making a full soft top.

[trynne]

There is a Sailright video on making a motorcycle cover that you should check out. It shows the making of "darts" in the patterning material which you will need to do over the rear corners of your top. Are you planning on side curtains?
My brother and I built a Manx in the late 60's and it had a hardtop with the Manx curtains and a Stewart Warner gas heater in back. Kept it dry and nice and warm even on the coldest Chicago days ! Lotsa fun driving the Buggy in snow.

[62kellison]

trynne, I do appreciate any and all info,ideas and insight on this top.I will look those fittings up and take a good look at them.I do understand what u are saying.It would be nice without the snaps across the rear.But for simplicitys sake(this being my first top)I will have to think about it some.Does anyone know about the front of the "doors"?.Do the front of the "doors" also have a metal edge installed to grab the windshield groove?.Thanks for any help!.Also problem areas?.Where does the top flap the most at speed?,then maybe I can install ties straps etc. Sean...

[62kellison]

Yes I am going to have zip in doors/side curtains.i will watch the video...Sean...

[62kellison]

trynne,i been looking for a video on Darts,thanks!....Sean

[62kellison]

IF I post a comment then go back a page using the back arrow at the top of my screen, my comment will post 2 times in a row.Incase anyone is wondering y there comments do the same thing.I have to go to top of page and click on forums after I make a comment to look up my thread again.otherwise it post 2x.weird...Sean...

[YDBD]

[62kellison]

YDBD ,thank you for the info.ill have to think of a way to possibly hold center from flapping.Pics of those door connections would be great if u can.thanks!…the weather wont cooperate so I can get this done!!..I want to make my side patterns!!...Sean...

[YDBD]

Maybe a drawstring that was anchored to the windshield, sewn into the seam but sewn anchored about 2-4 cm before the roll bar and you can pull on it pretty hard to tighten that section and then anchor it with a jam cleat that are used on sail boats.

It's just the air coming in from the back that pushes up the fabric between the roll bar and windshield, a center bar between the roll bar and windshield may also help...

pics possible tonight, just not getting home into to feel like doing anything in the garage...
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[62kellison]

YDBD ,I was thinking the same thing to the front inside of the windshield frame.I just wasn't sure how to attach it.i will look up those brackets/holders....I completely understand,when I get home from work most days I don't want to mess around in the garage.lol..BTW where did u get your backseats and headrests out of?..Thanks...Sean...

[62kellison]

My nylon straps and buckles came fedex this morning.The 60 inch straps are almost to short(going bow to bow).I will use them for now.The straps from rear Bow to roll bar will be plenty long enough,but I may order 2 longer straps eventually for bow to bow. I am dodging the rain I hope and finishing patterns today!!..will post some pics.I am sick of getting nothing done with this rain!!..My garage I rent flooded again.i am setting up a tarp outback!!….Sean...

[62kellison]

Ok I just used sewing machine for the first time.I been practicing on scraps.I sewed one end of the straps to the clips/adjusters....They R finally done and They did end up being long enough.I don't think I need longer ones on the bow to bow straps.Onward and upward...slowly but surely guys...Sean...

[Cammie]

This is great.
I have been following along and it has spurred me on to do a mockup in Photoshop , Having worked out the lines I want it to have, I now need to work out how to do it in real life :-/ Thanks for the encouragement.

[62kellison]

Cammie ,awesome!.glad it has helped.That photoshop is a great idea.It looks like the top has about the same angle to the rear as I will have.Rain has stopped.Now I have 30 +mph winds preventing me from laying the pattern material back down to cut my sides.GRRR...Trying to get to the good part of this build!!...Wish I had thought of photoshop..lol…..Sean...

[Cammie]

It really helped to work out the lines. I realised the top of the door frame running parallel to the sill works. The corner at the top of the door frame complements the curve of the sill as it rises towards the rear wheel arch, and it helps if the angle of the back of the roof is greater than the angle of the rear edge of the door frame (l tried making that parallel, but it looked wrong). These are all quite subtle angles and relationships. If you want some Photoshop help give me a shout, although you seem to be doing fine in the real world:-)

[62kellison]

Cammie ,you are right.I tried running the top of door line straight across the other day before the rain and it didn't look right.i had to keep changing it.I had my pattern material hanging down and was drawing lines on it with a sharpe.That info u just gave me just helped a great deal.I will apply that to my pattern material when its hanging.Ill run it parallel(top of door line) to/with my sill and also duplicate that end curve on the buggy sill to the top end of door and see how it looks.thanks...Sean...hope that made sense.lol

[Cammie]

Thanks Sean.

I wasn't sure if I was just sticking my oar in with my own personal taste.

This feels terribly self indulgent, but I drew up guide lines to see why the roof in my opinion works . Also because I don't think my written comments are that easy to interpret(due to not knowing universal words for what I was describing) Although you managed fine

I hadn't even realised when I sketched it up by trial and error, that line 5 intersected line 1, but I think it helps the overall flow. Hope this helps.

A limitation on my design is that the buggy has a very high rollbar.

Cheers,
Iain

[YDBD]

If you go that route, it'll look fantastic!

But here's some pics of the simple route:
Complete top, notice the roll bar wrap and the rear tube wrap that close with velcro:

Front edge insert piece, there is a little hole to put it in and out:

Back straps with cool velcro wrap for excess strap:

bar from side curtain inserted into hook

side curtain closed and inserted into frame groove

side curtain hooks:

_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[YDBD]

Note:

Side curtains don't match the soft top, they were designed for the hard top.

The seats were from an Austin Healey, the original round head rests are gone, don't know what they were from, the orange ones are gone too, but they were out of a Toyota or Nissan and just mounted to the firewall behind the cushion.

Don't need them anymore, kids are too big to ride back there.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[62kellison]

Cammie ,excellent info!.I understood it because I have been at that point trying to figure out the door lines on my material.I am glad u posted that new diagram so I can refer back to it if needed(and I will).Any and all info makes this a Fantastic thread for guys wanting to Finally bite the bullet and try making a full top!!...All advice and suggestions are welcome.I am no expert by any meens.I am just trying to make a decent looking/functional top.Thanks a lot....Sean......

[62kellison]

YDBD ,Thanks for the pics!!.Now that's an interesting setup. I like that there is tubing running thru doors that basically hinges open? That is cool. So it is almost like a soft but solid framed door? I like it. I have been trying to take a little bit of everything from every soft top thread and incorporate it all into my top, but also keep the simplicity. I have numerous threads saved in my favorites and tops that I keep referring back to. Excellent info..thanks again...Sean...