Tell me about Webastos
Discussion
I've always fancied a full length Webasto on my Alfa junior. Yes I know the Alfa purists won't like it and I risk devalueing it. However, I'm not selling it and for me it would complete the car. Trouble is I hear they'll be very expensive. 2nd hand ones are hard to find and are likely to not work!
Any alternative Webasto type folding fabric roofs or any other ideas?
Any alternative Webasto type folding fabric roofs or any other ideas?
Theyre quite a challenging thing to fit well, and because of the size of them, the opportunities for leaks are huge. Used ones are usually a challneg to fit and make watertight. Its worth talking to a Webasto dealer or someone with experience of fitting to your car (admit that may be hard), not all roofs are suitable due to the presence of stiffening panels on the underside; sometimes these are just to stiffen the roof, but more often to give the shell rigidity; not for nothing do convertible cars weigh more than their saloon car sisters!
Jim, I have mine in pieces at the moment and it's a pretty complicated beast.
Basically the steel roof is cut, along with the stiffening member which goes across from side to side. There is a hardwood frame fixed inside the opening and the steel appears to be 'nailed' to that. The hardwood has a series of stainless steel guides to let the thing slide backwards and forwards. The canvas has two skins, separated by steel cross pieces which slide along the channels at each side. It looks like the stainless and it's corner pieces are bespoke to this particular fitting, but without looking at an other I can't be sure. The lower lining member was fixed with Birchply battens using more nails into the frame at the back, another Birchply piece at the front held the locking mechanism and the front of the headlining.
The Headlining is unique, you couldn't cut a normal Bertone one as the recessed roof section in the non sunroof car means the rear section of material isn't long enough, I will need to source some material to make a new one as I destroyed it trying to un-glue off the hardwood frame.
Mine was fitted by The Allard motor company, who I believe fitted a lot of Bertone 'Webasto' roofs, it didn't leak very much, only very occasionally in storm conditions. I never really figured out where it came in as the water dripped out right next to the windscreen, so it could even have been the windscreen seal rather than the roof. The hardwood has survived forty odd years remarkably well with no rot, but I wrecked the Birchply battens which hold the headlining taking the nails out.
I will refix mine when I complete the Car (It's very long term this project!), but there is no way on earth I would put one in a metal roofed car, it just wouldn't be worth it..... buy a Spider it would be easier!
Basically the steel roof is cut, along with the stiffening member which goes across from side to side. There is a hardwood frame fixed inside the opening and the steel appears to be 'nailed' to that. The hardwood has a series of stainless steel guides to let the thing slide backwards and forwards. The canvas has two skins, separated by steel cross pieces which slide along the channels at each side. It looks like the stainless and it's corner pieces are bespoke to this particular fitting, but without looking at an other I can't be sure. The lower lining member was fixed with Birchply battens using more nails into the frame at the back, another Birchply piece at the front held the locking mechanism and the front of the headlining.
The Headlining is unique, you couldn't cut a normal Bertone one as the recessed roof section in the non sunroof car means the rear section of material isn't long enough, I will need to source some material to make a new one as I destroyed it trying to un-glue off the hardwood frame.
Mine was fitted by The Allard motor company, who I believe fitted a lot of Bertone 'Webasto' roofs, it didn't leak very much, only very occasionally in storm conditions. I never really figured out where it came in as the water dripped out right next to the windscreen, so it could even have been the windscreen seal rather than the roof. The hardwood has survived forty odd years remarkably well with no rot, but I wrecked the Birchply battens which hold the headlining taking the nails out.
I will refix mine when I complete the Car (It's very long term this project!), but there is no way on earth I would put one in a metal roofed car, it just wouldn't be worth it..... buy a Spider it would be easier!
What about getting a green GTC? Your wife might not notice then.
Does yours have the raised rear rooflining in it JimmyJam? I'm not sure if they all do. But it was introduced to allow sufficient rear headroom to allow the GT to compete in Touring Car racing. Typical Italian skullduggery!
SV8Predator said:
Don't do it.
Please don't do it.
Or buy an old scrapper and use that for your experiment.
Why would you rip most of the roof panel out of your lovely car, for a bit of old plastic tat?
This x 1,000,000.Please don't do it.
