Convertible top front rubber seal on 1974 Spider

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Yadkin
Posts: 161
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:08 pm
Your car is a: 1974 Spider
Location: Pisgah National Forest, NC

Convertible top front rubber seal on 1974 Spider

Postby Yadkin » Thu Apr 05, 2018 11:07 pm

My old top front bow was in terrible shape. The last installer put upholstery foam around it to cover the rust holes. This kept it saturated with moisture and made it even worse, basically a piece of junk. So I have a new one: https://autoricambi.us/products/convert ... 1966-10-78

Now I'm trying to fit the seal and plastic insert on.

I've purchased the OEM type with mold3ed ends: https://autoricambi.us/products/convert ... -oem-style

and retainer:

https://autoricambi.us/products/convert ... c-retainer

It's not straightforward at all how it goes together. I have the bow installed and the clips roughly adjusted. The old seal was just an extrusion that sorta fit, and the old retainer has a U-shaped cross section while the new one is L shaped, so that doesn't give me guidance at all.

Can someone post some pictures of theirs installed? Or some guidance on how the seal attaches to the front bow. Especially how the molded ends attach to the frame. There seems to be a lot of extra rubber there, does it need to be cut or trimmed?

A little help, please. :(

User avatar
Yadkin
Posts: 161
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:08 pm
Your car is a: 1974 Spider
Location: Pisgah National Forest, NC

Re: Convertible top front rubber seal on 1974 Spider

Postby Yadkin » Sat Apr 07, 2018 1:20 pm

This is what I came up with. Here's the front showing the seal that looks entirely correct at the middle of the windshield.

Image

The transition from the extruded center section to the molded ends:

Image

The molded end at the end of the front bow:

Image

User avatar
Yadkin
Posts: 161
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:08 pm
Your car is a: 1974 Spider
Location: Pisgah National Forest, NC

Re: Convertible top front rubber seal on 1974 Spider

Postby Yadkin » Sat Apr 07, 2018 1:23 pm

It's kind of hockey at the molded ends. It seems to me that the bow end "corner" shouldn't be making contact with the chrome windshield frame.

fieteiro
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2020 12:29 pm
Your car is a: Fiat 124 Spider 2000

Re: Convertible top front rubber seal on 1974 Spider

Postby fieteiro » Sat May 23, 2020 10:56 am

Hi,
I am having the same problem.
Got the new rubber seal from auto ricambi with the molded ends however I have no idea how it fits on to the retainer?
We’re you able to mount it? If you were would you be kind enough to send some pics ?
Thanks!!!

18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3603
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Convertible top front rubber seal on 1974 Spider

Postby 18Fiatsandcounting » Sat May 23, 2020 4:01 pm

I just bought one of these top seals from AutoRicambi about a month or two ago, and I had a heck of a time figuring out how it is installed on the front bow frame. However, I contacted Csaba Vandor at AR, and he emailed me a bunch of photos with a description of how this should be done. I think the easiest approach is to call Csaba and have him guide you. He's a good guy.

-Bryan


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