[dan_cobb]

Ok, so not necessarily an "interior" question, but certainly more suited for this forum than the "drivetrain" forum.
I need to establish if there are any adjustments that I can make to my top that will help decrease the leaks and provide better alignment for the windows. The car is a 66. The drivers' window catches on the rubber lip of the & sticks out by almost 1/4" if I don't keep my hand against the glass when I shut the door. There are also a couple of wrinkles along the leading edge of the top near the rear 1/4 windows (in the corner where the glass, top, & body panel all meet). This makes me think the top is too low & needs to be raised up by 1/4" or so. Is there a procedure to properly align the top frame to the body?
Thanks,
Dan
++++

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Dan
'66 Malibu Convertible
'73 Camaro (LT)
(& others)

[This message has been edited by dan_cobb (edited 05-03-2001).]

 

[RT]

Dan, Convertible top adjustment problems are tough to diagnose when you have the car sitting in front of you, doing it through these posts can be nearly impossible. I would first recommend you get a Fisher body manual for your car if you don't already have one, and study the section on the folding top adjustments. All adjustments to the top frame and the side glass interrelate. When you move one, it affects others. The manual will give you an idea of what each adjustment does, but trial and error will be the name of the game. If your side glass height is "correct" and the top of the driver's door is catching the side roof rail weatherstrip, it may be in the height adjustment for the side roof rail. That's found at the joint in the side roof rail above the glass and is actually an allen head set screw that acts as a stop. The link attatchment alongside the rear seat back controls the height of the side roof rail and involves loosening a bolt that holds two serrated plates together. When they are loosened,(top in mid cycle) the plates are difficult to move in small increments, so mark the original location first. Hey, you might get lucky and find this is all it needs, but if you need more help, e-mail me @ujnhy@aol.com
Rich

 

[Peter F.]

Hi;

You can spend hours trying to adjust these things.

You haven't really described where it is out. Is the window too high or too low? Is it too far in?

Moving the frame with a top on could be a problem. You could end up damaging the top by stretching it too much in one spot.

There are hinge bolts at the back of the frame. You can use these to move the whole frame up, down, forwards, or rearwards. If it hits at the latches, you could leave it latched and pull it up at the hinge.

There is a arm that goes to the same location. It adjusts the top at the second hinge. This affects the stacked height and the height in the middle above the windows. Adjusting this thing is complicated.

There is a bolt in the middle joint above the windows. You can move that joint up or down with this bolt.

As for the windows, there are adjusters to go up, down, back, forth, changing the forwards/backwards tilt. There are also stops to set the max. height it can be cranked to.

If I added up all the times I worked on the window and top alignment on my 65 Impala after I put it back together I think I'd have 50 hours easy in it. I never even removed the quarter windows or top frame so explain that? I still don't understand how it was so far out.I basically got the top frame where it lined up at the latches and looked even/square at the back and then adjusted the windows and middle hinge to match each other. I still have some slight in/out misalignment but it actually looks fairly good.

Have fun and don't get discouraged. It's not easy lining things up on these cars when things weren't too great from the factory.

Peter

 

[dan_cobb]

I figured it wasn't going to be an easy project, but your insight confirms what I believed. The top can be aligned to reduce leaks and fit better around the tops of the windows. Where can I obtain a copy of one of these manuals that details the specifics (hopefully with some pictures!)?
Dan
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Dan
'66 Malibu Convertible
'99 Expedition
'01 VR6 Jetta

 

[RT]

Dan, most of the resto supply houses carry them, or the larger swap meets may have vendors that sell them.
Rich

 

[Peter F.]

Hello;

The Fisher body manual gave some insight into the adjustment of the arms on the top frame. I was a little dissapointed in the level of detail though. I tried to look it up again but I think the guys that put my top on kept it because I can't find mine.

As for the windows, there are adjuster screws that let you move the windows in and out. There are slots in the body that allow you to slide it around. There will also be a track attached to the inside of the door with an adjustment at one end. This will move the back of the door window up and down.

Personally, if the top hits the front window right and folds well and looks square on the body I wouldn't move it on the hinges. I'd just ajust the windows to meet it correctly.

As for the wrinkles, you may be able to adjust the tacking strips that hold the top around the well to help with that.

Peter

 

[dan_cobb]

I fiddled with it today and actually made it much better in only about 3 hours. The problem was compounded by three different adjustment areas. The top itself was too high in the body, this was why the darn boot wouldn't stay clipped with the top down! The 2nd area was the rear quater window was out of the rear track, and needed severe alignment to get it back in. Both of the limit stops had to be adjusted as well to make it align to the front window and the rubber gasket along the top. the final adjustments were made to the single bolt that has all of the notches and grooves to help hold the arm in place and to the set screw along the top rail above the windows.
It took several different adjustments to align everything, but after stripping the long-shouldered carriage bolt in the higne mechanism and finally having to cut the nut off & replace both of them, it worked out fine. I only had to make minor adjustments to the passenger side to level the top out when it is down. A slight adjustment there will make a big difference in how far the top folds down. I think the boot should stay on now! Thanks for the advice and inspiration.
Dan
++++

------------------
Dan
'66 Malibu Convertible
'99 Expedition
'01 VR6 Jetta

 

[wdiegogarcia]

Dan, Convertible top adjustment problems are tough to diagnose when you have the car sitting in front of you, doing it through these posts can be nearly impossible. I would first recommend you get a Fisher body manual for your car if you don't already have one, and study the section on the folding top adjustments. All adjustments to the top frame and the side glass interrelate. When you move one, it affects others. The manual will give you an idea of what each adjustment does, but trial and error will be the name of the game. If your side glass height is "correct" and the top of the driver's door is catching the side roof rail weatherstrip, it may be in the height adjustment for the side roof rail. That's found at the joint in the side roof rail above the glass and is actually an allen head set screw that acts as a stop. The link attatchment alongside the rear seat back controls the height of the side roof rail and involves loosening a bolt that holds two serrated plates together. When they are loosened,(top in mid cycle) the plates are difficult to move in small increments, so mark the original location first. Hey, you might get lucky and find this is all it needs, but if you need more help, e-mail me @ujnhy@aol.com
Rich

Hi Rich, I'm installing a top in a Chevelle 1966 convertible restoration project. I couldn't see the top in the original position because the car came to me without the top.

I'm trying to understand understand how the windows fits in the roof rail weatherstrip, I mean if the windows enters inside the weathertrip channel or if it rest on the outside face of the weatherstrip. Could you help me? Thanks in advance, I'm from Argentina and I haven't the alternative to look for another Chevelle convertible to see it.