Soft Top & Frame Installation Tips

[L60Boerne]

Greetings,

I suspect more owners will buy soft top and frames from Raul in Bogota because he does such a good job.Now, after two installations I have learned a few tips I would like to share. My tips are perfect for novice restorers because if a mistake is possible I will make it.

First, Raul is with you every step of the way. You can count on Raul. WhatsApp is a great tool for communicating with him.
Second, He has all possible configurations so you need to be specific as to which model and tub length you have.
Third, His delivery times have decreased, still... time in transit can be 2-4 weeks.
Fourth, The metal framed comes primed.
Fifth, Check to see if your Patrol has the bracket required to attach the center support rod above the rear view mirror. It should stick out from the front windshield above the rear view mirror. If you don't have a bracket in that spot then Raul will send you one with the kit. You will need one.

Installation tips
#1. If possible, attached the frame and soft top BEFORE you attach the rear seats....access it hard enough. Having the seats mounted complicates the installation.
#2. Paint the B Pillar (vertical metal directly behind the doors) when you paint the Patrol, it needs to be the same color. It is the frame part that shows your frame color.
#3. Attach the B pillars first, then the curved pieces over the door to the front window. Get them all closely fit before tightening the bolts. Pay very close attention to the orientation of the B Pillar...it can be oriented wrong. The sheet metal bracket points to the rear. Why says this....some of Raul's pictures are wrong...they show it mounted incorrectly.
#4. When positioning the B pillars and rear frame bow you will need to know exactly where to drill the holes before you start each component. Use a white out pen from your office and dab a spot of white out where you want to drill.
#5. You will need to drill holes in all four corners of the tub. Buy new drill bits, start with small holes and graduate up the the diameter you need, it goes much faster that trying to drill a 1/4" dia hole from the start.
#6. It get real easy after the B Pillars are mounted, work backwards from there and let the support rods running the length of the tub from front to back locate the position of your rear most frame bow.
#7. You will need a pair of long nose needle nose vice grips to tighten the bolts under the tub rim. No way around this..it is too tight otherwise. A cordless drill with a socket assortment really speeds up the process. Lastly racketing wrenches and socket sets help too.
#8. Before you tighten up the frame over the tub look at it from a distance, check to see if everything is in alignment.
#9.When draping the soft top. First, leave it out in the sun for a day. The heat will loosen it up.
#10.The soft top edges slide into groves on the leading front edge of the windshield and B Pillar and curved wing above the door. Don't fight the tight slots! Open them up with a large flathead screwdriver so the rib of the soft top quickly slides in...then apply pressure and close the slot a bit once installed. My first soft top I just about killed myself getting my soft top rib to feed through the "too small" channels. This time ten minutes and they were done.
#11. Once the vinyl has heated up pull it to where you need to attach the snaps around the outer tub but don't rush this. The vinyl will stretch a bit in the heat so give it now to uncoils, then locate your snaps.

Patrolling again soon.
L60Boerne

[RiverPatrol]

Moving this to a better category and making it a sticky. Thanks David!

[mad4hws]

These tips are going to come in very handy in a few weeks when we finally liberate the Minion Missile from the welded on hardtop that it has been married to since it arrived in Colombia back in 1973. I have to contact Raul to see if there are any tips to cutting off the top. I am waiting until we get the new (old) windshield frame restored, painted and fitted with new glass so that it is ready to install once we remove the old one.

[Esteban]

Excellent tips David. Thanks for taking the time for such a detailed description!

[plateaucal]

#12. Clean up mess in your wife's garage, especially metal shavings, and put her white-out back in the desk.

I wonder how one of those step drill bits would work? Great for sheet metal.

[Rubirunner85]

Thanks for the tips! Hoping to install one on my 69.