TR7 - TR8 New Hood Advice (Soft-top, Convertible, DHC)

[Hasbeen]

My mohair hood/top on the 8 had not been up for about 3 years, & not seen rain for a couple more, when I was caught in a summer downpour. Fortunately it went up easily enough, but downpour was right, the water poured in everywhere.

It ran in through the stitching around the rear window, right from the start. With in another 15 minutes it was dribbling in from the gutters over the windows.

After 20 minutes parked, getting back in was rather like sitting down in a swimming pool.

A wax bar rubbed into the window stitching fixed that, & 303 hood treatment sealed the thing again, but did give a sort of shine to the finish.

Next time I wanted it up, over a year or so later, was up in the ranges, at 5.30 Am on a winters morning. I had to get a passer by to help stretch the thing to get the pins into the holes.

Don't believe mohair doesn't shrink when cold.

The vinyl one on the Capri is much more water tight, but I haven't tried to put it up when cold.

Hasbeen

[busheytrader]

Ha Ha.........

Does your convertible leak?

Only when it rains..........

[whitenviro]

I enjoy all of the tinkering with these cars, but stretching the new top was the one job I didn't care for. To each their own I guess. It was tedious, time consuming and filled with opportunities to screw up and damage the top or the car's paint or both. And now that its done I'm not thrilled with the fit. If I had it to do over again I think I'd have a professional installer do it next time. Luckily, I have the hardtop when I want to be inside, so the soft top is an emergency cover for those times caught in a sudden downpour.


[/img]
1980 Pageant Blue DHC with removable hardtop.

[supercass]

I would avoid buying a cheap quality vinyl roof, generally you will find three qualities with various descriptions, often : budget, standard, and OEM, sometimes the descriptions are quite confusing so double check you are getting what you want. The vinyl roof fitted as original was high quality (with high quality windows) and I believe is still available made by Tickford on the original lasts. At a price though, particularly if you want a colour other than black. This is the one I would go for. Mohair roofs (and as far as I am aware they are not really Mohair) just don't seem to look right to me on TR7's. I suspect vinyl is probably easier to fit. I find Mohair can be quite difficult to clean and is more difficult to maintain than vinyl. supercass.

[saabfast]

My car came out of a barn with a very tatty vynyl hood, but in the boot was a new boxed Mohair hood to fit. No idea where from, no name on the box. As I generally did not use the car in the wet (for fear of it melting) it was not really tested for some years. This year I was with a bunch on the TRDC stand at Bromley show. Coming home down the A21 it absolutely lashed down and I was ready to end up pretty wet, but there was not a leak anywhere. Amazingly it kept it all out a 70mph+ and even the wipers kept working.
It was quite easy to fit the hood but can be a bit of a stretch getting the pins into the front screen rail. I took various advice when fitting and glued it to the hood rail 15-20mm short so that was stretched when closed. It is still taught 5 years later. The only problem (which makes me think it was a cheap version) is that the central velcro flaps are not properly aligned with the bar on the frame and its very difficult to 'stick' it together to stop it pillowing up at speed.

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto
Saab 9000 2.3 LPT Auto
'81 TR7 DHC

[john 215]

Hi,

You only get what you pay for simple as that !!

My mohair came from Robsport, cant remember the manufacture but i know it was made in the UK.

http://www.robsport.co.uk/

The best fitting and the best looking mohair roof's are those supplied by the gents up at S & S Prep, they fit like a glove and have seen them with details like different coloured stiching

http://www.ss-preparations.co.uk/

Cheers John





LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!

1976 Speke FHC Beauty

1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)

1982 2.0 DHC NOW A 4.6,ON THE ROAD NOW KICKING AR5E !!!!

[amethgr8]

I got my from an online retailer of the Robbins vinyl top. If you're going with anything other than black, have them send you a swatch. really, with any top purchase other than black get a swatch to make sure, debateable if it's returnable.

