<VV> Installing convertible top

[Robert K. Henry]

At Christmas I bought a new top for my Corvair from Clarks and only now am I
finally getting around to attempting to install it. I think I need advice. I
have installed tops before on this car. Back when my Dad owned it (He bought
it new in '65. I have the sales ticket.) he put at least two new tops on it.
Neither were very good tops, from J.C. Whitney. This Clarks top is a nice
top and I'd like to have it look right when (if) I ever get done.

1. Because the existing top never really fit right, I'm reluctant to use it
as a template to make holes in my new top/curtain. How can I make sure these
are fitted right before making irreversible holes in it? The new curtain had
holes already punched in the transparency and those seem to fit pretty well.
Still not sure how to get the fabric fitted exactly right, which was not
punched but had circles printed where they might go. Just a tiny change in
tacking makes a big difference in how the fabric lies. Right now I have the
tack strip held with a few bolts and three staples in the bow. I think it's
close to correct. How can I be sure before I get too far in?

2. I could use advice how to install the side pads. The Chevy manual
describes installing them in the conventional manner, but I have no
reference to tell me what "conventional" means. Clarks only has a diagram
showing which way round they go. They do have an instruction to not staple
them to the first bow (with the sleeve) Can anyone explain why they don't
recommend stapling to the first bow even though there's a tack strip there?
How are these supposed to be trimmed? I've trimmed the front at the angle
necessary to staple it to the windshield header but I've left the rear until
I'm sure where to trim. How are the flaps closed? The pads I took off were
held closed with a lacing stitch my mother had applied when it was
installed. Right now I spritzed a little 3M Spray 77 to hold them lightly
closed. Is there a proper way?

3. I have the top on the car attached by the side cables though everything
else is still loose. I've tested the fit of the quarter window flaps, but
they're not quite right. I think it's because I haven't trimmed the side
pads at the rear bow yet and the padding is pushing everything out of
position. I think if I trimmed the padding it would allow the geometry of
the top to fit right in. A fraction of an inch makes a big difference. But
I'm reluctant to make the cuts until I'm sure I have the rear bow in the
right place. Chicken and egg...How to break this cycle? Clarks recommends
the rear bow at 17-1/2" from the second bow and that seems to be pretty
close to correct, probably within +/- 1/4" of where it needs to be, so I
could trim the padding just short of the bow and it would probably be just
about right. The old top didn't quite cover the side rails and left them
exposed. The instructions said to remove the rubber spacers in the first
bow. It looks like this top will fit much better and I wish I still had
those spacers.

4. I haven't cut the holes at the bottom of the top yet or tried to tack it
to the strip. Like I said previously, I'm reluctant to use the old top as a
template. I'd like to know if there's a clever trick to put those bolt holes
right the first time. The original top had a few orphan holes in it, though
they didn't show. I'd like to avoid that.

5. I bought some monel staples from Clarks but they seem to be too long
(1/2") to go into the tack strip or in the windshield header. I clipped a
few so I could get them in but ended up getting some 3/8" stainless steel
staples for those locations. Maybe I can use the monel in locations like the
rear bow or maybe the rear tack strip through a few layers of material. 

6. I worry about continual install/uninstall of the tack strip. I already
dropped a socket down the hole on the side and had to remove everything so I
could fish it out.

7. It's hot. I haven't been able to work in the garage for more than a few
minutes before retreating to the house to cool off under the ceiling fan.
And drink plenty of fluids.

8. One reason I'm replacing the top is that the old one had gotten torn in
the back on the black bolts in the top mechanism that serve as a stop for
the side cables levers. One day when I raised the top, the fabric snagged on
the bolt and ripped a neat triangular hole in one side. Then later it did
the same thing on the other side. Was this because the top didn't fit in the
first place? Or because it was very old and had shrunk? Or is it something I
need to worry about?

Robert Henry
'65 Corsa Convertible Turbo
Knoxville, TN