Wire for cabrio

Hi,

After some bodywork (plenty of rust!) completed, I need to fit back the top.



The wire is pretty corroded, so I will need a new one - any suggestions, or are they all the same?
Theres two small loops on the wire. I have never used them, as I havent been able to figure out what the purpose is - do I need to fit them again?



How do I fit the new wire? The old one doesnt seem to be removable, without breaking up the stitches of the top - am I missing something?



Theres a piece of protection where the wire/top sits at the back just above the boot - anyone with a part number for that?

The tabs are called boot tabs, and they hold the top cover inplace. On your boot cover there are corners that have S hooks in them yours may be missing,  so that is why you never used them.

www.cabby-info.com has a plethora of things cabriolet and how to fit the boot cover.

2 the plastic piece that you are referring to is a cover to finish off the boot area between the parcel shelf and the rear, it is Brittle, and breaks easily.   It is called the Cross Member Trim, and in the etka there isn't a part number for it as it is NLA.

If you want the old wire out, cut the wire…..
I can't make out the picture of what I am look at in relation to the wire, but the nut on the end have to be removed, and the cable carefully pushed back through the hole in the top where it leaves the cable tray and re-enters the cabin.

On old chewed wires I usually cut them and remove them from the top carefully.  Way easier……

depending on location, try contacting chortle (carl) he's got and nice unit and parts inplace for repairing roofs. And more than likely has a contact to make necessary flange repair too.

I found one of these S hooks in the boot when I dismantled everything, but didn't know what they were for.

It's not the brittle plastic part (which also is broken, thanks for the reminder), but the piece of fabric glued to where the wire holds tension to the body. You can see it on the last picture.

Sure, I can just cut the wire, but I was wondering how to fit the new wire, since the existing can't be pulled out backwards.

I'll have a look at cabby-info!


  Kenneth Cartwright
The body has already been repaired, I "only" need to fit everything back together. I will have to order all the spare parts online, so I'm just trying to be as prepared as possible.

Few tension cables on eBay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Karmann-Golf-1-Convertible-Hood-Tension-cable-Built-86-93-original-for-rear/142028985445?epid=731264151&hash=item2111965465:g:8igAAMXQwKdRcOND

You need to undo the nuts on the end of the tension cable to remove the old cable and fit the new one, I found you need a ratchet spanner to undo the nuts as you can't get much movement using a normal spanner.

Lots of guides on the wed to replacing the roof and they show you how to change the rear tension cable.

Sorry for not replying, I simply forgot about it as I had other projects.

I already have a new cable, but the old one isn't easy to remove. It looks like the stitching has been made after the cable has been fitted.


The piece of fabric I was referring to, is the one in the below picture. The old one isn't in good condition anymore, and I can't find it anywhere


Lastly, I tried to fit back the rear bumper. The plastic holder on the side, has two small pins inside, to lock it in place. I managed to push one of the pins too far, and it dropped out on the other side of the bodywork… any way to acces it, or do I need to buy a new holder?

On early cars the fabric is just a strip of vynil.
That’s easy to buy.
It is glued onto the rear of the cable channel.
It is removed by trimming it flush with the edge.
This allows deeper fitting of the hood.
The cable doesn’t even look fitted properly.
The seam is not sewn after the cable is installed.
The cable goes trough a hole in the side of the hood where its sewn.

The cable stud goes through a bracket on the body and is tensioned by tightening the 10 mm nuts.
There’s way too much stuff on that cable like extra washers etc


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly, it's vinyl! Thanks, I couldn't find the word for it.
Any idea what kind of glue its better to use?
I guess it shouldn't be too strong - just enough to keep it in place. 

You are right that it does seem that it wasn't fitted properly before. I don't know if the wire has been stretched at some point or what.
The cable shouldn' go through at one of the sides?
It's easy enough to get the old one out by cutting it, but I would like to have the new one fitted as well - and that doesn't seem possible without opening a few of the stitchings.

You don't open any of the stitches.

The  Cable ends go through the slots from the outside to the inside, if you have to you can use some Ky-jelly on a cloth top or Vaseline on a vinyl top to ease it, but you never sut any of the stitches.



It can be a tight fit, if the top isn't made correctly and they have stitched it.  but you never cut any stitches.

Remove the nut and all those washers before pulling the cable through.

mark1gls said

Remove the nut and all those washers before pulling the cable through.

DOH! I didn't think of that as part of my answer….who'ld of thunk.

 

Thanks, I will try and lube up before I stick it in… and remote the nuts before I pull it out 😉