The original top on my 74 Lesebre Luxus is in need of replacement. Any advice from the experts? Self install or professional? What is involved? Any suggestion on a vendor? It does not look too complicated, but I have never attempted it before. Would I need anything besides the top itself? Thanks for any help. Adam
Have a a pro do it....just my opinion. Those scissor tops are better left to poeple who know what they're doing. Find a reputable company and ask for references.
buy a body service manual and try it yourself. they want 1000.00 to put a top on my 68 skylark the top alone is 250.00 so that gives me four tries to get it on right, lol, if you are patient and have mechanical abilities, should be ok. plus you can have the bragging rights!! :TU:
putting the top on is not the most difficult part of putting a top on ... getting the frame adjusted and prepped for the top is th most crucial part. on a scissortop car, if your top frame is out of adjustment and/or has rough or rusty areas. your new top can get ripped/worn or seam-split soon after the top is installed. it can also be hard to latch or let moisture fly into your face when driven in the rain. if your tacking strip on the second or third bows are needing replacement and dont get replaced ... the staples can work out and rub their way through the top canvas. if your "ball joints" or their mounting pivots are loose or worn excessivley, they can cause the second bow to bind when putting the top up and cause the second bow to rip the "listing" from the top, almost totally disconnecting the top from the second bow. the only fix for this problem is another new top. if the frame is misaligned. problems putting windows up and getting them to seal can arise. there are certain tools that a person needs (but dont have readily available) to have to make the adjustments on the bare frame before the top is installed. so knowledge and patience become big factors. a fisher body manual does a real good job enlighteneing you. you can buy one for about 25 bux off of ebay (its kinda turquoise in color). ... get ya one and read it a few times from page 8-65 to 8-96. you will soon know if it is worth a try. about 15 years ago i installed a crown top (bought it through JCWhitney) on the 74 luxus i had back then. the top quality was ok, but i know there are severeal other makers that are probably better. does your car have a glass back window? what will it have after the new top install?
I just had my new top installed a month or so ago, reputable shop. He installed my new well liner, the top with a glass rear window (that was seperate and had to be sewn into the top), pads, cables and all my new weather stripping for $495. I got my top parts from Year One (Kee). After seeing all that he went through and the tooling needed I'm glad I paid to have it done.
top of the line The top of the line top you can have installed is an "Electon" brand. I went with the "Electron" as I wanted to do it right the first time and not have to do it again for a long time. You can find them along with shops in your area that install them at www.electrontop.com
