repair of a top with a tear in it

Discussion in 'The ragtop shop' started by N360LL, Jun 20, 2016.

  1. N360LL

    N360LL milehi71Stage1

    A fellow member here is in a difficult situation in regards to what to do about his top. It has a tear in it that is getting longer over time. The interior shop that I love dearly and trust completely tells me that there isn't really any way to do more corrective action than has already been done. They put an internal patch on it a year or so ago and it simply hasn't done the trick. I tear stems from someone in the past putting the top down and the material being pinched between two scissoring arms just above and aft of the left quarter window. The arm was missing a pin and nut for who knows how long and it allowed the to to move in way is shouldn't have. So is there a way to repair the exterior of the vinyl top that will last for several years and not look totally hacked together? In my mind I remember the infomercial from the late -70's with the iron and the stuff in the tube that looked like artist oil paint.

    Thanks in advance for the help.
     
  2. Briz

    Briz Founders Club Member

    Vinyl top or convertible top ?
     
  3. 70 gsconvt

    70 gsconvt Silver Level contributor

    Sounds like a convertible top with an internal patch and pinched in the scissors. Same thing happened to mine and I need to get it replaced. But it's about $800 plus the top. Ouch.
     
  4. Smokey15

    Smokey15 So old that I use AARP bolts.

    We have used the flat-sided dental floss on tents and pop-up campers with great results. We used a big sewing needle and stitched about 1/4" to 3/8" from the tear. Sometimes we used a piece of matching material and ran a strip length-wise along the tear, used some superglue, a strip of silicone first, then stitched it in.
     

Share This Page