Looks beautiful. The bars for my top look like electrical conduit. The ones pictured above look like stainless steel.
Nice work!
Alan Merklin posted:Ok educate me, does the ends get threaded into the metal bows or ?
My bows are stainless steel from Vintage Speedsters. I made threaded inserts from 1/2" OD aluminum round bar. They are about 1 3/8" overall length with 1" of length turned down to 7/16" diameter. The 1" long, smaller diameter slips into the inside diameter of the bows. They are drilled thru and tapped 5/16-18NC for the rod ends. I epoxied them into the bows using JB Weld.
The rod ends are not Heims, just simple, 5/16" stainless steel rod ends from McMaster-Carr. Align the hole in the rod end with the existing hole in the bow, leaving room for adjustment, mark and cut the bow, deburr and install the threaded insert.
Top-Notch!
Thanks for all the help so far.
I called VS, but they are probably closed today. I'll order a "top notch" center clamp tomorrow and ask about what they recommend to add this to an older bow.
A few more questions are still open for me:
Slipping tensioners? Is the solution to my slipping tensioner to add rod ends like @James? Or is this indicating a further problem? (maybe too tight or too loose?)
Seal under windshield? I can see a paper thin gap between the metal frame of the windshield and the body. This appears to be a big part of the pools of water that creep in from the sides and from below. I read @Gordon Nichols's post from 2005 where he recommends a bead of silicone caulk. Is that still the right advice? Or is taking the entire windshield off worth the trouble?
Tape the body, tape the seal, both about an 1/8" or so from the "daylight". Put a bead of silicone in there, and smear it with a rubber gloved finger. Let it set for a bit, then pull the tape. Done.
Black silicone?
That's what some guys use. I use clear and it yellows after a while. I call it patina LOL.
Looks like he has a spiffy threaded end pressed into the end of the bow tube.
Pretty nice! Well done, James! (And I see yet another early Spring Project for me.)
Yes, I recommended clear silicone caulk because it goes with every color, but I, too, found that it discolored darker over time. 
Just before it got too cold to do much I had bought a tube of black Silicone caulk and that’s what is going in that space when Spring comes. Right after I dig out the now-brown clear stuff in there now.
Cut the caulk tip for a 1/8” bead and shoot it in. Tape masks along the length of the aluminium trim piece are recommended. Spit on your fingers while dressing the caulk off works, too. Not for me, though...... Bleack!
Wish I was THAT mechanically inclined.
Sacto Mitch posted:
Ryan in NorCal posted:...How do I know if it’s too tight?...
Tighten until you see this, then back off a little:
Okay, sorry.
I yield to Dr. Clock, who's built a lot more Speedsters than I have. I think he's built more than anyone has. But, my mirror support rod is tied in pretty tight to the windshield frame at the top, so it sure seems like stressing it would torque the frame.
If it helps any, the thread on the VS center latch is a 1/4" x 20 (same as camera tripod socket threads), so if you don't want to mess with setting a threaded collar into the fiberglass bow, you could just drill a hole in the bow and use a nut on the other side, I guess.
There is also a common fitting in the photo industry for adapting a 1/4" tripod stud to 3/8" 'DIN' tripod sockets (common on some heavier gear). The fitting is a small collar with the 1/4" thread on the inside and the 3/8" thread on the outside. It really looks like that's what VS threaded (and glued?) into the header bow, but I can't say for sure.
I assume you tightened down the front latches to get your header bow to fit tighter to the windshield frame, but I can't see why that would make the rear tensioning levers pop off. You ARE attaching the front latches with the tensioning levers in the 'untensioned' position, and then tensioning them, right?
Also, I don't think adding another VS side latch in the middle would work. Those latches fit into a section of the windshield frame that's bent away from the glass, and there's no such bend in the middle.
Later Edit: I guess you can't just "use a nut on the other side" of the header bow, as the top fabric is there. My top is tucked away under the tonneau and I haven't looked at it in a while.
Right, there's no bend in the window frame in the middle but the latch makes it's own bend as you use it. Right now my center latch bend is pretty much the same as the original ones on the left and the right side as received from Vintage when new.
My Vintage is a 2007 and I have replaced all three latches with the newest models Vintage is using now. Easier to work and look better too.
Oh--adding the middle latch in the middle absolutely does work---perfectly.
@Alan Merklin, I described in another post how I did it. I tapped the inside of the tube and screwed in a brake line fitting. I think I glued it in with JB Weld. Then I tapped the inside of the fitting for the heim joint. I used some epoxy paste to round out the hex on the brake line fitting. Then I got the hoops powder coated.
Here’s one way to keep the tensioner where it’s supposed to be.
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Yup. That works.
Cheap, too!
Piece of Velcro would allow you to reuse it though...
Slipping tensioners? Is the solution to my slipping tensioner to add rod ends like @James? Or is this indicating a further problem? (maybe too tight or too loose?)
@Ryan (formerly) in NorCal I have the same issue with my passenger side tensioner. In the true Musbjim manner of K.I.S.S. I use a piece of velcro to keep the tensioner snug when the top is up. Just as @Bill Prout recommended! 
This is like MacGuyver!
It’s happening! Thanks for the help!
btw, taping this off was not as easy as it sounded.
We’ll see how it turns out in an hour.
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This is trickier than I gave credit. Definitely some clean up / touch up ahead. I won’t chase rain, but I feel more prepared next time I’m caught in it.
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Why do you have a picture of my car on the wall of your garage?
Totally awkwaaaaaaaaaard....
Is that really your car @TRP?
I won another poster at a 356 meetup and gave it to a guy there who had a 356 like the poster. He showed up a couple weeks later at my house with this one as a gift.