Overall the installation was a bit tense because we knew we only had one shot at it. the prep for protecting the car from the overspray of glue was a bit daunting as it was a bit windy.

the instructions pretty much get you there to the T. I would have liked more pictures with his instructions for illustration purposes. definitely can do it without pictues, just read one step at a time.

my frame, headrail and everything was off prior to my install so I think that added time to the job. but if you don't want to worry at all and have the money, have someone do it. so far, mine does not leak. I have pictures of the job, and will post the finished picture as well.

http://s1086.photobucket.com/albums/j446/amethgr8/

[Last TR]

Both Moss and Rimmer Brothers offer a choice of vinyl or cloth replacement convertible tops. The vinyl is purported to be comparable to original factory tops. The mohair (Rimmer) and Stayfast (Moss) cloth tops are close to twice the price of vinyl. They are supposed to be more durable, shrink-resistant, stretch-resistant, and generally all around better.

Is there any difference is ease of installation? Are cloth tops worth the extra cost?

Ken Morton
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees

[supercass]

You have to be careful with vinyl tops as there are several different grades. The cheaper ones are a false economy but a vinyl top that meets the original spec (including the clear windows) is in my opinion the best option for a TR7/8. supercass

[jeffremj]

When I bought my blue vinyl roof from Rimmers, it was said to have been made using the original patterns by Tickford. The roof is perfect and has all the extra door tabs, etc. If they still sell this sort, then go for it.

IIRC, the mohair type don't have the 'side' windows and so have 'blind' spots, they may also be missing the door tabs. A plus might be that they are quieter at speed.

[whitenviro]

Ken:
I installed the top on my car, and it was not a fun job. It came out alright, but not great. Maybe no one else would notice the things wrong with it, but I see them every time I put it up. It is a job I would send out to a pro next time. After spending a couple hundred dollars on a top, you want it to look right.

Maybe the hardest part was protecting everything, keeping it clean and avoiding scratches to the new paint, while working out in the hot sun to keep the top as flexible as possible. Give me a job that I can get my hands dirty any day of the week!




1980 Pageant Blue DHC with removable hardtop.

[saabfast]

When I bought my car out of a barn around 9 years ago the original vinyl roof was in tatters but there was a new mohair hood in the boot. No idea where it came from as the box did not say. I fitted the new hood, not too difficult if you take your time and follow the various guides(no instructions in the box). There are a few areas I would improve. Front corners are not the best and difficult to make tidy due to the folds of material, and the Velcro strip in the middle does not line up with the roof bar very well either. However, it has always been completely waterproof, even on the motorway in a storm.

Mohair is softer and easier when cold than vinyl. Mine does have the rear 'quarter' windows and the tabs.

Alan
Saab 9-5 2.3t Vector Auto Estate
'81 TR7 DHC

[busheytrader]

Back in the day I often made the mistake of waiting until the evening to raise the vinyl hood. It made fun of me by shrinking back just enough to make it an 8 minute tug of war.

If I leave it to the evening now, I have a garage to park up in and just throw a dust sheet over it. [:D].

I always fancied a mohair hood but couldn't afford it when the original needed replacement. The vinyl hood looks easier to keep clean though.

Adam

TR7 V8 DHC Jaguar Solent Blue. 9.35cr Range Rover V8, Holley 390cfm, JWR Dual Port, 214 Cam, Lumention, Tubular Manifolds, S/S Single Pipe Exh, 3.08 Rear, 200lb Spax & PolyBushes all round, Anti- Dive, Strut-Top Roller Bearings, Capri Vented Discs & Calipers, Braided Hoses, 4 Speed Rear Cylinders, Uprated Master Cylinder & Servo, AT 14" 5 Spokes or Maestro Turbo 15" Alloys, Cruise Lights, S/S Heater Pipes, Replacement Fuel Tank. No Door Stickers. Mine since July 1986, V8 from 1991 courtesy of S&S V8 conversion kit (built not bought) and big brake kit.

[Odd]

It is. I had both vinyl [original] and mohair (fitted when the second vinyl set cracked at the seam) tops
on my Tudor Webasto equipped '86 Jetta II. The mohair version lasted for three-four times the vinyl ones
- the car was scrapped after 382000km, the mohair roof was still in excellent condition - so saved.

But it was MUCH harder to clean the mohair top textile compared to the structured vinyl surface...

[andyf]

I need to replace my top as it has started to split. I last did this about 16-17 years ago and just fitted a replacement vinyl one.
My question is - what do people suggest I use - vinyl/double duck/mohair. Apart from the price what are the differences in each type and their merits or otherwise, and where is the best source for them?

What the hell is a double duck, I have this rather strange image in my mind . I know I could google it but this is more fun.

And if it makes any difference, my car lives outside under a car cover.

Ta in advance.