Darrin Convertible Top Frame Assembly

[pjkaiser]

Ok, I have been pre-assembling the convertible top parts and the upholstery shop took no pictures when it was taken apart.   Do  any of you have a picture of how these parts are assembled.    Also, I seem to have misplaced the "L" brackets that mount the bottom rail to the rear deck lid.  If I  can't find them, I will need to make new ones.   I could use some pictures to help me out.

[darrin145]

Those landau irons are switched side for side!

[pjkaiser]

How can you tell, they look the same as the picture of the Darrin above???   Which end is the one that stays attached?

[darrin145]

Fifty years of restoring vehicles is how I know. Landau irons mount one way. The ones in the picture are switched left for right.

[joefrazer]

The landau irons on the pictured car are installed incorrectly. There are plenty of pictures on the internet of cars with them installed correctly. Also, there are three pictures above of the "L" brackets. The third photo is the same as those on my car.

Phil, let me know if you need pix of any particular part of the top bow assembly. The fabric is off mine right now so I can take pix of any part of the bows.

[pjkaiser]

I need pictures of the proper way to mount the bows as in Picture 1  and  Picture 2 from my first listing.   If they are correctly mounted, I just need someone telling me.

I understand about the "L" brackets.

[darrin145]

Here's a couple pages from the owner's manual...

[Terry T]

Here's a couple pages from the owner's manual...

EXCELLENT POINT LEE..AND THAT IS JUST HOW THEY ARE SHOWN IN THE ROOF BLUE PRINT.

NOW LET'S APPLY THIS SAME REASONING TO THE DOOR HANDLE ORIENTATION...SHOWN FORWARD IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND FORWARD IN THE DOOR BLUE PRINT!!!

IPSO FACTO....(FILL IN THE BLANKS RE JUDGING)

[darrin145]

Here's a couple pages from the owner's manual...

EXCELLENT POINT LEE..AND THAT IS JUST HOW THEY ARE SHOWN IN THE ROOF BLUE PRINT.

NOW LET'S APPLY THIS SAME REASONING TO THE DOOR HANDLE ORIENTATION...SHOWN FORWARD IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND FORWARD IN THE DOOR BLUE PRINT!!!

IPSO FACTO....(FILL IN THE BLANKS RE JUDGING)

It's not Lee, Terry...it's Gary in East Syracuse,NY! Just a different Darrin number! I totally agree on the door handles and judging...

[Gordie]

I have about a dozen factory photos of Darrin's and they actually show the door handles both ways adding to the confusion.  Prototype photos often have wrong information or parts that were never used so they can not be relied on totally.  Sales literature of the production cars and the owners manual show the car with the door handles facing forward and that should be evidence of the way that they were produced and sold.

[DTort96646]

Many changes were made to the Darrin as production went along and problems were found. Some of the early Darrins had no reinforcement bars under the hood and rear deck panels. Later Darrins did. The inside vents on early Darrins were different than later Darrins. There were some chassis changes. There was a change to door slides and door mechanisms and door handle position. Some of the plated finishes were also different ie. cad plated verses chrome plated. Depends on when the Darrin was built on what changes were made.

[darrin145]

All good points, but, even with changes in door/latch mechanisms, if the reversed handle is horizontal and facing the rear, it can easily be moved 180' so it would be facing forward! I just don't think the factory would deliver a car, especially the Darrin, with the door handle overlapping the quarter panel! If you think about it like the handle pivot point is the thumb button of an older GM door handle for instance, the button is toward the rear and the handle is to the front. Just like it should be, in my opinion.

Thanks for reading - Gary.

[njpatera]

Probably can't do it on most of them, but old pictures of the actual car showing it " back in the day" is helpful. Thankful I stumbled upon a few more of the old man's but how many Darrins are still in the original family to be able to confirm the questions?

[darrin145]

I think we'd all love to see some older pictures, if you'd like to share!

Thanks, Gary.

[njpatera]

I promise to post when I get home. I'll put those related to this thread on here so as not to hijack the thread:-)

I think I posted this one previously...1956, Landau and handle position(#388)...you can barely make it out but there are dual antenna on it also...