Pop top

Hi I have a Devon pop top setup but the top bit that lifts up isn't a proper top I have an aluminium roof with a sunroof in but it has started to leak. Can I get replacement roofs?
Thanks for any ideas paul

well the early devon roof is exactly that- a big old sheet of aluminium, riveted to an aluminium box section frame, with a seal that goes all around the outside of that sheet onto the roof surround.
You can't get new replacement roofs, but you can get good condition ones from places like volksheaven if you've got the money and the time to hunt them down.
You can also buy a roof cap from JK which you bond over the whole bally lot, but it does make your roof a bit heavier so you might want to uprate the springs- stiffer springs are also available from JK.
Third option, you can refurb your own roof. There's a build on VZI I think if you have a search that is pretty thorough. That seal is a right swine though, I hear.

Hi thanks but it's not a genuine be one as its one piece so unfortunately a roof cap won't be an option, I need to sort the springs out anyway, any idea how they come out?
Thanks

Hey Splod, as Happy Stamps has said, the early Devon roof was always a candidate for improvement because of its style. Yes you will find them on offer in various conditions second hand. You may want to use this opportunity to go over to a later style Devon roof if you can find one of them instead and that`s exactly what I did. The 75/76 Devon roof has no shroud around from the opening to the gutters, and its just a simple and not so bulky fibreglass roof that will fit the same sized opening but you may have to trim down the upstand. No skylight but two or more dome vents come as standard. The canvas for both are available as repros although the original one had crinkled canvas that you didn`t need to fold neatly because it did it by itself but that was its only saving grace. You can also get bunks for up in the roof too.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Unless you want it stock and original :mrgreen:

Can you take a picture of what you've got on there at the moment? I don't see how an aluminium sheet on it's todd would work.

As for getting the springs out, with an early devon roof you're best off taking the lifting mechanism out (bolts/screws along frame and on roof top) to do the work. Then you should be able to see a grub screw in a slot in the outer sleeve (2 per side/assembly), screwed into the inner tube. If you compress the mechanism slightly (it's harder with the mechanism fully extended as the screw rubs on the outer on the way out), with an insane amount of luck and plusgas you should be able to unto that grub screw- it acts as a travel stop, and once removed the inner should pull out of the outer... and you can just tip the spring out and replace with a new one. If you can't undo the grub screws, you can always drill them out and re-tap the hole.

It does seem well made but it bows in so water puddles on the sunroof which is what's causing me the problems
Thanks

Hi Splod I'm refurbish my pop top at mo can you post some pics of the inside shots of your roof please as I've a similar type Devon roof as your but would be helpful to see your inside pic as a reference for mine !
Cheers Bud

It would seem that you have two roofs there cobbled together. The Early Devon roof didn`t have a cap like that one. It had an alloy angle type outer frame coupled by a large gasket to an alloy sheet. The roof would hold water because of the gasket which went completely around the perimeter of the roof about two inches in. As the roof was almost flat the water being held tended to puddle and make the problem worse by sagging the roof a little so you had a larger puddle etc etc. Lots of people have tried various ways to stop this letting in water but it`s next to impossible because its a flexi thing because we drive along the roads with it. Secondly the rivets holding the plate on were little tinkers for letting it in too. Someone came up with idea of a fibreglass cap to seal the roof and that looks like what you have here, unfortunately someone has taken a backward step and put a sun roof in it so we go back to having a gasket underwater again that is impossible to seal. All the roof repairs and the extra roof cap do mount up the weight quite a bit. The best one I`ve seen rebuilt, had just the alloy angle frame with a couple of slightly raised bulkheads across and a lightweight roof cap on top of that, some have front to back ridges built in to the fibreglass which really helps with the strength and stops the puddling. Then you can insulate it and do lots of things, but sunroofs that don`t leak are just building up to it. Not trying to be too brutal here but the design sort of lets it down, maybe why they changed it in 75/76 to a fibreglass roof pop top.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I`ve had both. :mrgreen:

Hi budbay6, I go on holiday tomorrow and won't have time to take any pics until I'm back sorry, but you can't really see anything as it's lined

No worries have a good hols thanks for the reply ta
Cheers Bud

From inside, the biggest differences between Devons early 67-75 roof and the later roof is the springing positions and braces. The earlier ones had a pair of sprung arms on each side of the roof and originally had a creased canvas which was ace for folding, most if not all had clear panels too. Most of the Early ones came with an opening skylight and vent which helped increase the leaks. The later ones were a curved fibreglass that shed water but no skylights because they'd learned from the first ones and had a pair of similar sprung arms but mounted one pair at the front and one pair at the rear. This canvas was straight and came in two lovely colour schemes,one had an array of green stripes and looked like an advert for lime fresh soap bars and one had yellow to brown stripes that looked like someone had just changed a nappy. I had the latter so invested with proud to pop I think it was. :roll:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,progress :mrgreen:

Cheers Ozzie u are the knowledge!
Cheers Bud

budbay6 said:

Cheers Ozzie u are the knowledge!
Cheers Bud

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No just lucky with this question. I'm an ex roofer so spottedthe fact that the Early Devon was against the laws of physics as a certain Scottish engineer used to say Jim. And double lucky because the only poptop I really liked the look of was the late Devon and I stumbled across one at Rusty's yard and so I know it fits the hole exactly because I shoved it on mine. Now if you ask me about the Westy roofs , that's a different story entirely. I think we all know little bits of this and little bits of that.

Ozziedog,,,, ,, You made me blush a bit, but thanks :mrgreen: :mrgreen: