Convertible top issues / problems and fixes / remedies

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DA69RT GT

DA69RT GT

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Thought this would be a good thread to get started for the "convertible crowd". Anything from tops, pumps/lines, latches etc. Im finding there are alot of different parts involved when it comes to our verts- looking to our FABO community to help with some "been there-done that" info.

Recently trying to resolve a ripped top issue and trying to locate the wire guides that attach to the inside of the frame to prevent the frame from rubbing against the sail (see pics). I have an old top that has ripped in this area and want to correct this problem BEFORE I put a new top on.

Has anyone ever seen these before and/or know if they are available? Looks like a bent wire hanger that can be made but would like to get some measurements.

Here are a couple associated threads:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=1690816#post1690816

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/...onvertible+top

Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks- Doug
 

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I called a few convertible top companies today and they had no idea what I was talking about. With all due respect... I think the "B" team was on duty this Thurs.

I have bought items from topsdown.com before and gave them a call lastly. All they had was the Top Hold Down Cables but told me to send a picture and they will see if its avail.
I gotta believe someone is manufacturing these somewhere? If not- looks like I need to raid Grannys closet for all her wire hangers and get started...
 
I think this should become a dedicated Forum topic. However, I've only had my vert for about 3 months and haven't begun to deal with it's issues.
Thanks for starting it!
 
Hey pacuda59- looks like we might be related- nice ride. Welcome to FABO!
 

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I'm glad this thread is happening!! I have 2 convertibles here in the stable and both could use a new top!!!

Now, heres a little sidebar story..... I saw a thread started here a couple month's ago advertizing a new convertible top for sale for a 66 Valiant, so I bought it. It was only $40.00 so I figure I can't go wrong and maybe even try it myself. I ask the seller the manufacturer of the top and he tells me ARO Manufacturing. There's a problem with the back plastic curtain and I hope to get a new one so I go online to find ARO.

OK, heres where the story gets wierd......... There are about 187,000 bites on ARO, but all relate to this huge lawsuit they were involved in back in the 60's. Seems that they were a supplier to the auto companies and wanted to be able to sell the same products they manufactured for the big 3 through other places also. The car companies didn't like that, so they sued ARO and won, I think. That forced ARO to find a loophole where they could sell all the parts seperately, but they couldn't sell the entire assembly, or something like that!!

So, anyway, after sifting through pages and pages of the same links to this lawsuit, I never did find the ARO website and frankly don't think they're still in business. The top was manufactured pretty recently as I recall, so I'll probably just give it a shot myself.

As a side note, I called a convertible top shop to chat and they were very helpful and informative. When I mentioned the ARO top, the guy told me they were sort of JC Whitney quality and that I should seek out a better top, so thats probably what I'll do. It'll be fun to try this top I have as a test, heck, maybe I'll go into the convertible top business!!!LOL!! Geof
 
I looked for those wire loops when they were posted the other day and found nothing. I am also glad to see this thread and yes it should be a topic.
 
Heres a must read thread on hydraulic hoses/lines:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=98731

If you havent replaced yours or been behind the back seat in a while... better check em. Those things get brittle and crack. Luckily when I went to put my new carpet in, I checked mine. As I pulled on one to inspect it... it cracked and fluid ran all over.
You can only imagine what could have happened if the new carpet and seat covers were installed and then the lines broke when pressuring up the system.
 

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DA69RT GT said:
Has anyone ever seen these before and/or know if they are available? Looks like a bent wire hanger that can be made but would like to get some measurements.


Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks- Doug
Click to expand...

I've done a 65 Coronet top and saw nothing like what's pictured. There's nothing in the 65 FSM A (or B) convertible section showing it either. Maybe it was for the 67-69s?
 
If you havent replaced yours or been behind the back seat in a while... better check em. Those things get brittle and crack
Click to expand...

Who carries replacement hydraulic hose? Are there different grades??
 
DA69RT, it does look like we were separated at birth..lol.

What does Dodge call that color?
 
DA69RT GT said:
Heres a must read thread on hydraulic hoses/lines:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=98731

If you havent replaced yours or been behind the back seat in a while... better check em. Those things get brittle and crack. Luckily when I went to put my new carpet in, I checked mine. As I pulled on one to inspect it... it cracked and fluid ran all over.
You can only imagine what could have happened if the new carpet and seat covers were installed and then the lines broke when pressuring up the system.
Click to expand...
SInce I posted in the thread mentioned above I moved things around in photobucket so the pic don't show up. I figures this would be a good place to post the similarity between the pumps and lines in our cars and my Sebring convertible. As I can see other than the electrical connector they really havent changed. May be an economical place for parts as many are showing up in the junkyards now.
IMG00089-20100428-1213.jpg
 
I have only seen these wire loops on 67 to 69 darts. when they don't have a heavy corner pad. They are to keep the top out of the hinge and being pinched when lowered.
 
As Toplscuda pointed out, a lot of the newer stuff is similar.

