Roadster Top Bolts

[Safetypup]

Hello,

for a 1961 T5 Roadster.... what are the details for the two top frame bolts per side? On the door post, but also would be good to know for the rear hold downs too. This car has not had a top in probably 30+ years, so it is a bit of a mystery. I do have the original top frame at least.

What is the size and thread pitch?

Most importantly, what do they thread into? Are there nuts on the inside of the bodywork? Are they more like screws that attach like sheet metal style?

Thank you,

Brian

[JTR70]

All the roadster top frames will take a basic 14mm headed metric bolt. Much like the ones used to mount the hood to its hinges.

[Safetypup]

Justin,

Thank you for the photo.

What are those bolts threaded into? My father (the previous owner since around 1970) said his memory is that there is a separate piece that slips back into there with two nuts welded on a flat plate. Does that make sense?

Second question - what are the small sheet metal screws in your photo for? Is that standard or are you doing something custom there?

Thank you,

Brian

[JTR70]

He's half right its a thread plate.
And it is a seperate enclosure for starters
But its eventually capped and welded to the back of the inner closing wall.
Eventually ending up as one solid unit. This is a very tricky area to rebuild if yours is missing. The set screws in previous photos where to temporarily secure it while I dialed in the sweet spot for the top frame to windshield mount relationship before I committed to any welding. HTH Justin

[Safetypup]

[Jbrooks]

Safety pup

let me look I have a T5 roadster in boxes, I scrapped out years ago. I think the nut plate looks like the one Justin made and slips behind the top rail and lines up with the holes . I think I still have a pair let me look and get you a photo
john

[Safetypup]

This is what I'm working with at the moment. Those holes don't really seem to have any threads... perhaps two layers of metal sandwiched, but not really a thread.

My father says he remember slipping a plate similar to the one linked above behind (and I think he made the plate himself heh heh) by approaching from the rear of the car and sort of putting in a pocket there. That was before the body work, so even if his memory is right, maybe the hole was welded up 25 years ago, who knows. It's been a very long time since this car was in one piece but I'm trying to do one little thing at a time and eventually it will be done.

I will go home tonight and feel around/look under the cowl and see if there is a pocket or if it's all closed up. If it's closed up, I think I'll use a couple of rivnuts to solve it. I don't have the skills to tear it open, nor the desire to pay someone else to do that.

Does it make more sense to do the carpeting before the top, or after the top? I plan to get the seats done soonish, and then I will try to tackle the carpet myself with a kit. I already did the driver's door panel, and I have a passenger one ready to go, but it isn't on yet. It really starts to feel like a car again when you don't have to reach outside to open the door to get out using the outer handle! Having a door panel is a major luxury haha.

[Safetypup]

Well, I just looked.

No holes at all to put a plate in now. All smooth and closed up metal. I'm sure my father isn't crazy, but I'm guessing back in ~1980 or something, it was all rusty there and he fixed it by putting a plate in there through a rust hole or something. He remembers tacking a couple of nuts to a plate and putting in there, so I dunno. There is nothing in the holes now. I probed with a small screwdriver, and could not locate any loose nuts or plates or anything.

I will figure something out. Advice is always appreciated. Particularly if anyone sees any more flaws that need correction here in this area. This part of the car is basically never photographed by other people for web publication, so most of my research using auction photos, forum pics, etc never shows what this area is really supposed to look like. That's why I love it when folks like you guys take the time to put up pics of these hidden areas and explain what's up.

Brian

[Jbrooks]

SP

look up from the wheel well at the back of the B pillar. The anchor plate I remember fell out the first time I took off the canvas top and put on the hard top. It was a flat steel with either two tapped holes or a pair of nuts. Anyway they fell out when I removed the top. Just a flat bar with two holes. They lined up with the top frame and the two holes in the body in your photo. I do remember it was a real pain to get back aligned to put the frame back on. It floated and was not fixed with the 1/2 round like the one Justin made for that T2 Dratz bodied . You might be able to shine a light up in the wheel well to see a passage.

[Safetypup]

Used my iPhone as a video explorer / flashlight and went up - way up - in the B pillar / door post area as jbrooks suggested. It appears that I can get up there after all from the wheel well if you can wiggle your arm up there. Thank goodness my tetanus shot is up to date, because I saw a few sharp edges here and there on my video haha.

Thanks much for your help.

Brian