Re: [alfa] Duetto. Missing Something?

[Caxambu <caxambu@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Front fender wheelwell panels: you should have some stamped steel plates 
covering the fronts of the front wheelwells, secured by a bolt at the 
bottom inner edge, and another bolt in the middle, securing it to a thin 
bracket that connects to just below the headlight bucket. They are 
arched at the top, following the fender contour, and there is a large 
hole (headlight size) for access to the headlight bucket, so I can see 
out thru the front bumpers also. Mine have a row of industrial-sized 
staples around the entire edge, maybe securing some (now deterioriated?) 
weatherstripping at one time. The rear of the wheelwell are covered with 
steel plates screwed into the body, some weatherstripping still intact.

As for the top jamming when attempting to lower it:

I have replaced the top twice so far on my spider since it had an 
original (I was told by a dealer) top. That original top had two 2" wide 
black elastic webbing-type belts connecting the floater bow to the one 
behind it. Two thick on each side. If you are counting front to rear, 
Bow #1 is the one that sits on the winshield frame, #2 is the floater, 
#3 is above headrest, #4 is just above rear window, #5 screws into rear 
cowl (top of "back seat"). The elastic belts connected bows #2 and 3.

The elastic straps help pull the floater bow rearward into correct 
folding position when folding the top down. They are at their most 
stretched when the top is up. Now that these elastics are getting weak 
on my car, they no longer pull the floater bow back to fold it in when 
lowering the top. Unless I flip the floater bow back when opening the 
top, it will not fold completely down, where the floater jams.

The rearmost end of the elastric strap wraps around the top and back of 
bow #3 and is glued and held under the two phillips screws clamp. The 
front end is glued to the top of bow #2.

One of my winter projects is to replace the elastics, so now I am 
looking for a source for the 2" wide black elastic webbing. All I have 
found so far is bright green. Functionally suitable, but not 
aesthetically pleasing. Any ideas on sources?

--Caxambu
1969 Spider Veloce 1750
Seattle WA
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