The Highwoodalfa tops follow original Alfa Romeo factory patterns. This is to assure an accurate and excellent installation. The Highwoodalfa tops offer best resistance to fading and atmospheric influence. Prices are on each model site.
The top looks like the original cotton canvas but lasts longer and holds the colour excellent. Even after several years it looks like new and will give you and your Alfa Romeo Spider so much joy. Easy to fit with our step-by-step Duetto instruction.
One of the most attractive aspects of the Duetto and 1750 Spider Veloce, the Round-tails, was its folding soft top, which looked great whether up or down. Its ease of operation and effective weatherproofing earned it praise from many quarters as the best convertible top yet made. The later Spiders used the same material and design, but a slightly different frame. Please order by model as the tops are not interchangeable between the Round-tail 1966-1970 and the Kamm-tail Spiders 1970 and on.
The original Duetto’s soft-top itself was made of impermeable mohair and came in only one colour – black. There was some criticism about rear three-quarter visibility, for the soft-top canvas began immediately aft of the winding windows and there was effectively no wraparound in the flexible vinylite rear window. The Highwoodalfa top is a high-quality product.
The soft-top folded in one movement. First the over-centre catches securing it to the top of the windscreen frame had to be unclasped using Velcro at the sides. Then the soft top could be arched backwards, the folded soft-top encroaching somewhat into the space behind the seats. It was then held tight by pulling a central strap down and fixing it by Velcro, at that time a novelty.
Highwoodalfa offers the top product your Alfa Romeo Spider deserves. Easy to fit with the step-by-step instruction.
Chris Sweetapple, Highwood Motor Company
The Convertible Assets - Renovo
We are now stockists of Renovo soft-top restorer and other Renovo products. Renovo helps you keep your soft-top in shape. Stains and spots are easily removed. Your top will look like "top" again. So, be nice to your Alfa Romeo Spider Top! Get Renovo!
The unique range of soft top care products include
- Soft Top Reviver £29.00 per litre, £18.00 for 1/2 litre.
- Ultra Proofer £21.00 per litre, £12.00 for 1/2 litre.
- Fabric Soft Top Dry Cleaner £12.00 for ½ litre.
- Vinyl Soft Top Cleaner £8.50.
- Vinyl Ultra Proofer £8.50.
- Plastic Window Polish £14.50 for 100ml, £5.25 for 30ml
E.U. customers please add 17.5% VAT to these prices.
Why Renovo?
Renovo products re-colours and re-conditions like new.
Easy Application - Great Result
Avaliable in three colours, black, dark blue and brown.
Freshens the apperance & helps to preserve the condition of your Vinyl Soft Top
Platsic window Polish helps you get that rear view back again
Replacing your Duetto soft-top with a new Highwood top!
Re-conditioning of old top bows
First, completely remove the set from the car. In case the pieces are very rusty, bead blasted all the pieces after full disassembly. Then, all pieces should be painted to keep the rust from happening again. Use a black colour, not too shiny, some black velvet make will be fine. The frame is made of cast iron, BTW. The front section, the piece that is above the windshield is often especially rusty, and a coat of high quality black paint would be a good choice. Check to make sure all the threads are good, using taps and dies.
Reassemble the bows completely, making sure all pieces are free to move. Attach all the side weather-strip pieces to the top pieces prior to assembly. This was originally done using rivets, but can be just as easily done with small screws of the proper length. The weather-strip has little sheet metal strips that fit inside them to give good attachment points for the screws.
Make sure that the piece at the front just above windshield attachment point on the front side window pieces is free. These pieces will move freely if working correctly, but could cause the shoulder bolt here to break if it seizes up. These pieces are held on by a small cir-clip on the back, and will pull right out if the cir-clip is removed. Treat the "shaft" with anti-seize lubricant, and then reassemble.
Top attachment, front
After full painting and reconditioning of this section, attach the front "pocket" of the top to this section. Using either contact cement/glue here or a high quality double sided tape, and later for points needing glue, have the parts glued to the front piece. Double-sided adhesive tapes is used by building constrution companies and carpet companies. This tape is as good as glue but much easier to handle and it may be adjusted after the job is completed. Make sure that the piece is in the very centre position of the top "pocket" i.e. equal amounts of material to either side.
Then, using a awl, figure out where every hole for sheet metal screws should be. Tricky job, but very important. Using slightly larger than original sheet metal screws, attach the front plastic strip holding the weather-stripping. The bigger size is in case the original holes have corroded. Again, this is important to have the weather-stripping aligned correctly. If not, the seal will not be tight to the top of the windshield.
Finally, attach the handle and the chrome pieces attachment guides using the original screws. The attachment guides should be free to "float" slightly. If you are lucky, the front of the top and frame will sit perfect to the windscreen frame.
Top attachment rear frame
This is done by crimping the rear top "pocket" under the rear upholstery piece. If you check your old top, there should be a few latches glued to the canvas. These are positioned just under the rear U-shaped frame. A craftsman should be able to sew a “pocket” where you put your original latches. No need to glue here. I personally use Velcro, www.velcro.com which is an adjustable fabric hook-and-loop fastener used for connecting various parts and material. Not for Duetto purists though, as Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina used contact glue in 1960’s. Many use double-sided adhesive tapes as this product may be adjusted and removed etc.
That is before a more permanent fix, of course. www.3m.com Remove the rear upholstery piece by removing the bolts that hold it on underneath near the top. Ensure that all the holes have good threads and are sound. Fit the rear top pocket under the upholstery piece, and refit the upholstery piece. Beginning at the sides of the car, reattach the bolts one by one.
After each bolt, pull the top pocket material as far down as possible (it wants to creep up with each bolt attached). Monitor outside the car at the rear to ensure that the top is tight against the body, and well aligned (in the middle, easiest done by monitoring the distance between the window and the chrome top boot hooks). Continue until all the screws are attached, and a nice tight fit is obtained. This may require the use of needle nose pliers to pull the top "pocket" down at the end, as it will like to creep up.
Top installation, side and windows
After making sure that the two sections attached so far have good alignment, glue the side sections to the rear side window bow part. Pull this piece nice and tight while gluing. This will require removal of the weather-strip piece here, which will be reattached after the gluing is complete. Ensure a good fit with the bottom corner here and the body of the car near the Velcro strips on the upholstery piece.
Top cables.
The top cables need to be replaced and they should be in the top on delivery. If you don’t have them, a good length of "aircraft" type cable will work well. Aluminium "ferrules" of a similar type to those used for garage door cables, however but much smaller, will be needed. You will need a crimping tool too. Pull back the top material may require remove of the front corner shoulder bolts.
Weather-stripping.
You will need three pieces per side, six in total. They are screwed on in the frame. Rear weather-strip contains correct "bend" for top rear corner of window. Highwood has high quality stripping.
Oh, we also have a Duetto top support.
