Hi,
I have come to the point of needing to install a soft top and have no previous evidence to guide me, nor (unusually) can I find much guidance on the forum.
Initially I need to fit new wooden pieces to the front rail
A very nice frame came with the car and I have purchased new wooden pieces, but -
I am unsure as to where exactly the wooden piece terminates relative to the side clip. Should the wood overlap the clip as shown on my picture?
As you can see from the pictures, the metal frame rail is curved and the wooden rail is straight.
Presumably I need to curve the underside of the wood to make it match the metal frame?
Any verbal or preferably pictorial assistance would be very gratefully received.
Tony, the last remaining job I have to get done on my XK120 is cleaning up the soft top frame and fitting a new top - it’s a low priority as I expect to be driving al fresco almost exclusively. Here are some pics of the original, unrestored assembly which may be of some help - note that the wooden header rail is covered in some sort of cotton twill material.
Tony, my XK120 has the original wooden header bows, which are shaped differently compared to the aftermarket header bows I’ve seen. The originals fit perfectly into the top frame with no gaps. Your last photo shows the outer end of the header bow extending further in relation to the chrome hold-down clip than my originals. My originals extend only as far as the rivet securing the chrome hold-down clip.
I’ve installed two OTS tops, one on my XK120 and another on an XK140 with aftermarket header bows. The XK140 top was more challenging, possibly because of the aftermarket header bows or possibly because of the way the fabric top was cut and sewn. (The tops came from two different suppliers.)
My advice would be to carefully assess the fit of the fabric top you purchase before stapling to the header bows or cutting off the excess material at the front. It’s possible you will need to reshape or shorten the header bows to get the fabric top to fit satisfactorily.
As Nick states, the header bows should be covered in some type of fabric or vinyl. I would wait to cover the header bows until after you’ve determined whether or not they will need to be reshaped or shortened.
Nick, first of all I must thank you for posting the interior and crash roll videos, it gave me the confidence to do mine, it is now complete along with the rest of the interior.
Your photos of the header give me a good idea of where I should be heading in terms of fit and shape, thanks for taking the time to post them.
Mike, thankyou for your sage advice about matching the wood to the soft top shape, that would seem to be my first step - a job for the weekend with the help of my son.
I have already puchased the hood from Aldridge here in the UK, they have a good reputation so I hope their hood shape will be a good guide.
Looking at the pictures from Nick, they seem to agree with your comment about the wood terminating near the lever catch rivet.
Thanks all, further advice welcome and whilst we are talking exterior trim, what is the current thinking regarding tonneau studs at the base of the windscreen pillars, Lift the Dot or Tenax? I should add that we are talking about a September 1952 OTS.
Tony
