Installing the top does seem a bit daunting, especially when you consider that the top you purchase may have directions for a cobra body that is slightly different from the car you own. The center drill marking was accurate in my case as well. I brought my car and top to a professional convertible top guy that had 30 years experience (non cobra though), he made the markings and inserted the holes for the ferrules. However he was unable to get comfort with the way the top lay across the bows. On my top, on the inside, there are velcro flaps that wrap the bows into. This was the big problem, the positioning of these flaps made the top actually lay too flat against the rear deck, so i positioned the bow where I thought it looked best (I'm talking about the linkage for the second bow to the main bow where there is one bolt and nut per side) and then cranked down on the nuts. The bow now only ties into one of the velcro flaps but it looks right. The problem that I still have is getting the front of the top to bond to the black windshield bars. I am going to get some contact cement from my top guy but he was not a big believer in glue holding in the absense of some kind of mechanical type fastening of the top material to the front bars. Any other suggestions for fastening the top down in the front would be appreciated. My convertible top installation can be seen at the following:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...b4230000000420
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...b4250000001420
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...35160000001420
any advice and criticism is welcomed. i know my top will never accomodate the roll bar but in order for that to happen the rear windshield would have to have a 0 degree slope and i don't really care for that look, and the roll bar also has to be fairly low in order for there to be adequate clearance which my car would not accomodate.
thanks to all.