My kit was ‘out-of-the-box’ as well.
Check out Marco’s ‘A Model A Barnyard’ on the web –
www.abarnyard.com . Marco is a ‘senior member’. Click the ‘Begin the Tour’ arrow on the right bottom of the page and then select ‘The Workshop’. Then select ‘Installing a Closed Car Roof’.
I followed Marco’s directions for my 31’ Deluxe Coupe to install the top. 20 years on and the top is totally tight, as the day I finished It (still can bounce a coin off the top). The KEY is to stretch the top on a HOT day and IN THE SUN. That way it can only contract in cold weather.