Datsun Roadster Softop Frame 68-70 Info

Datsun Roadster Parts from Rallye Enterprises, Ltd.

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USED 68-70 SOFTOP FRAME INFO
The softop frame is just that, the bare frame, order new top material from the TOPS & TONNEAU'S page.
The top frame includes the front bow and the rear hoops. The front bow is a big black hollow sheet metal piece. The frame also includes the rear hoops.

The frame does not include any items but those two.

Many other parts are involved with the softop. These items can usually be purchased separately as needed. We have pictured some of them below. There are three front bow to windshield frame latches (#3). Shown is the front and back of the center latch, which has the rectangular locating peg that projects out the right center side of the picture. The side latches do not have this peg. (Some hardtops were designed to use these same latches, so check your hardtop, you may be able to swap them instead of purchasing more if they look like the ones below.)

On each side of your car body behind the seats, only a few inches from your seat tilt latches are part #2 and #5. The #5 part is what holds your softop frame side support bars, the main posts that hold up the frame. These mounts are also used to hold most hardtops on the car. The #2 part is the receptacle that the #1 part slides into. The #1 part is the softop cable end bracket. The cars originally came with cables (actually a long small diameter spring) that was inside the top material around the side windows. The spring cable acts like an elastic band, designed to keep the top tighter against the window glass. These cables were not available as a separate part. On one end of the cable was a sheet metal "eye" that attached to a screw on the sides of the front bow. On the other end was #1, a knife-blade like bracket that you hand push into the #2 clamp bracket. You pull down on part #1 as hard as possible then shove it into the clamping portion of part #2 to keep the cable tight. Universal cable is sometimes available at upholstery supply houses. The part shown as #4 is a spacer that goes behind the center top latch. This isn't in the original parts book, it may have been a solution Nissan came up with to lessen stresses on the front bow after the cars were sold; to help align the front bow properly. These can be hard to find but you can have a workable replacement fabricated fairly easily.

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There are a couple of other items that do not come with a used frame. One is a curved and tapered bar that is sewn into the rear of the top. This bar is what slides under the "chrome teardrop" receivers that just forward of the front edge of the trunk lid. It would be tough to correctly reproduce this bar as it is curved in two directions, one of which is so it acts like a spring to hold the top's shape between the two teardrops. An acceptable look can be achieved however by using a "homemade" bar or using two shorter ones, one on each side. This is what is normally done when you get a tonneau cover or top boot. Used originals are sometimes available. Also not included is the padded cover that you normally see sitting in the car. If we don't have this piece for sale separately you will have to have an upholsterer cover the bow.
The other item is a very light piece of tin, cut into a curved pattern to screw on to the front bow after the top is glued over the front edge. It helps keep the top material fastened to the front bow. Most of these have been so beat up or rusted that there isn't much of the metal left. These can be easily duplicated by trimming some light metal like that which is used in household heating ducts. It doesn't need to be one piece it can be made out of a number of separate pieces.

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USED FRAME CONDITION
It is extremely unusual to see a used top frame that does not seem some kind of work done to the front bow, either minor or major. A number of reasons have contributed to eventual problems with the front softop bow on the 1968-70s. Primarily the front bow was a weak design, like a big long hollow soda can. If it had been made of a heavier guage metal it would have survived much better. A secondary problem is that a lot of owners never figured out the way to put the top up with minimal strain on the front bow. Stress is generated in the middle of the bow, eventually causing it to collapse and or crack from fatigue. See "How to Put Your Frame Up". Not using a center latch spacer (#4 above) also increases stress on the middle of the front bow. Symptoms of this condition start with a mild dent and progress to a major dent, flattening, tearing of the metal and eventually the bow breaks completely in half. On top of this water condenses under the top and/or leaks in and rust begins, both on the surface of the bow and inside further weakening the structure. Even moisture from fog or morning dew is enough to surface rust the front bow since it lives under the top material or the bow inner vinyl covering.

Any frame that shows even the slightest dent in it should be taken apart by a body shop and a some bracing installed. Then you would have a long lasting solution. The frames that already have more damage need to be brought back to health by a body shop or metalworker. Sometimes they need to use the car as a guide as to how the curve should be. The curve can change during the repair process so on any repaired one you still may need to redo the curve of the bow to match your windshield. Are you using the factory spacer under the middle clamp? If not it will NEVER seal no matter what you do and will be under increased stress. The spacers are hard to find but pretty easy to make.

The rear bars are pretty much the same condition. If there is something unusual, i.e heavier than typical surface rust, or a gleaming pristine surface, it will be noted in the descriptions. Most of the frames tend to have surface rust from condensation under the two snap flaps on the center rear bar.

Click on any blue part number to see picture(s) and sometimes additional information on the particular used frame. Hit the "Back to Tops USED" link below.


	Back to Tops NEW		Back to Tops USED

...............	There are a couple of other items that do not come with a used frame. One is a curved and tapered bar that is sewn into the rear of the top. This bar is what slides under the "chrome teardrop" receivers that just forward of the front edge of the trunk lid. It would be tough to correctly reproduce this bar as it is curved in two directions, one of which is so it acts like a spring to hold the top's shape between the two teardrops. An acceptable look can be achieved however by using a "homemade" bar or using two shorter ones, one on each side. This is what is normally done when you get a tonneau cover or top boot. Used originals are sometimes available. Also not included is the padded cover that you normally see sitting in the car. If we don't have this piece for sale separately you will have to have an upholsterer cover the bow. The other item is a very light piece of tin, cut into a curved pattern to screw on to the front bow after the top is glued over the front edge. It helps keep the top material fastened to the front bow. Most of these have been so beat up or rusted that there isn't much of the metal left. These can be easily duplicated by trimming some light metal like that which is used in household heating ducts. It doesn't need to be one piece it can be made out of a number of separate pieces.	..........
	USED FRAME CONDITION It is extremely unusual to see a used top frame that does not seem some kind of work done to the front bow, either minor or major. A number of reasons have contributed to eventual problems with the front softop bow on the 1968-70s. Primarily the front bow was a weak design, like a big long hollow soda can. If it had been made of a heavier guage metal it would have survived much better. A secondary problem is that a lot of owners never figured out the way to put the top up with minimal strain on the front bow. Stress is generated in the middle of the bow, eventually causing it to collapse and or crack from fatigue. See "How to Put Your Frame Up". Not using a center latch spacer (#4 above) also increases stress on the middle of the front bow. Symptoms of this condition start with a mild dent and progress to a major dent, flattening, tearing of the metal and eventually the bow breaks completely in half. On top of this water condenses under the top and/or leaks in and rust begins, both on the surface of the bow and inside further weakening the structure. Even moisture from fog or morning dew is enough to surface rust the front bow since it lives under the top material or the bow inner vinyl covering. Any frame that shows even the slightest dent in it should be taken apart by a body shop and a some bracing installed. Then you would have a long lasting solution. The frames that already have more damage need to be brought back to health by a body shop or metalworker. Sometimes they need to use the car as a guide as to how the curve should be. The curve can change during the repair process so on any repaired one you still may need to redo the curve of the bow to match your windshield. Are you using the factory spacer under the middle clamp? If not it will NEVER seal no matter what you do and will be under increased stress. The spacers are hard to find but pretty easy to make. The rear bars are pretty much the same condition. If there is something unusual, i.e heavier than typical surface rust, or a gleaming pristine surface, it will be noted in the descriptions. Most of the frames tend to have surface rust from condensation under the two snap flaps on the center rear bar. Click on any blue part number to see picture(s) and sometimes additional information on the particular used frame. Hit the "Back to Tops USED" link below.