Topic: Tore New Top on '65, Possible Top Frame part is backwards?

[drummingrocks]

Guys, I finally have an update for the top on my '65.  The upholstery shop called yesterday.  To make a long story short, they were completely out of ideas and still hadn't been able to come up with a local car to look at.  One of the guys happened to notice that two of the frame pieces around the front bow were side-specific, and they were installed on the wrong sides.

I plan on going by the shop today to see what was switched, but I'll readily admit that it was 100% my fault since I took the frame apart for blasting and painting.  I feel a bit better that the upholstery shop has had the car for 3+ weeks and has just now found the problem, so it really was a tough thing to track down.  Once the two pieces were swapped, the frame folds back into the well as it should.

I've ordered a new top and pads, and hopefully soon will have the car back together.  I hate that it happened, but I'm ultimately glad we found something wrong, since both the upholstery shop and our shop were pulling our hair out.  Again, I'll go by today to see what the issue was with the frame, and I'll update this thread.  Hopefully it will save someone some headache in the future! 

Happy new year!!!   

[drummingrocks]

Ok, I've tried to highlight the frame pieces that were swapped.  The passenger's side was installed on the driver's side, and vice versa.  Once these two pieces were installed correctly, the bow was able to fold down correctly as the top frame was lowered, whereas it was pinching the top and pad material before.

The new top and pads is supposed to come in today, so hopefully I'll have the car back soon!

[CharlesTurner]

Isn't that arm bradded/riveted on at the pins?  The lever assembly normally would come off as a unit with the 4 screws removed???

Noticed the screws are in your middle bows.  Did the shop install them after removing the pads so they wouldn't lose track of them?  You probably know, but those screws should secure the pad to the bows.

Thanks for the follow-up.  I recently had a frame take a little farther down than I would like.  Thankfully, had enough spare frame parts/sections in my used inventory to use as a guide.  Not easy finding schematic pics.

[jtfx6552]

Amazing how these were engineered in the pre 3D cad world...

[CharlesTurner]

Amazing how these were engineered in the pre 3D cad world...

Yes, pretty amazing.  Guessing that it was a gradual thing and older versions used as a starting point and then modified.  I have a friend here that has been in the auto upholstery business since the early 60's.  Watched him make a convertible top frame from scratch for a custom car.  It was much more basic than the Mustang one, but still was very impressive.

[mwizz]

To get the most life out of a convertible top, the rear window should always be unzipped.  Although, it's more important to do it on a top with rear folding glass.  The instructions were actually written for a 68 with hard glass, but for the most part applies to 64.5-68 and probably later.

I agree, I originally just raised and lowered the top without unzipping the rear window and then found that the zip started to come apart. It took me about 2 hours to work the zip teeth back together and now I unzip it every time before lowering.

[drummingrocks]

Isn't that arm bradded/riveted on at the pins?  The lever assembly normally would come off as a unit with the 4 screws removed???

Noticed the screws are in your middle bows.  Did the shop install them after removing the pads so they wouldn't lose track of them?  You probably know, but those screws should secure the pad to the bows.

Thanks for the follow-up.  I recently had a frame take a little farther down than I would like.  Thankfully, had enough spare frame parts/sections in my used inventory to use as a guide.  Not easy finding schematic pics.

Charles, yes, I think we're talking about the same part.  It's the lever assembly that can be removed with two screws on each side.  Also, the green car in the picture isn't my car, it's another member's.  This is actually my car (red with red interior):



It's virtually impossible to see unless you know where to look, but the lever/arm assembly pictured here is actually marked "L" and "R."  Or in my case, it was "ZL" and "ZR."  I had this frame completely apart and never noticed it until one of the upholstery guys pointed it out.  But again, I'll caution that they will interchange, and will interchange quite well, to the point that the frame will pivot and retract almost 90% of how it's supposed to.  In other words, there's no way to know it's wrong until the top rips.  Hope this saves someone some headache in the future! 

[CharlesTurner]

Ahh, ok.  Yes, the arms are marked ZL and ZR.  I didn't know the arm assemblies would mount up on either side.  Just restored one of these and had it all apart.  If you need some additional pics for confirmation, let me know.

[drummingrocks]

Ahh, ok.  Yes, the arms are marked ZL and ZR.  I didn't know the arm assemblies would mount up on either side.  Just restored one of these and had it all apart.  If you need some additional pics for confirmation, let me know.

Thanks, will do.  I took the new top and rear curtain to the shop yesterday, now we're just waiting on new tension cables, since one of the originals was broken.