Fabricating Hardtop B Post Fixing Plates

[Dave M]

Visited the body shop yesterday after a phone call about the condition of my hardtop which they are preparing for painting. Corrosion wasent as bad asI thought from the call as the body guy had assumed that the front edge should be a rolled panel and not two pieces of steel one on top of the other. However the plates that hold the fixing points that go in behind the B posts are bad, has anyone fabricated these and if so how difficult is it and do you have any tips. Back and side rails seem fine so its worth repairing.

Dave

[V Mad]

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The side fixing points are of course pressed steel parts, spot welded together. These are complex curved shapes, and almost impossible to replicate, and they need to be positioned correctly in 3 dimensions, so a lash up jig is needed to locate them correctly. A good fabricator will be able to do it though but it may not be the same shape as the original.

[jleyton]

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I've got a scrap old hard top and those sections are, reasonably, ok. They are rusty as the hard top has been out in the weather but they seem pretty solid underneath the surface rust.

I could cut them off for you if you want - either to use or possibly to help as a model for fabrication.

Glad to help if I can.

Cheers

Julian

[DJT]

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Dave,

When I did mine I carved some blanks out of hard wood to help with panel beating some new ones. Took a lot of time, and got some grief from 'er indoors for the constant hammering, but it worked. Unfortunately I didn't keep the blanks as I vowed never to embark on restoring another hard top:X:X

Julian's offer strikes me as the best option.

Dave

[jleyton]

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DJT wrote:

Dave,

When I did mine I carved some blanks out of hard wood to help with panel beating some new ones. Took a lot of time, and got some grief from 'er indoors for the constant hammering, but it worked. Unfortunately I didn't keep the blanks as I vowed never to embark on restoring another hard top:X:X

Julian's offer strikes me as the best option.

Dave

Congratullations Dave

Why ?? - You've just gone past the 4000 mark :dude:

[Guest]

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This is why I thought hardtop repair sections would be the next logical thing for the SOCTFL to take on.

I have a hardtop that is in very good nick EXCEPT all the bottom rails are rusted out and those two B post plates simply dont exist.

Seems a shame to scrap it but I am no metal worker and quotes I have had to repair have made it non-viable..

[Dave M]

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jleyton wrote:

I've got a scrap old hard top and those sections are, reasonably, ok. They are rusty as the hard top has been out in the weather but they seem pretty solid underneath the surface rust.

I could cut them off for you if you want - either to use or possibly to help as a model for fabrication.

Glad to help if I can.

Cheers

Julian

Julian

That would be very helpful as mine are pretty bad so even using them as templates to fabricate new oneswould bedifficult. Rest of the top seems reasonable so its worth repairing. Let me know postage costs and your address and I will send funds to cover postage etc.

Dave

[jleyton]

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Hi Dave, glad to be of assistance,

I can probably cut this almost anywhere, so how much of the lower rail do you want together with the fixing plate area?

Also can you PM me your address. As for postage, let's wait and see what it costs. Unless it's stupidly expensive then a donation to a cancer charity would be fine.

All the very best

Julian

[DJT]

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jleyton wrote:

Congratullations Dave

Why ?? - You've just gone past the 4000 mark :dude:

Thanks, Julian. I guess I have been here longer than most.

Just checked the members list. One month short of 4 years. Doesn't time fly.....?

Dave

[Dave M]

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jleyton wrote:

Hi Dave, glad to be of assistance,

I can probably cut this almost anywhere, so how much of the lower rail do you want together with the fixing plate area?

Also can you PM me your address. As for postage, let's wait and see what it costs. Unless it's stupidly expensive then a donation to a cancer charity would be fine.

All the very best

Julian

I would thimk a couple of inches of lower rail would be enough, PM sent with my address, thanks again.

Dave