Or buy an old scrapper and use that for your experiment.
Why would you rip most of the roof panel out of your lovely car, for a bit of old plastic tat?
I think it was Gandhi, or it could have been Churchill or Queen Victoria who said, and I quote, "Webasto? f
k off."Please don't do it, horrible things.
I had one in my Sunbeam-Lotus (was fitted by the original owner) and they are horrid things.
They rattle, leak (although mine had minimal leakage tbh) but I really, really wish it hadn't got it. Had I kept the car longer than the 16 years I had it and done the planned body restoration, my plan was to have a whole new roof panel put in and do away with the hideous thing.
I had one in my Sunbeam-Lotus (was fitted by the original owner) and they are horrid things.
They rattle, leak (although mine had minimal leakage tbh) but I really, really wish it hadn't got it. Had I kept the car longer than the 16 years I had it and done the planned body restoration, my plan was to have a whole new roof panel put in and do away with the hideous thing.
I have one in the Firenza (fitted by a previous owner) and I think it's great. I do get the odd leak, but it saves cleaning the seats. For those of us who like the fresh air but don't have open top cars it's a nice compromise. Definitely more rattly with it open, though. I'm not sure I'd fit one to a car that doesn't already have one, but at least it's a period accessory, it's not like you're thinking of fitting a glass one!
droopsnoot said:
I have one in the Firenza (fitted by a previous owner) and I think it's great. I do get the odd leak, but it saves cleaning the seats. For those of us who like the fresh air but don't have open top cars it's a nice compromise. Definitely more rattly with it open, though. I'm not sure I'd fit one to a car that doesn't already have one, but at least it's a period accessory, it's not like you're thinking of fitting a glass one!
Oh yes, better than a glass one indeed.The big problem I found with it in the Sunbeam-Lotus (what about the Firenza?) was that it was OK with it open when just bimbling about, but anything much over 60-70mph on a motorway, and the extra wind noise and drag as well as odd pressure zone inside the car became really bothersome.
Essentially, I always closed it before going onto a motorway or intending having a err....spirited drive.
Which pretty much meant, I ended up almost never using the hateful thing.
aeropilot said:
Please don't do it, horrible things.
I had one in my Sunbeam-Lotus (was fitted by the original owner) and they are horrid things.
They rattle, leak (although mine had minimal leakage tbh) but I really, really wish it hadn't got it. Had I kept the car longer than the 16 years I had it and done the planned body restoration, my plan was to have a whole new roof panel put in and do away with the hideous thing.
Your car had a duff one then. I had one in my Sunbeam-Lotus (was fitted by the original owner) and they are horrid things.
They rattle, leak (although mine had minimal leakage tbh) but I really, really wish it hadn't got it. Had I kept the car longer than the 16 years I had it and done the planned body restoration, my plan was to have a whole new roof panel put in and do away with the hideous thing.
My Alfa had one and I never once heard a single rattle, either open or closed, in nearly 8 years of ownership. It never leaked a drop either and that included 3 years of living outside and a few trips with several hours in continuous rain (e.g. London to Cumbria and Cornwall).
I didn't want a Webasto when I bought it - it's just that the car I bought happened to have one.
Like driving a convertible with the top down, I don't see the point of having it open on the motorway but on A/B roads it was nice sometimes. Having one makes an Alfa's cabin dramatically cooler in summer, which was particularly useful if stuck in traffic for example. I'm not into open-top motoring generally (I only wanted an Elise with a hard top
).
markymarkthree said:
Virtually identical to the webasto is the cheaper weathershield/britax roof.
Cant fault mine, don't leak and its great on a sunny day.
Very nice. That'll be a Savage based on a pre-74-spec 4-door GT then Cant fault mine, don't leak and its great on a sunny day.
Like it.
My dad had a Mk3 daytona GXL PSO 520L which had the usual 1600GT ohc from new. He had it 1975-79 and used it to run his electrical contracting business. Unfortunately the 1600 Pinto was underpowered and kept destroying camshafts. Until one day when his mechanic had an insurance write-off Granada 3-litre estate. The GXL wasn't underpowered after that, bit juicy on a 1600 diff tho!! Ate void-bushes for breakfast.
Edited by quiraing on Friday 26th April 16:54
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