Pop top latches and sliding screen

[chockswahay]

So, we have been out half a dozen times or so in our (new to us) Coast and I note that the safety latches on the pop top hang down and make the sliding panel above the cabin drag and difficult to slide. I also noticed that there are 4 rivets in the channel just below the latches (straps) and these were quite proud and sharp so I rounded them off with a small file and a bit of 600 wet n dry (the panel was really really difficult to operate prior to this!). It occurs to me that a strategically place elastic band might hold them up. Anyone else had these issues? Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.

 

[clarinetbcn]

So, we have been out half a dozen times or so in our (new to us) Coast and I note that the safety latches on the pop top hang down and make the sliding panel above the cabin drag and difficult to slide. I also noticed that there are 4 rivets in the channel just below the latches (straps) and these were quite proud and sharp so I rounded them off with a small file and a bit of 600 wet n dry (the panel was really really difficult to operate prior to this!). It occurs to me that a strategically place elastic band might hold them up. Anyone else had these issues? Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.

The safety latches hanging down into the sliding panel channel is just an amateurish design that VW has been unable to fix for over 15 years. You have to tuck them back by hand as you slide the panel shut. Don't know about the rivets, mine had velcro in the channel to stop the panel from vibrating open, but it was flimsy and long gone. I've been meaning to stick some velcro up there so I don't throw my back out while closing it every 3 minutes while driving.