1959 bug ragtop vinyl cover "too tight"

[catahoula lou]

The ragtop vinyl cover to my 1959 bug appears to be much too tight. It is very difficult to completely close the Golde handle (through the second 90 degrees of rotation) and the vertical flat area that the hook engages tends to flex noticeably. The rear end ragtop cover bolts are all the way forward in their slots.

Some background: this is a ~30-year old ragtop cover that has been off of the car for the better part of ~2 years; changed the sliders/etc during that period; does not improve when sitting in the sun for a few hours.

This is essentially the same setup that worked fine in the past.

Ideas?

Best,
Thom
_________________
1 great wife
2 Catahoula Leopard Dogs (Mahogany Star and Spartan) - RIP Lucy, Braveheart, & Dusty!
1 1959 mango green Ragtop Bug (the "Mango")
1 1958 pantina red Lowlight Ghia (the "Chili Pepper")

Still looking for:
(1) My Dad's 1955 356 (he raced it amateur-class at Riverside and other courses during 1950s),
(2) My parent's black 1955 hardtop bug (CA license plate FWC 201 or FWG 201), and
(3) My parent's agave green 1957 ragtop bug (CA license plate LFK 734).

[mukluk]

Sounds like the material has shrunk. I'd say your options are to either try to stretch it back out using heat and tension, replace the ragtop cover, or elongate the adjustment holes.
_________________
1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga"

[rcooled]

I guess some of this depends on how/where the cover was stored. Vinyl has plasticizers in it that give it some elasticity and allow it to remain flexible but they don't last forever. Old vinyl can become stiff and un-yielding as it ages. Could be that your cover has lost some of its ability to stretch while it's been off the car.

I assume that the middle bow is sliding freely in the tracks and not jamming due to being pulled un-evenly. Are the two straps that pull the middle bow still in place? They can be seen here in this pic from the gallery ↓

For reference, my '63's ragtop cover (same style w/rounded corners like yours, only canvas) measures exactly 43 3/8" front-to-back on the car when closed.

Unless the color's impossible to duplicate now, why not just get a new vinyl cover? Or better yet, get one made of stayfast canvas. If you keep putting that much stress on your cover, it'll eventually split a seam anyway.
_________________
'63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone)

[catahoula lou]

Even though the straps had been missing since before I bought the car back in ~1979, I do remember having to "help" the middle bow move forward when closing the top, undoubtedly due to the lack of straps. I always wondered what those little fabric remnants were for (about 1" square or so). Vinyl is in surprisingly good condition (no cracks/rips/tears).

So, I took all nuts off of the rear bow to release any front/back tension and still hard to turn handle (but slightly less than the "original 90 degrees). Next, I took the entire cover/assembly off, laid it on my couch, and handle still hard to turn (need both hands last 30 degrees or so. It appears that this occurs when the front bow tries to "sit down" onto the roof to seal against leaks.

As I may have previously mentioned, I had replaced the horizontal sliders and white wheels on both sides with replacement parts from Wolfsburg West. All are seated properly.

Now, before rotating the handle, I can slide my fingers all the way around the front/both sides between the two pieces of the front bow that clamp together, leaving a slight even space remaining.

So, it may just be that the internal guts of the handle mechanism requires some lubricant. I plan to have a light grey Wolfsburg West fabric headliner installed soon and don't want the lubricant to drip down onto it on hot days.

Any suggestions on lubricant?

Best,
Thom
_________________
1 great wife
2 Catahoula Leopard Dogs (Mahogany Star and Spartan) - RIP Lucy, Braveheart, & Dusty!
1 1959 mango green Ragtop Bug (the "Mango")
1 1958 pantina red Lowlight Ghia (the "Chili Pepper")

Still looking for:
(1) My Dad's 1955 356 (he raced it amateur-class at Riverside and other courses during 1950s),
(2) My parent's black 1955 hardtop bug (CA license plate FWC 201 or FWG 201), and
(3) My parent's agave green 1957 ragtop bug (CA license plate LFK 734).

[catahoula lou]

Anybody?

Best,
Thom
_________________
1 great wife
2 Catahoula Leopard Dogs (Mahogany Star and Spartan) - RIP Lucy, Braveheart, & Dusty!
1 1959 mango green Ragtop Bug (the "Mango")
1 1958 pantina red Lowlight Ghia (the "Chili Pepper")

Still looking for:
(1) My Dad's 1955 356 (he raced it amateur-class at Riverside and other courses during 1950s),
(2) My parent's black 1955 hardtop bug (CA license plate FWC 201 or FWG 201), and
(3) My parent's agave green 1957 ragtop bug (CA license plate LFK 734).

[rcooled]

[57BLITZ]

I agree on the grease. It will take only a small amount. It is high-temp, so it should never run. I used "Magnalube" from McMaster-Carr . . . It too has PTFE . . . might be very similar.

[catahoula lou]

Thanks for all of the info. Ordered the Super Lube and will pick up from Riverside CA Grainger today.

Appreciate the strap info, in that I'll go buy a leash, and give it and the printout of this thread to my headliner installer, along with the interior parts I need him to install.

Will let you know how the lube works...

Best,
Thom
_________________
1 great wife
2 Catahoula Leopard Dogs (Mahogany Star and Spartan) - RIP Lucy, Braveheart, & Dusty!
1 1959 mango green Ragtop Bug (the "Mango")
1 1958 pantina red Lowlight Ghia (the "Chili Pepper")

Still looking for:
(1) My Dad's 1955 356 (he raced it amateur-class at Riverside and other courses during 1950s),
(2) My parent's black 1955 hardtop bug (CA license plate FWC 201 or FWG 201), and
(3) My parent's agave green 1957 ragtop bug (CA license plate LFK 734).

[57BLITZ]

[catahoula lou]

Picked up the Super Lube after making some home brew yesterday.

I don't recall taking the assembly apart, but I could have...

Will check the pivot screws/parts/lube and report back later today.

Best,
Thom
_________________
1 great wife
2 Catahoula Leopard Dogs (Mahogany Star and Spartan) - RIP Lucy, Braveheart, & Dusty!
1 1959 mango green Ragtop Bug (the "Mango")
1 1958 pantina red Lowlight Ghia (the "Chili Pepper")

Still looking for:
(1) My Dad's 1955 356 (he raced it amateur-class at Riverside and other courses during 1950s),
(2) My parent's black 1955 hardtop bug (CA license plate FWC 201 or FWG 201), and
(3) My parent's agave green 1957 ragtop bug (CA license plate LFK 734).

[catahoula lou]

It simply needed a mechanism lube job. Used Q-tips to install PTFE-based Super Lube to central rotating mechanism, twisted horizontal bar, and vertical slider surfaces.

Installed and works like it did for the previous ~30 some-odd years!

Found a nylon dog long-line that had been chewed through, which I'll give to the headliner installer to fashion the straps.

Hope to have interior and set-aside parts completed during July, and FINALLY be driving the Mango regularly for the first time since my nephew ran it into a tree in 2008 while I was teaching him how to drive stick...

Best,
Thom
_________________
1 great wife
2 Catahoula Leopard Dogs (Mahogany Star and Spartan) - RIP Lucy, Braveheart, & Dusty!
1 1959 mango green Ragtop Bug (the "Mango")
1 1958 pantina red Lowlight Ghia (the "Chili Pepper")

Still looking for:
(1) My Dad's 1955 356 (he raced it amateur-class at Riverside and other courses during 1950s),
(2) My parent's black 1955 hardtop bug (CA license plate FWC 201 or FWG 201), and
(3) My parent's agave green 1957 ragtop bug (CA license plate LFK 734).

[my59]