Soft Top

Donald Smith · #1 (**permalink**) 01-14-2004, 10:02 AM

Don:

Solved all of the wiring problems and now have all of the lights, etc. working. Thanks for you help. Now for the next question. I want to install the the convertible top and I am stumped right at the beginning. Have followed the instruction as outlined pages 7-29 through 7-33. On page 7-34 in item "1" it references "stainless steel bushings" holes. What holes, I have the bushings but no measurements where the holes should be located or how large of a hole? Did I miss something in the manual?

Jack21 · #2 (**permalink**) 01-16-2004, 02:07 PM

I went through the same exercise. These holes in the body for the top, and doors for the sidewindows, should have been drilled at the factory before the car was shipped, but some were not.

Don Vancleave from CR1 sent me a drill jig kit to position and drill these holes with. Came in a footlocker sized wooden box. I then returned the jig kit to Don.

Don Scott, did you happent to inherit this drill jig kit from CR to facilitate this procedure? There is no way to position those holes without the drill jig.

cobra427mnsi · #3 (**permalink**) 01-17-2004, 10:10 PM

I think several measurements taken on each hole from a car with the holes already drilled should suffice. eg. the holes in the doors could be measured from the back edge of the door forward to get one measurement (back to front), then measure the side to side measurement from the inside edge of the door.

Am I being too simplistic or will this not work ?

Paul

Donald Smith · #4 (**permalink**) 01-18-2004, 09:46 AM

It should work, do you have the measurements?

cobra427mnsi · #5 (**permalink**) 01-18-2004, 10:21 AM

Sorry, Donald. When I built my car, I planned not to use a top so I filled the holes in, in the body. Ironically, I have subseqentally bought a top so I am in the same boat as you. I am still putting off installing the top as it was a used top and already has the female part of the snaps installed. I have the male part of the snaps installed on the body for the tonneau cover and they don't match the top. So, I have to have the top resewn with a new piece of fabric and reinstall the female snaps to match the tonneau snaps.

I hope this makes sense.

Paul

Donald Smith · #6 (**permalink**) 01-18-2004, 12:11 PM

Paul:

Yes, it sure does. My top and tonneau are new although I am concered about the tonneau. There is no cut out for the roll bar so will have to match the top the tonneau cover before cut out the roll bar hole and sewing on a roll bar section. Maybe Don at CR can help us with the hole locations. Hops so if, not will to eyeball it.

dscott · #7 (**permalink**) 01-20-2004, 09:09 AM

Sorry I didn't respond sooner I was on vacation in the sunny Carribean. I did get the overlays for the top bow holes but I haven't found the door overlays yet. We are looking. If I can't find the door jigs I'll have new ones made. I'll let you know when we find them or have the new ones in for shipping.
Don

Double Venom · #8 (**permalink**) 01-20-2004, 12:30 PM

GUYS....WHOAAAA THERE!
It's not just the spacing of the holes, AND the location that is critical, it's also the "angle" the holes are drilled. They will point to the rear on the rear quarters and inboard on the doors.

Hopefuly Don can find the jigs.............
DV.....Mount the "top" first. Then put the Tonneau on and match up the holes on the tonneau to the pins you put in for the top!

Donald Smith · #9 (**permalink**) 01-20-2004, 02:11 PM

DV and Don

The Carribean sounds like fun, although our Arizona weather is great in the low 70's. I had planned on mounting the top first than the tonneau. Starting to block sand and block sand and well you know, then prime the car so I can get it registered. Look forward to the jigs.

Thanks guys.

badrich · #10 (**permalink**) 01-20-2004, 03:58 PM

Top? What's a top??? ; ) Rich

Jack21 · #11 (**permalink**) 01-21-2004, 05:00 PM

Think you're on the right track now. Top bracket and sidewindow holes cannot be accurately drilled without the correct jigs. Top and sidewindows have little tolerance for misaligned or misangled mounts.

Top goes on first. Use the top mounting snaps to install tonneau snaps. Advantage of tonneau parked, is it covers and protects interior, yet allows easy opening (unsnap, unzip, roll, snap) and drive without having to mess with the top. And, the car can be driven with the top off, and heater on during chillier moths.

The flapping of the top with the sidewindows out is about to drive me nutz. Has anyone designed a top attachment brace for the top-of-the-sidewindow channel that connects the top to a solid anchor from the top brace to the windshield?

cobra427mnsi · #12 (**permalink**) 02-03-2004, 03:01 PM

Don Scott

Several of us CR owners need to drill out the holes to mount the soft top. I just had an idea !! Would it be possible to bring the drilling jig to DVSFIV and we could have a drilling party (maybe at DV's place). Just a thought.

Paul

dscott · #13 (**permalink**) 02-03-2004, 03:48 PM

Paul, I haven't given up looking for the drill jigs. I have about 400 pallets and 125 crates to sift through. Of course everything is in cold storage in my sheds. When I say cold it was -34 here last week. Todays high of -7 felt like a heat wave. One way or another we will get them.
Don

Donald Smith · #14 (**permalink**) 02-04-2004, 05:22 PM

Don

I understand, so I'll go ahead and paint the car in a couple of weeks and worry about the top later. When you find the jigs let me know. Thanks.

koolmat · #15 (**permalink**) 02-18-2004, 07:27 PM

Hi, I'm wondering what you guys insulated your Cobra's with? I know they are hot. We are hand cutting kits cars in North Carolina. We have kits for the Factory 5 and Paul Rebmann is putting together a kit for the original Cobra's as we speak. Is any one interested? Pat Hill

Jack21 · #16 (**permalink**) 02-22-2004, 03:26 PM

Two things to keep your Cobra interior cool.

1) Ceramic coat headers and "J" pipes.

2) Substitute factory non-faced for double aluminum faced jute carpet padding from under the dash to the firewall. (Summit, ~$40/roll) Use single faced aluminum carpet padding from under dash to the rear of the package shelf, and in the doors.

Footwells don't even get warm.