Catch for soft top off ,plus too short hood

[LAMBRETTLAD]

Hi Hello my first post

Got my first Stag 10 days ago , tried to put the soft top up ,seems a little short ( half inch ) not uncommon I hear ,after being tucked away for 3 years,also the catch that holds the soft top down at the rear is on the floor of the soft top storage space,wires still attached ,I don't know what its called,and the diagrams in the Rimmer book are unclear how it fits back on ,mine is in two parts held together by cable ties ! A picture of one in position would be a great help for when the incredibly heavy hard top is off after the new year.

Any thoughts much appreciated

cheers Alex

[HersnotHis]

As someone who has also had softop frame issues ( (only partially resolved) I cant relate to your pronlem.

Are you saying that the whole rear catch assembly is dangling in the sot top storage well? Why can it not be re-mounted in its correct position??

[LAMBRETTLAD]

hi yes it's not attached anywhere

[HersnotHis]

Possible cross edit?

Why can it not be correctly remounted?

[LAMBRETTLAD]

I don't know which way round or if its broken ?

[73stagman]

assuming it is still attached to the cable with the return spring in place..... the cable runs from right to left as you face the back of the car. The flattest side of the catch fits to the underside of the rear deck cover and then the spring and cable will be below that.. you can test the installation by removing the mating catch pin from the hood frame and pushing it into place through the rear deck cover and then pulling the release cables whilst pulling the catch pin back out. It can be a bugger to get it all right along with the side release catches for the two extreme ends of the tonneau cover.
Do it all with the rear seat removed.
Two of us grown men could not stretch my roof shut when it was first fitted. It had been new, installed on a different car but had been stored in the rear compartment for years. (I believe its the cheaper canvas type material)
Once you get it (the rear catch) working then close the front locking handles then try closing the rear of the soft top with the rear window unzipped.. If its under cover, allow the roof to stretch for a few days before zipping the window back up.
Once mine was done up I soaked the canvas and then let it dry out. It took weeks but eventually it stretched to the point where it all opens and closes reasonably well. I did break two rear catch pins in the process though!
Now its been on the car in all weathers it has come good.. I just replaced all the side seals and its now water tight too!

[V Mad]

If you put a pic of the catch mechanism on here maybe we can help?

If you or anyone else with a short hood have a need for it, I have made a special tool with an extended plunger, about an inch or so longer than standard. This will allow you to lock the back down without getting a hernia. Then you use a spanner to wind it a bit tighter ( not too much), then leave it under tension for a few days. Maybe wet the cover to help relax the material. Repeat this a few times until it has stretched as far as necessary, then refit the normal catch and adjust. I can loan the tool out to you.

If that doesnt do the job then get the hood to me for some magic 'tweaks' to the frame and/to the attachment fitting of the cover.

[LAMBRETTLAD]

hi thanks for the replies ,I can't post a pic as the hard top is back on,and the car is with an auto electrician for the week ! The special tool sounds good .think i'll visit the Stag stand at the NEC tomorrow , for a chat

[V Mad]

hi thanks for the replies ,I can't post a pic as the hard top is back on,and the car is with an auto electrician for the week ! The special tool sounds good .think i'll visit the Stag stand at the NEC tomorrow , for a chat

I wish I could be there tomorrow as well as Sunday, but sadly too much else to do.
Cheers

[LAMBRETTLAD]

I'm there for the three days ,might see you at the stag stand

[V Mad]

OK, I will be there around midday anyway.

[Staggard]

If you put a pic of the catch mechanism on here maybe we can help?

If you or anyone else with a short hood have a need for it, I have made a special tool with an extended plunger, about an inch or so longer than standard. This will allow you to lock the back down without getting a hernia. Then you use a spanner to wind it a bit tighter ( not too much), then leave it under tension for a few days. Maybe wet the cover to help relax the material. Repeat this a few times until it has stretched as far as necessary, then refit the normal catch and adjust. I can loan the tool out to you.

If that doesnt do the job then get the hood to me for some magic 'tweaks' to the frame and/to the attachment fitting of the cover.

I thought it was agreed that traders were not to use the forum to tout for work. I thought all this was behind us now.

[MRB]

Reads more like a genuine offer of assistance to me? Im not sure offering free advise and a loan of custom tools would be a great strategy to increase your business income!

[jonnygangsta]

+1
Jon

[stagmuffin]

To step in here , the last paragraph re " magic tweaks " does read like a solicitation for business unless of course that vmad would like to clarify that this is an offer of free help to correct a problem .
this is not the platform for sales and traders are well aware of this so I would urge vmad all to use the respective correct resources supplied by the forum . if this is solicitation please remove the part of the post relating to that if not then we can assume it is a genuine good offer of free help between forum members.
thank you