From what I can tell, almost any American convertible before the mid 90's will have the same kind of pump & motor and will swap right in. I've got one from a 90? Lebaron in my '65 Chrysler right now. Same electrical connector and even the little rubber feet match up. :)

However after that, they changed the wiring. Our vintage cars use a plug with 2 wires red/yellow plus a black wire that grounds to the body.

The ones from the last 20 years just have the 2 wire plug, I don't believe these will work without making changes to the wiring. (possibly adding a relay?)

Looks like the older style was used by Chrysler through 95, Ford through 93, and GM through 90.
 
Thanks toplscuda- did notice that pics were gone. Appreciate the reload.

Oldmanmopar- "I have only seen these wire loops on 67 to 69 darts. when they don't have a heavy corner pad. They are to keep the top out of the hinge and being pinched when lowered."

Do you think there would be an effective way to add heavy pad around that hinge to protect the area of the top it comes in contact with?

****************************************************************
I think just the start of this thread shows why we need a Forum for convertibles. Instead of mish-moshing alot of different topics together in one thread... we would be able to separate and keep a better/easier file system. We could be 5 pages in and someone could add some valuable info on something on a total different subject back from page 1.

Link: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=174591
 
Next time I'm in town I will check if my 67 has those wires, my Dart is on its third top from what I have heard from previous owners, so there is a good chance that they are awol. good reminder on the hoses, I will have to check them. Does anyone know of anyone that can rebuilt the latchs where the header latchs to the windshield, one of mine is missing the spring, it still works, and I can't bring myself to spend the money for new latchs, it was somewhere around $125 each last time I looked.
 
Both of mine are missing the springs... but they work fine. More of a "manual" application- but like you said $250-275 for a set of latches is not in the budget for now. If these break I may consider it... but heck- they have been hangin in there for 40+yrs...
 
I picked up an exact match for my 66 dart came out of a 93 fox body mustang (and it looked like it had just been replaced in 2007)
the hoses were short by about 4 inches per side. But the sebring right next to it had hoses 2 inches longer and they fit with a little creative rerouting of the bottom hose connection.
 
Make sure to check the new CONVERTIBLE FORUM!!!!

Thanks again Joey!!! ****New forum!!!...Just for us 'Vert guys!!!****
 
OK guys the spring steel wires are on my car. I made them after putting a new cloth top on my car and within 6 months had a hole in the right sail panel. The top had abraision marks on the inside of the panel from the tack bow.

The guy that installed the top had the one that was on the top frame plus one I had made but said it showed pushing out on the top so he left them off. His 1st words when I took it back with a hole in it "IT'S NOT MY FAULT"

Now the top was made by EZ Top in Greenville, SC and they tried to claim it had the correct top until I proved them wrong. Then they back pedaled and said it was a GM glass because they didn't have the correct blank for the Dart.

My 2nd cloth top was installed at what they said was cost but it sure felt like I bent over and didn't get the gel. After they got the new top on with the correct factory logo glass (saved the original glass out of the top when I removed it. Sent it to EZ top and they made a new cloth rear curtain) It still was rubbing in the same area, so they deterined it wasn't the rear glass.

So they it was my goal to either, never put the top down, or get a new set of wires. (couldn't find my ones from when the top was put on)

I started investigating 67 ~ 69 Dart convertibles and found several with the wire on them. With some friends that worked for Chrysler in Auburn Hills they looked trying to find something. It was not in any parts manual and they didn't find any TSB on the wires.

Had a few guys say yeah they had an extra set but would not sell them to me. I tried to get them to let me borrow them to make a set, still NO. At the Indy Swap meet a few years back there was a guy with a 67 Dart convertible that he was wanting to sell. It looked more like a parts car to me since the engine and trans was gone but he had a 5.7 hemi and trans to go with it. The top frame was there but no cover and it had a wire on the left side tack bow. I explained to him my situation and ask him if he would sell me the one wire. He told me no he wanted to leave it on the car. So I left still needing the wires. A little later I thought, "if I can borrow it make me a set and him a set we are both good". I went back and he agreed to let me use it, got his address, borrowed a #3 phillips screwdriver and in a few minutes I had a wire to use as a pattern.

It took me several attempts to get one that looked correct. 1st tried to use stainless steel welding wire, but it proved to be too thick. My next attempt was to locate the the correct thickness wire with spring steel action. With suggestions from some of the skilled trades at work, lead me to order the wire and start bending to make the push springs.

They have been on my top now for 5 or 6 years and it goes up and down all the time. At 1st would check the sail panel to make sure it was not rubbing. So far So good, yes you can see the outline of the wire in the top, but that is much better than seeing a hole in it.

Doug contacted me about it and he should be able to protect his future new top.

So Doug, I remembered where the original sprine wire is that I used for a pattern, I SENT IT BACK TO JIM. So I only have the extra ones I made, including the stainless steel welding wire. Try bending that into a loop 1/4" dia.

When I checked no one knew what I was talking about either. No one was making them and if you get the tack bow smooth, fill the tack bow (bondo was used in mine, instead if the original stuff) it might help. But I would watch the inside of the top if you don't have the springs.
 
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