| Author | Message | ||
| david handa (Davehanda)
Junior Member Username: Davehanda Post Number: 199 Registered: 5-2001 |
I have never seen the pins wear through the top cover; I HAVE seen plenty of 308/328's with wear on the rear deck (including my recently aquired 328)from the top being stored upside down. There may be a way to do it with the pins down, but that requires more thought, and potential for error. Do it like the factory intended, no problemo....If you prefer to do it upside down, more power to you,...drive on..... | ||
| Marq J Ruben (Qferrari)
Junior Member Username: Qferrari Post Number: 99 Registered: 2-2002 |
I agree, Jimpo1, rear up with pins down, the cover fits as it was intended to fit, nice and taught, no bumps or possible wear-thru holes as can happen when you put the pin side up as in the pic below. Also, with the latches up, they don't come anywhere close to touching my rear deck. | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 723 Registered: 7-2001 |
I've never tried putting my top in the car any way other that rear-up, with the underside of the top facing the engine. The cover fits perfectly with it in that position. You DO need to be sure the latches are pointing up to avoid rubbing holes in the rear deck though. | ||
| Robert Ochi (Rpochi)
New member Username: Rpochi Post Number: 3 Registered: 9-2002 |
Awesome, exactly what I needed to see! Thanks for all the informative posts. | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
New member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 36 Registered: 8-2002 |
Mine is the original cover, though I've replaced a couple of the "snaps" over the years (in the original holes), so here you can see the exact proper placement.   Don't you love digital cameras?!? :-) Mike C. www.fca-se.org | ||
| JohnR. (Rivee)
Junior Member Username: Rivee Post Number: 84 Registered: 1-2002 |
Eric, what a great informative post!! You should get the "post of the month" award, seriously. | ||
| Eric Eiland (Eric308gtsiqv)
Member Username: Eric308gtsiqv Post Number: 398 Registered: 11-2001 |
Robert...I too purchased a cover a while back that did not come with snaps installed. I also purchased the 4 tenax fasteners/snaps (black with prancing horse etched on them) from T. Rutlands. To install, I first placed the targa top in position behind the seats. Then laid the cover over the targa top and made certain that the cover was equidistant on both edges from center, that the "seam" sewn along the "fold" (where it lays over the targa) was along the leading edge of the targa, and that I had enough extra material around the snaps to prevent any tears. On my cover, there was about a 1" folded border sewn-in which sort of "beefed" up the edge for the tenax fastners to punch through and keep it strengthened. Beginning with one fastener at a time, I pressed down on the cover against the snap button on the shelf to sort of mark the cover. Then I cut a "X" patterned slits through the cover with an X-ACTO type blade knife (razor blade should also work fine), enough to allow the tenax fastner to punch through and screw the snap onto the backside (you might have to trim some excess material in order to screw the two parts of the fasteners together). If I remember correctly, I did the top snaps first, and then stretched the cover taught and even over the targa down toward the bottom buttons behind the seats. Finally, I repeated the same procedure with the bottom fasteners. Mine is very snug also (I guess to keep the targa top from banging around). The whole install probably took around 1/2 hour maybe -- turned out great! I keep it snapped in place even when the targa top is on the car. I'm not sure if your cover is the same dimensions as mine, but I'd be glad to measure the distances from the edges to the fasteners on top and bottom for you if you'd like -- let me know. And if pics will help, I can do that too. | ||
| david handa (Davehanda)
Junior Member Username: Davehanda Post Number: 191 Registered: 5-2001 |
I think this is why the cover does not come with the snaps, once you punch holes in it for the snaps, you cannot return it! Get one that comes with snaps....I think www.ferraripartsexchange.com has them that way. BTW, the cover is a pretty snug fit, I have to kind of stretch the cover a bit on my old 308 and my current 328. | ||
| Robert Ochi (Rpochi)
New member Username: Rpochi Post Number: 2 Registered: 9-2002 |
Thanks for the replies. The cover I purchased seems too short; if I were to just 'wing-it' and put the fasteners in now, I fear the pins might eventually wear through the edge of the material since it seems barely to cover the bottom edge of the top when in place. I looked at the owners manual, but it doesn't show a detail shot of how the fastener should relate to the corners of the top either in the top or bottom location. | ||
| david handa (Davehanda)
Junior Member Username: Davehanda Post Number: 190 Registered: 5-2001 |
The pins will not punch through the vinyl fabric if they are good condition. BTW, Ferrari updated the rubber pins that crack and break, with a newer style that is made from a more resilient plastic material. About $13 each at the FNA dealers in the USA. | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member Username: Verell Post Number: 312 Registered: 5-2001 |
Robert, Check your owner's manual. It shows the top with the interior side to the rear of the car, and the front (pin side) of the top pointing up. You want to give the top as much slack as possible as the two pins on the front of the top will try to punch thru your new cover. Lots of people glue a couple of ~3" dia leather or naugahide reinforcements on the inside of the top cover to ensure the pins can't punch thru. If you put the targa top in with the levers up, the lever handles will invariably wear holes in the fabric on the little shelf in front of the rear window. Unfortunately my car's PO did exactly that. I've got replacing the fabric a ways down on my 'todo' list. | ||
| Craig Dewey (Craigfl)
Member Username: Craigfl Post Number: 445 Registered: 1-2001 |
Jerry, Here's what I do (because I'm 6'-4" and need all the space I can get), I put the top in rear up, underside toward the back of the seat. I slightly shift the top(side to side) toward the drivers seat. This allows me to tilt my seat back into the hollow area of the top. With this setup I can actually drive when carrying the top without losing any room. It does slightly restrict the rearward travel of the passenger seat. I also have a protection pad that goes over the seatbelt retractor on the drivers side because the top just touches it. You must lock the rear catches on the top so they don't hit the back of the headrests. | ||
| Jerry W. (Tork1966)
Junior Member Username: Tork1966 Post Number: 246 Registered: 7-2001 |
As the top sits behind the seats, should the rear of the top be up or down? I also assume that the underside of the top faces rearward. I am somewhat clueless on this as I never stow the top in the car so that my seat will go back further. Thanks, Jerry. | ||
| Matthew Lemus (Mlemus)
Junior Member Username: Mlemus Post Number: 62 Registered: 8-2002 |
Are you referring the leather cover that covers the targa top it in the stowed position behind the seats? I think that is what you are asking? If you are then I can e-mail the pictures to you. | ||
| Greg Owens (Owens84qv)
Member Username: Owens84qv Post Number: 516 Registered: 10-2001 |
There should be four male snaps inside the car, two near the floor of the car behind the seats, and two on the ledge behind the headrest. The targa top rests behind the seats with the cover snaping on all four corners. Maybe I didn't understand your question completely. If I didn't, I'll be happy to take a pic and post it. | ||
| Robert Ochi (Rpochi)
New member Username: Rpochi Post Number: 1 Registered: 9-2002 |
The targa top cover on my recently purchased an '86 328 GTS was missing, and I bought a repro replacement. The top does not have the holes in the cover for the black snaps--I have to create them. Even though I have scoured the parts and workshop manual, as well as any book or magazine with a 328 in it, I can't get a good look as to how the cover sits over the top with the fasteners in place at all 4 points. Would someone be kind enough to post a few pics to help me along? TIA |