Convertible Top - what am I missing?

[Matt]

First real post here, so please bear with me!

I'm attempting to reinstall the soft top that had been on my car prior to removal by the previous owner. He had a hardtop installed which I have now taken off (the easy part).

At minimum, it seems that the chrome trim pieces that sit on top of the quarter panel are MIA, and I assume these also have a gasket that seals against the quarter glass.



I also have a trim piece (hardware missing) that starts at the glass and wraps around the top of the rear seats, but is there another piece that sits over that, covering the gap between the trim and the body?




I would think this (missing?) piece is what would receive the vinyl tab under the rear of the top to secure it to the body, but perhaps I'm wrong.



Thanks in advance for the guidance.

Matt

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Matt, yes, you are missing at least 2 items.

At minimum, it seems that the chrome trim pieces that sit on top of the quarter panel are MIA, and I assume these also have a gasket that seals against the quarter glass.

This is what you need for that chrome strip and the "window scraper":
https://autoricambi.us/passenger-side-r ... e-molding/

I also have a trim piece (hardware missing) that starts at the glass and wraps around the top of the rear seats, but is there another piece that sits over that, covering the gap between the trim and the body?

And this is the metal "bow" that holds the rear of the convertible top down against that lip on the rear deck. It is attached with 5 or 6 bolts that screw into the metal rear panel behind the seat, the one that is covered by that vinyl strip that it looks like you have.
https://www.midwest-bayless.com/Fiat-12 ... ll-u8.aspx

-Bryan

[Matt]

Really helpful Bryan, thanks for the info. I actually found the bow mixed in with the spare bumpers I got from the seller. No fasteners of course, but it's one item I can cross off the list.

Matt

[Matt]

OK, question #2:

I have the rear top retainer (the metal bow piece) and the vinyl covered trim plate that sits just above the rear seat back, but I don’t have any of the hardware needed to attach them. Are these (screws?) generally available from parts suppliers, or is this going to be a trial and error process from the hardware store?

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I have the rear top retainer (the metal bow piece) and the vinyl covered trim plate that sits just above the rear seat back, but I don’t have any of the hardware needed to attach them. Are these (screws?) generally available from parts suppliers, or is this going to be a trial and error process from the hardware store?

From what I recall, the metal bow piece is attached with M6x1.00 bolts. The nuts for these are called "jack nuts" or "well nuts", but they might be hard to find in metric sizes. In a pinch, you can just install regular M6 nuts, assuming you can get your fingers in there to tighten them...

The vinyl trim piece is installed with 5 or 6 self tapping sheet metal screws, but any 1.5" long sheet metal screw with a Philips head will be fine here. With the right thread size/diameter. These either screw into the sheet metal panels or into the brackets sticking out that the rear seat cushion tabs slide into.

-Bryan

[DieselSpider]

Ace Hardware has been a good source for locally sourcing the metric well and flange nuts including the serrated ZipLocks.

Fasternall is also a good source.

Places like Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Napa and Oriely's can surprise you as their larger stores can have a goodly assortment too.

[Matt]

Thanks for the guidance fellas. Bryan's comment about missing "at least" two parts did not go unnoticed

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Thanks for the guidance fellas. Bryan's comment about missing "at least" two parts did not go unnoticed

It's all about managing expectations. A skill I learned during annual employee performance evaluations...

-Bryan

[Matt]

So, my month-long quest to properly sort out the convertible top is progressing. I've learned a few things. Most notably, that they really do shrink and go out of whack when they're not on the car. A month of patiently and gently opening and closing it, plus leaving it up and latched in the hot sun, has really made a difference.

I had a moment this morning that took me right back to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which I read years ago. I'd been struggling to figure out why the top didn't sit all the way flat on one side when folded down. It had a huge hump at the latch, which in turn was stretching the boot cover and pulling apart the vinyl glue at the cover hook. The whole thing looked sloppy and off-kilter.

I had been focused on how the fabric folded, thinking that something in there was catching in the car and not settling properly. This morning I was leaning oven the car doing something unrelated with the boot cover off. I happened to look straight down at the frame, and noticed that a frame screw was backed out and catching the adjacent frame arm. 15 seconds with my largest flat head screwdriver solved the problem. It should have been really obvious, but I wasn't considering the whole system.

Anyway, apologies for the long post - my actual question is this: I have the two wires that run through the sides of the top and cinch it down at the rear corners. I gather that it is an arduous process to thread them through, but I'm wondering if anyone has tips for how to do it, especially with the top currently installed on the frame.

Thanks in advance,
Matt

[BwBrown]

One word: coat hanger (oops that's two words)

I have a fish tape for running electric wires in walls, any stiff wire or SMALL dowel to coax the wire through..

[Matt]

Thank you for the tip. I'll try the coat hanger - wondering if using the hanger with a hook on the end to tie and pull a guide string through might work. There is actually a string poking through the rear eyelet on one side of the top, but I can't find the other end of it.

Matt

[Matt]

One word: coat hanger (oops that's two words)

I finally got around to trying this - the coat hanger worked amazingly well. I bent a little hook at the end and threaded it through from the front. Once it arrived at the grommet at the back of the vinyl top I grabbed it with a needle nose and pulled it out so that I could hook the swaged end of the top cable to my hanger. Then I pulled it right back through the hole where it went in.

Based on what I'd read and watched, I was prepared to have a bad time since the top is already on the car. But it took all of five minutes per side.

So thanks for that! One step closer.