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jimdubs
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2016
Posts: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY
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 Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2022 8:49 am Post subject: Loose ragtop fit |
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I bought canvas ragtop fabric about 2 years ago, I cannot get the fabric taut enough to pull the bows down against the body.
I pulled the rear adjuster plate as far back as possible, I even added padding above both the front and rear plates to take up the slack.
Each thing I did seemed to help the problem for a short time then the fabric slowly loosened or stretched. The ends look to be staying in place, not creeping up the plates.
Any ideas? Hints? Normal life with a ragtop? |
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rcooled
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2008
Posts: 2504
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2022 3:16 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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| jimdubs wrote: |
| Normal life with a ragtop? |
No, not normal at all.
Not all ragtop covers are created equal. I once purchased a top from a well-regarded supplier which was so tight that the corner seams split when I tried fitting it over the front header. Sounds like you've tried all the usual adjustments...might need to just bite the bullet and get another cover from a different supplier.
Is the latch pulling the front header all the way forward and cinching it down properly?
Is your car an OG ragtop, or a graft?
_________________
'63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone) |
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jimdubs
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2016
Posts: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2022 5:00 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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The front latch appears to be functioning properly, it moves forward and down tightly.
The car is a graft, but the entire skin around the opening was grafted as well so the dimensions are factory.
I guess I can investigate some better options for fabric. |
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jimdubs
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2016
Posts: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:54 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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Okay I'm back. I bought another canvas top from a different supplier (a well regarded one that is often suggested here)
Pretty much the same result. I have the rear plate pulled back as far as possible, the front one goes all the way forward. The bows are closer to the body but not all the way down. The sides are wavy.
To what degree does the canvas shrink/tighten with age, sun and water exposure?? I just put it on, it hasn't been out of the garage yet.
Thoughts??? |
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rcooled
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2008
Posts: 2504
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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| jimdubs wrote: |
| The car is a graft, but the entire skin around the opening was grafted as well so the dimensions are factory. |
Did that include the area with the slots?
| Quote: |
| To what degree does the canvas shrink/tighten with age, sun and water exposure?? |
The canvas cover from SewFine that I installed about 5 yrs. ago is still a perfect fit....tight as a drum and no shrinkage or fading at all.
Probably helps that the car is always garaged.
_________________
'63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone) |
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jimdubs
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2016
Posts: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:45 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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Yes the slotted area was part of the clip.
The new fabric came from Sewfine. The original was TMI.
With both tops I wrapped the fabric tight around the front and rear plates so that the edge bead is laying flat and even along the roof. |
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mukluk
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2012
Posts: 7023
Location: Clyde, TX
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:27 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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Could you post up some pics of the ragtop fit problems? Do you have the webbing straps installed that connect the front and middle bows?
Not that it'd be ideal, but it may be necessary to slightly elongate the adjustment slots at the rear to allow for a tighter fit.
_________________
1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga" |
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rcooled
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2008
Posts: 2504
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:04 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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| mukluk wrote: |
| Do you have the webbing straps installed that connect the front and middle bows? |
They're about 13" long and look like this ↓
Pics from the gallery
Not sure if these straps would effect the cover's fit, but if you need to make some up, a 1/2" wide nylon pet leash works pretty well.
_________________
'63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone) |
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jimdubs
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2016
Posts: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY
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| Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:57 am Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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Yes I have the straps installed, I'll try to post a couple pics later today.
I have thought about elongating the slots but I really don't want to! |
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buckswilde
Samba Member
Joined: June 26, 2010
Posts: 131
Location: Lexington, KY
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| Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:20 am Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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For reference here's what a NOS VW top looks like installed. I had someone in our local club install it so I can't speak to the process.
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jimdubs
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2016
Posts: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY
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| Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:00 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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jimdubs
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2016
Posts: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY
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| Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:06 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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| I have no padding on the front or rear plate this time. It seemed to temporarily help the previous top but I read that many people don't use any. I'm sure I could take up some slack with the padding but that seems like a band aid solution. |
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my59
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2003
Posts: 3791
Location: connecting the dots
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| Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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Note the tight NOS top took heat to get installed. Not something that can be used with canvas.
Padding might help, but elongation of the slotted rear holes might be the solution if you stick with canvas.
I installed a replacement top on mine, and while not the drum as above, it's a lot tighter than what you show. It was also 15 or more years ago, have no idea what the deal would be today.
_________________
my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget. |
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Mike Fisher
Samba Member
Joined: January 30, 2006
Posts: 17968
Location: Eugene, OR
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| Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:47 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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Custom upholstery by a Pro always looks best!
_________________
https://imgur.com/user/FisherSquareback/posts
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold
Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey |
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rcooled
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2008
Posts: 2504
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2023 4:35 pm Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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| Mike Fisher wrote: |
| Custom upholstery by a Pro always looks best! |
So many ragtops recovered over the years...hardly any look like this one. There's something out of whack here.
The cover itself sets the overall length of the top. These covers are all made from patterns that've been around forever, so there's something else going on here.
Maybe you could compare some dimensions with another ragtop to see if everything matches up. Start with the distance from the slots at the rear to the front edge of the opening where the latch engages.
_________________
'63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone) |
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jimdubs
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2016
Posts: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY
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| Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2023 6:36 am Post subject: Re: Loose ragtop fit |
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Well I ended up lengthening the rear slots about a quarter inch and I got it ""better"". The bows are down but the sides are not really tight, but acceptable.
I don't know what's really going on, I don't feel like I should have had to modify the car to fit the fabric, but considering that 2 tops from 2 suppliers didn't fit right makes me wonder.
I had thought about making a new rear plate with the studs further forward, don't know how that would've worked out. Were there any variations in the rear plate from VW?
This roof was a semi complete clip, from the windshield opening to about 4 inches behind the slots. All the factory dimensions should have been accurate. |
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