Got a factory hard top

[Dave Bassett]

Amazingly, I just bought a factory hardtop in immaculate condition, includng the headliner and in the right color. I have a picture but am having challenges getting it from my phone to my laptop.I will postwhen I can.
My question is how it is is attached to the car. I expectedit to have clamps to attach at the windshield but there is no sign of any. It has the four holes at the back to attach to the hinges and a flat steel piece with a large hole in the it on each side.
Guidance is appreciated.

 

[Loren Field]

Hi Dave - way cool! I got one for mine from Mike Sizemore about 10 years ago, they are really nice. There were a couple previous posts about mounting options:

Any Photos? Brackets for factory steel 850 Spider hard top

Anyone have photos of the factory brackets that attach the front of the Fiat factory hard-top to the windshield on the 850 Spider? Why do I ask? I've got a nicely restored factory steel top, and whomever restored it did a nice job on the new headliner too...with exception of the fact that they...

xwebforums.com

https://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/850-spider-hardtop-bracket.35800/#post-310469

Hope you have fun with it! Loren

 

[Dave Bassett]

So I am confused. This top appears to be brand new and shows no evidence of having ever had front latches. It is difficult to believe it has never been on a car.

 

[Jeff Stich]

So I am confused. This top appears to be brand new and shows no evidence of having ever had front latches.

That's because the factory hardtop doesn't use latches at the front, it uses a flat (slightly bent) mounting bracket on each side that attaches to the windshield frame.

https://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/1973-fiat-128.41298/#post-384474

 

[Dave Bassett]

Here are some more pictures.

 

[Dave Bassett]

That's because the factory hardtop doesn't use latches at the front, it uses a flat (slightly bent) mounting bracket on each side.

https://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/1973-fiat-128.41298/#post-384474

Am I correct that these side brackets attach to the bolt that runs through a plate going to the seat belt? If so, how did this arrangement work out? Was it water-tight, even reasonably so? It is so clean that I hate to do any modifications if I don't have to. It does show evidence of the hinges having been attached at the rear as they are outined on the paint. Therefore this top must have come on a car and been used at least some.

 

[Loren Field]

The side tabs attach via the same lower bolts/captive nuts used for mounting the soft top (I remove the soft top when the hard top is on). I use thick washers between the oval metal plate that protects the vinyl panels and the hard top tab so that the top it is mounted solidly. It looks like the tabs on the front edge of the hard top (see the first pic from Jeff's post) are missing on your hard top. I would think that it would leak profusely without having something there to clamp it down. Jeff had a nice description on how to fabricate them in that post (there were captive nuts in the hard top itself, if yours still has them it would be easy to do). On mine, those nuts were gone so I opted to used soft top clamps instead, and it was not too hard to come up with something that worked.

 

[Loren Field]

....crap - apparently I lost a decade, it was 20 years ago that I bought the hard top from Mike - perhaps you should take my advice with a grain of salt

 

[Dave Bassett]

Thank you all for your helpful replies. I have communicated with the seller, who inherited the top, and he is on the lookout for the brackets.

I did find corresponding and matching indentations in the front seal where, presumably, the brackets left their mark. Am I correct that the brackets are mounted over the headliner and are not concealed under it? That would partially explain the intact headliner. On the other hand, if the bolts go through the headliner, another mystery remains iin that there are no holes in the headliner.

If anyone has the exact dimensions for the holes in the front brackets, in order to facilitate accurate reproduction, that would be extremely helpful.

On a side note, bolting the side brackets that attach to the body seems really important to me. The father of a friend of mine was involved in a minor accident while driving a Mercedes Benz 450 SL with the hardtop on. The impact did minor damage to the car but broke the latches allowing the hardtop to break free, hit him on the head and kill him. Theside brackets would probably prevent that or, at least, reduce the probability.

 

[Jeff Stich]

Here's a photo of one of the front mounting brackets, the other front bracket is the mirror image of this one (ie: they are side-specific, right & left).

 

[Frank L. Di Gioia]

So I am confused. This top appears to be brand new and shows no evidence of having ever had front latches. It is difficult to believe it has never been on a car.

Incredible find!

 

[DominickKelley]

Typically, hardtops have special mounting points on the rear of the body where hinges are installed and secured with bolts or nuts. This part is likely used to secure the body to the hardtop. It can be used to install special bolts or levers that secure the hardtop in place.

 

[Jeff Stich]

Typically, hardtops have special mounting points on the rear of the body where hinges are installed and secured with bolts or nuts. This part is likely used to secure the body to the hardtop. It can be used to install special bolts or levers that secure the hardtop in place.

The OP already noted how the rear & sides of the hardtop attach to his car, the question was about how the front was attached.

 

[MichaelBC]

Dave

My friend in Atlanta took the attached photo showing front attachment of the top. I am seeing the same piece that Jeff posted a photo of.

Also included is a shot of the seats

He will take more soon that I’ll be sure to post

I hope this helps in the meantime!

Michael

 

[Dave Bassett]

Thanks for the pictures. Maybe when you get the car you can detatch one of the brakets and make me a tracing. That would be extremely helpful!

 

[MichaelBC]

Thanks for the pictures. Maybe when you get the car you can detatch one of the brakets and make me a tracing. That would be extremely helpful!

I’ll be happy to do so!

Should be back in Atlanta over the summer and can get that done then

Car won’t be in California until later this year

 

[Dave Bassett]

I’ll be happy to do so!

Should be back in Atlanta over the summer and can get that done then

Car won’t be in California until later this year

That would be great. Summer is top-down weather anyway!

 

[twan374]

I have an aftermarket California custom hard top in good condition for an 850 sport. It was on a parts car I purchased for my 600 and I have no use for it. If anyone is interested PM me and I will give you the details and photos.I will entertain reasonable offers.

 

[JimD]

I have an aftermarket California custom hard top in good condition for an 850 sport. It was on a parts car I purchased for my 600 and I have no use for it. If anyone is interested PM me and I will give you the details and photos.I will entertain reasonable offers.

twan374,

If you have an item to sell. Please post the details and pictures in the FS&W and provide an asking price. Thanks

 

[MichaelBC]

That would be great. Summer is top-down weather anyway!

Dave

My friend in Atlanta found this in his stuff