H/T fittings

If you take the time to work on fitment of the top you may find that you also may need to spend time trimming the rubber parts in order to make them fit properly. That might include using sand paper to cut down the thickness of the corner pads. I've seen that done before. Anybody that has done more than one bare metal, no holds barred restoration can tell that there can be "some modification required" to more than one area of the car.
 
Whoever put the all of the 6 tops I had, now I think about it did things differently. Note 256/4 in the parts blow up, that's a completely different metal shape. The holes are also different on that metal corner piece holder possibly the later ones that may require trimming of the corner pads. As always change is always constant.
How does it go together? there's more than one way to skin a cat, right way, wrong way, you're way whatever.


The pads being to thick or too narrow likely lies in the mfg. and or the compound of rubber. As I said the CAT made corner pads were very thin when compared to S.S. ones.

My car still has the footprint of the top carried by the PO as it came from the S.F. Bay area. Never bothered to cut and buff them out as the tonneau did about the same thing then I'd have to respray the car. Got 4 seasons and a 4 season car and no car trailer, maybe you need a hard top, I don't yet.

I still maintain that watching is nothing like the hand strength required to coerce rubber into a painted channel. Or likewise do dam near anything without a lift as that would even make watching not as fun.

I'll snap a picture of 256/4
It's been probably 10 years since the first top was disassembled.
 
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Here's a snap of 256/4

16142994286918482267196253076473.jpg
 
That must be a newer one. Mine have raised letters reading CAT molded in the rubber. How old are the ones I have?
 
I included the SS corner pad for size reference only.
I got one h/t as a basket case but these appear to be the odd ball 265/4 per Dave's picture. It seems the exploded drawing is a mash up for several series cars/tops , maybe...
 
If you've ever done a full bare metal ,no holds barred restoration of a Sunbeam you'll find that a shop heavily involved in the restoration of Sunbeams only knows what to look for and where needed repairs or adjustments of a body is required. That may mean pulling frame rails, checking alignment of panels and many measurements of the body at certain points to get the body within the + or - factory specs. This all brings into play the phrase " SOME MODIFICATION REQUIRED". That may mean mods to everything including trim items such as seals, etc in order to have a good fit. It's not all plug and play.
 
I cannot see in the previous body diagram what size the 6 small threaded screws that hold the leading edge of the side quarter windows to the B piller of the hardtop. Any one know ?
 
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