www.buggyclubuk.org.uk and www.beachbuggy.org.uk

Having finished nailing my buggy together earlier this year, I'm now thinking of making a soft top for it. I don't want full wet weather gear, more like a simple sun shade that I think the Americans call a Bikini top. Anyway, I'm confident I can sew something up to suit but the key component I'll need is the plastic beaded strip that engages into the groove on the front of the winscreen frame. Does anyone know where I could get this from?

theres a place out towards cullompton somewhere (sorry its vague)
i did have a leaflet with their address on but its gone from where i put it but they are usually at most car shows if you can wait till the next one?

You could try that banding stuff that they put around pallets of bricks,, hem the material and feed the banding into it,,,,,,,, it will easy bend, but keep the material stiff where it feeds into the slot..
The banding used to be steel, but i think they also use a kind of plastic material now.


CJ Jeeps used a similar thing years ago..

here's an interesting thread recently posted on the samba.
hope it's of use to you.
glenn.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... fb8e9f69e8

Thanks for the suggestions chaps.

Richy - If you could remember the name of the company that would be useful.
Mel - I has wondering about using some sort of strip as you suggested but thought it may pull out of the windscreen frame groove in use?.
Glenn - thanks for the link. I was actually looking at that last night!. There is a picture of the beading strip I was talking about. I just need to find somewhere in the UK that I could get one from.

it may be worth your while having a good look in b&q, wickes, homebase etc.
i'm sure there must be something cheap, flexible, waterproof.
even if it's not the right length and width, it could be trimmed to suit.
thickness is probably the most important as far as dimensions are concerned.
bath, shower, tile edgings. curtain strips. electrical trunking are a few things that come to mind.
as long as it's not brittle when flexed.
when you see the right product you'll know.
glenn.

i think its something like pheonix trims????
would wing beading not do? fat round bit to stick in the slot and then the 'tail' part to attach the material to?

found it!


Pheonix Supplies, who provide Trim Seals and Rubber Extrusions, with a Sourcing Service that can source from over 1000 different trims. Send a sample to Pheonix Supplies, Unit C1a, Langlands Business Park, Uffcolme, Cullompton, Devon EX15 3DA. E-mail: pheonixsupplies'at'hotmail.com, Tel: 01884 849294.

Thanks Rich, I'll give them a try.

Brick pallet metal band has been tried & tested years ago by a good buddy of mine and it DOES work,,, well it did on my mates, it never came off ,, the rearward tension keeps it in place.

Another way it can be done is order just the front few inches of a hardtop and lock that into the windshield frame and fit the fabric to it,,,,,,, thats a similar way the bounty hunter guys used to do it.