1960 Soft Top

[Joe Maulsby]

I adjusted the frame before starting the process of putting the new top on; including straightening the horiz. metal pieces above the windows. After attaching the vinyl to the front header and installing the front header weatherstrip on Sunday, the driver side would not latch; the pin will not go into the hole. As I pull up on the latch, the front header comes slightly forward and the pin hits on the windshield frame; about 1/4 inch too far forward. The passenger side latches perfectly.

I loosened the frame attachment bolts and articulator arm bolt and move the frame back approx. 3/8 inch. That did not change anything at the front header. I don't really understand the adjustment of the articulator arm. If I raise it up at the attachment bolt (near the frame attachment bolts) and tighten it, does that make it pull up over the window? What happens when the arm is bolted down at the bottom of the oval hole at the attachment point?

I don't know what else to adjust to make the latch pin move back far enough to go in the hole. Any suggestions?

[Michael D.]

Re: 1960 Soft Top

Joe
Did you change the "pads" before you installed the top? Most tops need to have the pads installed at the proper "bow height" before making any adjustments to the frame. If you left the old pads on did you check the proper bow height? The frame adjustments will change above the windows and sometimes change the rear edge of the windows meaning the angle that the weather strip and the window glass meet. Adjusting a frame can take hours. Hopefully the frame is not bent or twisted. Its not always easy to tell.
Many corvette top frames will do this. Do you latch the rear first? Sometimes you have to push the frame back by hand and "set" the latches but don't lock them down until all are "set" then lock the rear latches down first then lock the front latches. Some vettes you have to pull down on top of the front bow as you lock the latches down. You also may have to put your hand on the outside of the top and pull down on the second bow if the rear latches are locked first. As I stated above you can spend hours trying to get the frame adjusted. I have spent four hours adjusting a frame to get a good fit and I have been doing tops for almost 30 years. I always did the Vette tops because know else wanted to do them at the shops that I have worked at.