking almost tight top. Then I washed the car with the top up then let it dry in the sun (as I drove a favorite route at 70) and it looks pretty fine now.

Thank goodness for this site.

I downloaded the VS "owners manual" which wasn't much help. Surely there should have been info somewhere about tensioners.

Waddaya gonna do? Stay on this site is one good idea.

Thanks all---Jack

Hi kids!
After reading thru this thread, I'm going to give my top another try. It is brand new, but has been in storage for over a year mainly 'cause I couldn't stand the noise it made. The VW converts I've owned were both very quiet in comparison. I surely did not know about no stinking "tensioners". Only if VS had a real manual!
Heck, I'm even thinking about braving the rain for Paso next Spring!
......Talk to ya later, I've got a new excuse to go fool around with the speedy....

Ernie--you are a prime candidate for the now-forming Speedster Replica club; "The how the hell does this thing work?" club.

I just orederd the Vintade Speedster construction manual as some documentation for my car. I believe this manusl will show me what goes where and how it's put together. Surely there will be a mention of "tensioners' too, wouldn't you think? The VS manual is just pitiful but so am I as a mechanic thus far in my life, but that is getting ready to change! I'm assembling all the publications I can plus the correct tools and I w-i-l-l keep this car in great shape.

I certainly see why so many of these wonderful cars get dumped on ebay with less that 1,000 miles.

Some one posted a great line that stuck with me and that I accepted---that these cars are also a hobby. Amen to than.

Perfect example--the tensioners. Another--I had to ask where the hell my battery and fuses were---yep--pitiful, I know.

More--my car had 27# of air in the tires when I got it. Now it's 22 pounds and rides great now. More info from this wonderful site.

Jack, Hot Springs

Ernie---and all---the Vintage Speedsters construction manual arrived today. It is 20 pages of xerox copies--much of it is right out of the CMC manusl on this site.

I will tell you one thing---it was well worth the $20 to get the actual wiring diagrams for everything on the car. Even has what colors which wires are---a great resource I think. I was planning to do my own wiring chart of the fuses by removing one at a time to see which circuits are run by which fuses---now it's all laid out for me. Same for all the lights---which wires are what, etc.

If anyone wants copies of these diagrams---it's 4 pages---I'll copy them and send them free of charge to anyone who sends me a self addressed stamped envelope. My address is:

Jack Crosby
62 Stonegate Shores Drive
Hot Springs, AR 71913

For all the wonderful help I've received here, it's my pleasure to give something back to the community!---Jack