Installing Soft Top Cover

1. Apply a new strip of Butyl tape around the backlight frame in the position shown in Illustration 16.

Note:
Place a protective sheet on the work bench before working on the new convertible-top cover.

2. Place the new convertible-top cover on the workbench.

3. Fold the cover in half to find the cover's front to rear center-line.

4. Using adhesive tape reference mark the center line at the rear edge of the cover.

5. Measure the length of the tack strip and reference mark its center.

6. Place the cover onto the convertible-top frame, and align the cover to the frame.

7. Align the center mark on cover to the center mark on the tack strip.





8. Press the rear edge of the cover into the retaining flange of the tack strip, it may be necessary to use a suitable nylon drift and mallet to fully seat the cover into the flange.

9. Ensure that the cover is fully seated into the tack strip flange, and that the cover and tack strip center lines are aligned.

10. Mark the intended position of the pop-rivet holes in the cover, by piercing the cover through the existing pop-rivet holes in the tack strip.

11. Drill the pop-rivet holes into the cover, and secure the cover to the tack strip with pop-rivets.

12. Position the tack strip to the vehicle body, and secure the tack strip with both center bolts.

13. Install and tighten the remaining tack strip bolts, beginning with the holes next to the center bolts and then working outwards.

14. Install the tack strip end covers to the tack strip.

15. Align the cover to the frame.





16. Using a suitable draw wire (welding rod) pull the side tension cables through the piping in the cover (Illustration 18).

17. Manually lower the convertible-top to the halfway position.

18. Connect the side tension cables to the frame.

19. Apply adhesive to the front edge of the cover and frame, and align and affix the cover to the frame (see adhesive packaging for bonding instructions).

20. Install the front retaining rod into the cover and locate the rod into the slots in the frame.

21. Install the header plate, and secure with screws.

22. Install both latch guide-pins, and secure with screws.

23. Install the latch striker, and secure with screws.





24. Install LH and RH cantrail seal carriers to the frame, and finger tighten the screws (Illustration 19).

25. Position cantrail seal carriers as far to the outer edge of the frame as the carrier's elongated holes will permit, and fully tighten the screws.

26. Install LH and RH cantrail seals into their carriers, and secure with screws.

27. Connect the battery negative cable.

28. Rotate the tap on the convertible-top operating pump to electrical control position.

29. Power the convertible-top to the latched position but leave the rear quarter lights open.

30. Apply adhesive to the main column areas of the cover and frame, and align and affix the cover to the frame (see adhesive packaging for bonding instructions).

31. Power the convertible-top to the halfway position.

32. Install LH and RH main-column seal carriers, and finger tighten the screws.





33. Position the main-column seal carriers as far to the outer edge of the frame as the carrier's elongated holes will permit, and fully tighten the screws (Illustration 20).

34. Install and align the main column seals into their carriers.

35. Power the convertible-top to the fully latched position.

36. Apply downward pressure to the backlight frame in the direction of the tack strip to ensure that the frame is sitting centrally in the opening.





37. Using a pneumatic staple-gun, start stapling the cover as shown in Illustration 21, at the bottom center of the backlight frame and work a quarter of the way around the frame, stopping halfway up the vertical channel. When necessary gradually slit the cover within the backlight frame to relieve the tension on the material.

Caution:
DO NOT slit the cover from edge to edge of the backlight frame.

38. Repeat the above instruction in the opposite direction.





39. Staple the cover from the top center of the backlight frame until the staples in the vertical channel are reached. When necessary gradually slit the cover within the backlight frame to relieve the tension on the material (Illustration 22).

40. Repeat the above instruction in the opposite direction.

41. Insert a row of staples, on the outside of the first row of staples, at each corner of frame to provide extra reinforcement for the cover.





42. With the cover fixed to the backlight frame, trim off the excess material where shown (Illustration 23).

43. Install and fully seat the new rubber seal to the backlight glass, ensuring that the seal joint is positioned at the bottom center of the glass.

44. Attach lifting handles to the glass and position the glass in the backlight opening.





45. Align the glass centrally in the opening, and reference the top and bottom central positions of the glass with adhesive tape (Illustration 24).

46. Cut both reference tapes to leave half of the tape on the glass and the other half on the cover.

47. Remove the glass from the opening.

48. Position glass on the bench and clean the glass mating area and opening flange with cleaning spirit.





49. Apply glass primer to the mating area of the glass, Illustration 25 (see container for application instructions).





50. Cut the nozzle on the adhesive container to achieve a triangular section bead 8 mm wide and 10 mm high (Illustration 26).





51. Use a suitable application gun, and starting at the bottom center of the glass, apply a uniform bead of adhesive around the mating area of the glass (Illustration 27). Ensure that the ends of the bead come into adequate contact to provide a continuous bead.





52. Install the glass into the opening and align the tape reference markers (Illustration 28).

53. Press the glass firmly into position, and ensure that the rubber seal is correctly seated.

54. Remove the lifting handles and tape markers.

55. Remove the masking tape from the backlight opening headlining.

56. Position the headlining and install both rear tensioning rods.

57. Position the headlining to the main column brackets and secure with screws.

58. Remove the protective cover from the vehicle body.

59. Raise and lower the convertible-top to ensure that it is operating correctly.

60. Install the squab-panel support bracket and secure with nuts.

61. Position both speaker assemblies in the vehicle and secure with nuts.

62. Install the security antenna mountings on the speaker assemblies.

63. Connect the harness connectors to the speaker assemblies.

64. Install both rear quarter casings.

Refer to 501-05 (76.13.73) on the JTIS Disk for installation instructions.

65. Install the rear seat squab.

Refer to 501-05 (76.70.38) on the JTIS Disk for installation instructions.

66. Install the rear seat cushion.

Refer to 501-10 (76.70.37) on the JTIS Disk for installation instructions.

67. Route the heated backlight harness and install the connectors to the backlight heater.

68. Install the roof compartment carpet.