I removed the convertible mechanism and painted it, looks great!


However, when installing it again, I stumbled upon some strange things, which you can read about in this essay... It can't have been mounted correctly at the previous restoration.

1. How am I supposed to mount the "side bolts"? I have three bolts at the rear end of the canvas top that is mounted with bolts and nuts (and very long fingers and a lot of patience..). But for the side mountings there is just big holes in the sheet metal. Is there any way to get inside here? Or should it be metal screws, really really large ones?


2. The cable. It was mounted in a hole (right in pic) where I suspect it should only run through and be mounted in the brackets further back (to the left in the pic). Correct? The cable is to short though so it needs to be replaced. Before I removed the top the velcro didn't really close neatly. There was kind of a gap behind the quarter windows. I hope replacing the cable will fix this issue?

3. Water drain. I am very confused where the water should go and what kind of rubber part should be leading the water to freedom. When I removed the mechanism I found two rubber tubes just sitting there on the floor, long enough to lead the water into the sills but not any longer. Strange, but perhaps the Italian way to do it. Later I found out, through this great forum, that the hoses should lead all the way through the sills and out underneath the car.
Does this work? Aren't the water tubes folded in all impossible ways when the roof is down?
What is this has-been rubber thing that was mounted to the window water drain channel(bottom of image)? Can't I mount a new tube directly to the window drain channel? And should these pieces fit together somehow? Does the has-been things at the bottom of the pic have anything to do with the new stop rubber at the top of the pic. I wanted to order the broken ones (item 4 in the pic), but I got the stop rubber for the B-pillars instead. Looks like the stop rubber has some kind of mounting for a tube as well?

It does look good. Unfortunately I don't have any advice since I've never tackled the top and mechanism. But I'll sure be following

I'm sure you'll be provided with some good info shortly.

Good luck.

>Or should it be metal screws, really really large ones?

Yes. Looks like someone already used some pretty big ones.

> I suspect it should only run through and be mounted in the brackets further back

Yes, it goes through the little bracket with the 2 philips screws.

>long enough to lead the water into the sills but not any longer.

That's how it should go. The sills have holes to let the water out. There are no tubes hanging under the car.
You can buy 1/2" plastic/rubber water hose at Lowes to replace the old ones.

The B-pillar molding, #4 in the drawing is the early style, and has not been available in a long time. The only ones available are the new ones you pictured.

Thanks for the advice

Ok, so I,ll just stick with these new b-pillar mouldings. And no drain tube attached to them? Only to the rear quarter window drain channels.

Oh, there's one more thing about the cable. There is a u-shaped tag on top of the top mechanism where the cable should sit. However, the cable runs inside of the canvas from front to rear, and the tag has been smashed with a hammer or something. Is it this particular canvas maker's solution, or should the cable really run through the tag?