Substitute top for convertibles

In a convertible vehicle having a body enclosing a passenger compartment, a top storage well, a windshield including a header, a folding soft top movable between a raised position closing the compartment and a lowered position stored in the top storage well, and a pair of J-hook latches carried by the top for engaging the header to latch the top in sealing engagement with the windshield header, a substitute top for replacing the soft top by closing the passenger compartment when the soft top is lowered, comprising

• a rigid shell having a front edge engageable with the windshield header when the shell is installed in a position covering the passenger compartment and a rear bottom portion including a rear window and side and rear edges engageable with the vehicle body adjacent the top storage well,
• a second pair of J-hook latches mounted on the shell for engaging the header when the substitute top is installed to latch the substitute top in sealing engagement with the windshield header,
• flange means mounted on the sides of the bottom portion which extend below and engage the inner sides of the storage well edges to locate the bottom portion laterally on the body, flange means mounted on the sides of bottom portion which extend below and engage the inner periphery of the sides of the top storage well to locate the bottom portion on the body, and
• a C-shaped clip which grips the inner periphery of the storage well rear edge,
• wherein said substitute top is held in place solely by engagement of the C-shaped clip with the storage well rear edge and by interengagement of said second pair of J-hook latches, which prevents any forward movement of the top and thereby maintains engagement of the C-shaped clip with the storage well rear edge.

A method of installing a substitute top on a convertible vehicle body having a soft top which utilizes J-hook latches to latch its soft top to its windshield header to replace the soft top when it is folded for storage in a storage well in the vehicle body, said substitute top comprising a rigid shell having a front edge, a pair of side-mounted J-hook latches and a bottom portion mounting a seal strip having depending side flanges and a C-shaped clip adjacent its rear edge, comprising the steps of

• a. folding the soft top and storing it in the storage well,
• b. positioning the substitute top over the passenger compartment,
• c. moving the shell rearwardly to force the C-clip to grip the storage well rear periphery to compress the seal strip against the periphery of the storage well and mount the bottom portion on the body,
• d. dropping the shell front edge into engagement with the windshield header with the rear side flanges engaging and extending below the inner side periphery of the storage well to laterally locate the top on the body, and
• e. latching the J-hook latches to latch the shell front edge into sealing engagement with the windshield header and prevent any forward movement of the C-clip out of engagement with the storage well periphery.