Convertable tops
 

I have the EM top ,hardwhare , and side curtains in hand.I know the windsheild has to be adjusted to match the sidecurtains.That I think I could handle .After that scares me drilling holes for side curtains, top bows, lift-dot fasteners. I just sure I'll forget something and my car will whistle in the wind with all the extra holes. Is this a thing everyone else feels comfortable doing themselves? Did anyone job it out to a specialist?Where did you get all the information.What did you forget?

Michael, I installed the EM top on my FFR recently with help via email from a guy (Dave Ward) over on Cobraforum.com.

I too was very uncomfortable drilling the holes and my body hadn't been painted yet!

Too bad their arn't instructions with the top. Go to the ERA website. Their are some instructions buried there somewhere that you can download and print that will be helpful.

Quick review of what I did:

First read and re-read the ERA instructions. Then printed and very closely studied (and referenced) the pics of an EM top that had been installed. H ere is David Ward's install of an EM top on his FFR:

http://members3.clubphoto.com/david251117/guest-1.phtml

Summary of steps I followed:

0. Set the angle of the windshield using the side curtains. I made a cardboard template the shape of the side curtain and used that since I was not ready to install side curtain in doors yet.

1. Drill holes in body for bow and install ferrules. EM should be able to give you location that is best for EM body. Possibly a template. FFR had one that I used for their top on their body.

2. Assemble and install bow into ferrules.

3. Install the 16 lift-the-dots in top material evenly spaced.

4. Lay top over bow and over windshield. Tape to windshield using long lengths of 2" masking tape to keep from falling into car. Tightness is not too important yet.

5. Pull top down to meet body in rear starting at left and right front of top and working towards rear center. Make sure the first lift-the-dot keeps top close, even against bow where it goes into body. Locate each stud by pulling top tight and marking through the lift-the-dot hole with a felt tip marker. Drill and install each stud as you go. Careful to use the right size drill or the weak brass screws in the studs will break off into the body! I don't recall but at least 9/64. Caution, they break VERY VERY EASY (speaking from experience)!

6. With all studs in and lift-the-dots snapped in place its time to do the front. Install aluminum channels on top of windsheild (you may need to notch them if you have sun visors). Pull top over channels/windhield and tape in place very tight starting at center and moving left and right. Go back over it a few times. Use long tape lengths with at least a foot of tape on top and a foot on windshield. Place tape every couple of inches. Go back over and keep pulling tight and retaping until you are comfortable with the fit of the top overall.

7. Now the fun part. The next step sounds simple but it was a major PIA. Untape the center most piece of tape and using a small brush put a liberal amount of contact cement on the front edge of the aluminum channel where the cloth will lay against it. Be sure you glue front edge only at this point. Pull tight and re-tape that piece. Move left and right repeating with each piece of tape until the top is glued to the entire front edge of the channel. Let stand overnight.

8. Remove tape and top. Wrap cloth around the aluminum channels and glue one edge at a time letting stand overnight with each step. Inside of front edge and inside top will give you 3 edges and should do it although some have gone to each side until 5 sides have been covered and glued.

As for the side curtains I made a template that matched the bottom of the side curtain out of cardboard and used that to locate holes for drilling. Make sure the rear of side curtain is not too far in so that the top is sticking out as a scoop to catch the wind. On the FFR body the front ferrule that gets installed in the top of the door came very close to the dash. Just a word of caution. Also in the FFR door I had to make a small "access hole" on the inner door panel to get the nut on the inside of the ferrule. I am going to make a small cover for each. Lastly in order to properly install the snaps in the side curtains you will need a special tool. Home Depot sells a small bag of snaps that are identical in their tool department for $3 that includes the small tool you'll need.

Hope this helps some. It is what worked for me. Feel free to email me with questions if this is helpful.

-Matt

ERA's instructions are at http://www.erareplicas.com/427man/top/index.htm

Excellent instructions, Matt. I'll just add one thing - toss those brass studs and order some stainless ones from McMaster-Carr.

Bob, we appreciate all the excellent instructions on your ERA site. Those are the best I found any where.

David

I know I'm straying but,How can I get the convertable top instructions on the ERA website to print in a form so I 'm not guessing what is missing on the right side of the pages.It is too large.Unless I go to Landscape .I miss about 1/4 of the right side of the page.What steps do I go through to get to it fit the page of paper?The information is great and easy to read but it won't print without the right end of each line being lost.The top line ends with" that the top be" and so on down the page ,pictures included.
I also noticed that the ERA rear bows can be adjusted upwards to tighten the top .Great idea. see I did read it.

Michael, you said it. Set to print landscape. That is what I did.

-M

I did print it in Landscape and it reconfigured the lines almost like I would have needed if I had printed in portrait.Why couldn't it do that and make it fit the page in portrait.
Even if I didn't have a question I was folowing it is interesting to see what Brent has changed on the site. Mine appears to be mostly really light blue background w/a little darker medium blue blocks.