TRP posted:Why do you have a picture of my car on the wall of your garage?
Totally awkwaaaaaaaaaard....
Because all our cars aspire to be a black Speedster with a Berg 5 speed and a Stiffy.
Black next time.
And to get that perfect smooth bead, dip your finger in some cooking oil and make one swipe from one end to the other.
Nah, I don't think my car has ever had nipple caps or overriders. I was just goofin.This advice is a little late, however for future projects the best sealant I've found to work with is DAP Alex brand Black Latex caulk. It will cure to a flat black that looks very similar to black rubber gasket material. Also, it is easy to clean-up during application. You did a good job with your masking tape. Next apply the caulk and remove the excess with a flexible plastic spreader (like you would use for Bondo). Then wet your finger and make one continuous sweep along the bead to smooth. You want the caulk to feather out to nothing right at the edge of the tape. Also, a trick is that you can shape the spreader with scissors to help form the bead.
Hope this helps! Sorry that it is a little late.
I agree @James. The clear flowable silicone sealant caulk is too shiny. Already planning round 2. Good advice around feathering it before it hits the tape. As I lifted the tape off I saw the silicone being pulled along with it in places. I just used a wet rubber glove to smooth it out, but obviously it feathered over the tape.
Bill Prout posted:Black next time.
And to get that perfect smooth bead, dip your finger in some cooking oil and make one swipe from one end to the other.
Excellent advice for the nice bead and x 2 for the latex caulk.... say no to silicone.
Has anyone tried the rubberized material advertised on tv, Flex Seal/Flex Shot?
Just on my screen door jon boat.
Bill Prout posted:Has anyone tried the rubberized material advertised on tv, Flex Seal/Flex Shot?
I have used it.... it looks to be a quick rubber coating and I have used it to seal a wiring job on my car where the wire goes into the wheel well under the dash and it held up well. I also coated it later with rubberized undercoating.
IaM-Ray posted:Bill Prout posted:Has anyone tried the rubberized material advertised on tv, Flex Seal/Flex Shot?
I have used it.... it looks to be a quick rubber coating and I have used it to seal a wiring job on my car where the wire goes into the wheel well under the dash and it held up well. I also coated it later with rubberized undercoating.
@IaM-Ray Did you use the spray or the caulk tube type?
Spray can is easy to apply.
Thanks so much for your help making me more water tight! Today was the first decent test of weatherproofing and it worked very well. I don’t even have the center clip yet. Maybe I won’t even need it. Absolutely no water came in from the top.
Only the side curtain holes corners invited some water in. Easily avoided with PCA-approved towels. (Is there a better solution for this than painters tape or towels?)
Weatherproofing measures:
- Aquapel on the windshield
- Tightened windshield clamps
- Silicone sealant along base of windshield frame along body (planning to upgrade to DAP ALEX Black when I'm up for it)
- Stuffed microfiber towels in the corners and more on hand to replace (is there a better way?)
I even found another use for my painters tape, now that it isn’t dedicated to preventing interior rain.
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Best cup to prevent spills
One way to bodge a center mirror latch:
* The latch itself is made from a flat two-hole straight brace:
The size of this piece is important - it cannot be too short because the top hole is going to fit over a stud that will be set a little more than midway between the bow's center notch and the fabric. The lower hole, which will be made into a hook, must align with the hold-down rod where it snugs into the notch.
The brace cannot be so long that it rubs the top or doesn't hold the bow (and whatever foam insulation is stuffed into it) firmly against the windshield frame.
* Cut a notch in the brace for the hold-down/mirror rod using a dremel with an emery cutting wheel or a hacksaw. Round off the pointy bits. You're probably going to be folding this into the top and don't want the hook to tear the fabric or yourself.
* use this latch to mark exactly where you need to drill in the header bow. Measure the depth of the bow and write it somewhere.
* I used a knob and stud for the latch:
(JW Winco Glass Filled Nylon Plastic Tapped Star Knob with Steel Hub, Threaded Hole, 1/4"-20 Thread Size x 15/32" Thread Depth, 1-17/64" Head Diameter)
The stainless stud will be epoxied/gorilla glued into a hole in the bow. Using the depth of the bow, subtract enough of a margin (c. 1/8" or 3mm) to make sure you don't drill through and hit the fabric - that would be a bad day.
Measure that depth on your drill bit and use tape to show where to stop. Drill the hole. Get a stud that is the right length - you may have to cut it so the knob can screw down against the hook and bow.
Epoxy the stud into the header bow, let it cure, et voila.
* I've found it works best if you hook the latch around the mirror rod first and then put it over the stud, cinching the whole thing with the knob.
If the latch is too loose it can be bent a little towards the back of the car or the hook can be filled in a bit with electrical tape.
If the latch is too tight then elongate the holes slightly with a file or dremel.
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Very helpful @Ted! Thank you. I was going to ask Justin how he recommended installing the latch on an older VS, but I think I get the nuts and bolts 😉 of it now. In KISS style, I’m going to keep it as is to verify the top bow leak is still a problem. If today is any indication, I may have solved it by merely tightening the clips.
Sounds good!
BTW - I think I made my latch using a spare u-bolt plate instead of a flat brace/mending plate and went from there. It's best to go to a brick and mortar store to make sure you find something that will work.
Isn’t the VS center catch more of a safety? I can’t tighten mine enough to really pull down the center. It definitely will help stop the vacuum at speed from lifting the header.
That's my experience. I push down a bit on the center of the bow when latching but not a lot - just enough to compress the foam insulation inside the bow. It seems to minimize "bow warp."
Taping off the windshield base for caulking, I first use 1/4" tape as it's easy to follow contours. .....