Top bow storage

hooligan · Post by **hooligan** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:47 pm

Seeing as how the unit is stranded in the garage for a bit, I have moved on to the canvas top. I have a factory 1967 Kaiser M38A1 CDN2 canvas top (stenciled with CDN Unit markings on the back), 1960 side curtains (dated and US stenciled), and two REALLY beat up doors (no markings). I also have a Beachwood Canvas summer top. I have the top bow and have made the side rods and vertical supports. Everything goes, and stays, together as expected on the road except the doors which are probably only good for the frames..

For putting it down tho... The rear and side brackets were in place but I had to find a set of front brackets. I opted for the early thumb screw type as I cheaped out over the late set. Now I have a couple of questions...

How do the rear straps run? It looks like there should be some other attachment point other than the bracket (strap through the slot and around the bow) as the straps are quite long?

How should the top bow sit when parked? The front bracket is using the factory holes (weldnuts) but the hole in the bow do not line up with the hole in the bracket on either side. Is this due to placement differences between the US tubs and the Canadian tub?
You can see the edge of the bow hole just to the right of the bracket. The bow is back against the spare carrier. And, yes, the wrong bolts

Warren

Post by **wesk** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:36 pm

hooligan · Post by **hooligan** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 4:52 am

perfect... You know I must have browsed for easily two hours through the photo section and the manuals and managed to miss that... My project for tonight...

As for the front holders, I'm thinking I'm going to have to get the late front bow holders after all... Bit of a pain. I didn't think the tub template would have changed...

Thanx again

Warren

BCA · Post by **BCA** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:30 pm

I have measured a 1953 M38CDN (which uses the early thumpbscrew-type bow stowage brackets) and a 1967 M38A1 CDN2 (which uses the later hook style front bow stowage brackets). Both are mounted in the same position, so the early brackets should work fine on a CDN2 or CDN3. The mounting holes are 34-3/4" and 36" forward of the rear outside panel of the body. The spare tire mount is about 1" to the rear of outer panel because it is spaced away from the body by a hat channel. If this hat channel was missing and the spare tire mount was pressed flat against the rear body panel then there probably would not be enough room for the bows to fit when using the thumbscrew type brackets. The hook-type brackets might allow some flexibilty to squeeze the bows into place. .... Brian

hooligan · Post by **hooligan** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 4:25 am

Thanx Brian. That sounds like about the right distance so I will double check the carrier spacing this weekend...

Later that day...

No joy... There is a hat channel and spacers. The carrier is notched into the hat channel maybe 1/16 of an inch but the bow sits almost an inch from the holes lining up...

If it matters the bow is the one with the holes for the bow to windshield rods that don't go all the way through.

Just more or less wondering what I was missing...

Warren