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Hi guys, my first post on here. I need some advice on the soft top frame mechanism on my 68 vette. It has a reasonably new soft top and until recently all was good. Now when the soft top is folded and packed down the top outer section of the uppermost hinge is putting so much pressure on the soft top that it is tearing through the top. As you pack it down you can see the metal pushing into the top. I now have a top with 2 tears in it. In the hinge pic it is the outer part of the hinge which is the brown section between the upper and lower arm. Any help or advice would be appreciated before I look at a new top or repair. Cheers Dash.
Here's pic of my '68 soft top being repaired...the driver-side pad is installed....
Rookie suggestion..................
In order to keep from removing the entire soft top to install new full length pads you could raise the top, then make small 4" by 4"cloth pads with 1/8" thick leather inserts inside the cloth pads....then use a fabric adhesive to hold the pads in position so the metal will not rub those torn areas......then use an ultraviolet vinyl welder to seal the external tears.
OR buy a new soft top and the correct pads to prevent future tears.
Last edited by doorgunner; Mar 26, 2016 at 10:57 PM.
Thanks guys for your input. The top does have padded liners to the appropriate areas. The arm has worn through the padding as well. Probably why it hasn't been an issue till now. I have attached a pic to show the hinge putting tension on the top and when you close it down further it tears the top further. Seems to have not enough free play in that section of the top. I didn't put the new top on it was done by the previous owner. Putting a leather patch on the inside sounds like a good idea but would seem it might just add further to the tension on the top?
Take some more pictures of the car showing the whole top, I'm curious to see if it is too tight and that is the reason why it tears as it has no "give" when it gets folded. I also want to see how the top sits on the car, is the top not sitting right from a top frame issue.
Take some more pictures of the car showing the whole top, I'm curious to see if it is too tight and that is the reason why it tears as it has no "give" when it gets folded. I also want to see how the top sits on the car, is the top not sitting right from a top frame issue.
Thanks for your input. Here are a couple of pics of the top.
Top looks ok. I can see that it has been folded down and has the marks from being folded. I see that the top has some give. It looks just like mine black over red. I will be pulling mine out this weekend and will take some pictures of my top. I'm wondering if you loosen the bolts that hold the top to the body and push down on the metal portion of the top that is pushing through if this will solve this issue. I will look at mine this weekend and post a few pictures so you can compare what I have to what you got. Also do you have your assembly manual, when in doubt I consult the "book". If you don't I will take a pictures of the page that shows adjustment for you.
Will be in touch- give me a couple days.
Well the weather has not been cooperating and it looks like I'm not going to work on it, i.e. Oil change, battery install and season start-up. However I did take the covers off and snap a few pictures of the inside around the drivers head area, right where your top is torn. I can see on mine where it folds there is some metal contact. The top metal frame should be pretty consistent.
So I'm thinking check to see her where the top is mounted to the car. . Then when folded it allows for the mechanism to pop through top. Check here too.
I do not the full story, it was all good for awhile you say, then recently funny things started to happen. Sometimes when they replace the top cover they loosen the frame to car mount, or sometimes times take the top off entirely. Maybe bolts loosened up, something obviously changed to make this happen.
Also check when folded, is it getting pinched by the top mechanism when folded. Maybe need to watch when folded to "train" the material to fold out or in when going down. Maybe that's the scenario that is occurring.
Off topic, but I also roll up a small blanket when I put the top down and make sure when the rear plastic window is not kinked and started to go down. In a perfect U shape fold, Place the blanket in the U-shape looking now plastic window and push down the top. This will help the window from some damage. Rubbing on itself and so on.
Soft top damage
