i bought mine from year one had a canvase shop install it he sayed it was a good top geno there #18009509503:beer
I decided to go with the original type vinyl with a non-zippered glass window. This is the place I decided to go with: http://www.convertibletopguys.com/aboutus.shtml
How did the install go? I've read many posts that folks who tried it would never do it again; how do you feel about it? I'm looking at replacement, I have average skills, and I'm not sure if I could do it or not. Was it worth it? Doug
Doug, I didn't get time to do the install between my daughters soccer games, softball games, music lessons, my yard work, and Mother's day...LOL. I did take the old top off which doesn't take very long. The toughest part of that is getting the rear bow out from under the rear deck after you remove the two side bolts. I can see already that will be tough to put back in with the rear curtain attached. I'll take some pics while I do it this weekend and let you know how long it took. I have to fight the temptation to restore the top frame and just keep this a driver and put the top back on. -Satch
Unless you need the car back on the road, do the frame too. You will regret it if you don't, and you'll never get another chance untill you need a new top again...
I wanted to keep the car on the road so I didn't restore the frame. I did sandblast and paint the rear bow that goes under the deck since it was very rusty and the old tack strip was a mess. I didn't find the "trim sticks" mentioned in the instructions which made things a little confusing and more difficult. I have a wrinkle at the quarter flap. I think if I had the "trim sticks", this would have eliminated this problem as I could have stretched them out easier. If anyone is interested in pics as I went, I can post them, but they may not be useful since I think the trim stick part is different It took a good part of the weekend to install the top. The hardest part is getting the main top quarters on . The rest of the install was very uneventful and straight forward.
Looking at the pics, some are blurry and others I'm not sure why I even took them...LOL. ou: But I should have them figured out and posted tonight with a description of what I was trying to do in the pic.
Here's some of the pics that I could make sense of and weren't blurry. I'll post later describing steps I did to take the top off and put the new one on to go with the pics. http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/sixTsix/top/
The trim sticks you are referring to are/is the part you sandblasted and restored which attaches the top at the quarters and the rear window/curtain to the body. On some models like my '66 this is in three pieces hense trim "sticks". I had always heard how hard it was to do a top so I paid to have mine done and the frame and windows adjusted. The "pros" couldn't get the top and windows adjusted properly so they just stretched the new canvas on it anyhow and told me that it was as good as it would get even though it was worse than when I took it in. They made such a holy mess out of it that now I'm replacing everything and doing it myself. Unfortunately, the new new top is defective and is about 2 inches shy of reaching the trim sticks in back so now I have to take it back off and return it. Hopefully everyone elses projects will go better. Got any pics of your final product?
Thanks for the info. That makes much more sense now. I'll take some pics of the finished top and post them. It was getting late by time I finished that day...LOL.
Wow, I think you are doing/did a great job! I'm excited that maybe I could do this on my GS. I would really be interested in the details (costs, time, gotcha's) when you finally have the time. I'm inspired :TU: :beers2:
Thanks Doug. I'm going to try to put the details down tomorrow for people who want to try it. I definitely learned a couple things that would have been nice to know before hand. Here's a shot of the top I took today (excuse the yellow haze, there's a fine layer of pollen that has settled on the top that I haven't washed off).
Whew...I think trying to write up the process actually takes longer than replacing the top itself. Here's what I have so far. I have to add the pics and also write about the actual install part. I don't know if I used the correct terminology or if my previous top was installed correctly, but this is an account of the process I went through for other owners who might go through the same process.
Tools Used: Flat tip screwdriver Phillips screwdriver Staple gun (manual) Ratchet with sockets 1/2, 9/16 Needle Nose Pliers Expendibles: Contact cement DAP Weldwood (used for laminating counter tops) ($7 / 16 oz) Disposable Foam Brushes ($3 / 10 from the Harbor Freight) Staples (Arrow T-50 stainless or monel 3/8" staples) ($10/1000) Synthetic Plastic Molding (used as tack strip) ($3 / 8 feet) Some playground chalk for marking the top (raided daughter's art supplies) Top Parts: Convertible top vinyl with glass New Cables New Pads Tack Strip Total: $351.00 Total Time: Spent 2 hours taking the top off (taking pics and looking closely at it). Could probably do it in 15 minutes now. Spent most of the weekend putting the top on. Could probably do it in about hour and a half now.
Top Description: The convertible top has two parts a rear part that contains the glass window called the curtain and the top part I'll call the top. There are also long pads that run along the sides which are underneath the top. The frame has 4 bows and a header. There are three visible bows. First is the header (the very front which comes down and touches the top of the windshield). This has a long tack strip on the underneath side of it. On the top side, there is a small ~5" length of tack strip on each side. A first bow that has a metal insert which goes through a long lengthwise loop of fabric in the top and screws down to hold the top material down. It also has two small tack strips at the edges for the pads. A second bow which pivots and also has two screws on the edges which holds the pads in place. A third bow which has a long tack strip in it. A fourth rear bow which you cannot see because it is under the rear deck of the car. This also has a long tack strip in it. Tack Strips: My kit came with tack strips for the header and for the fourth rear bow. The tack strips are not the same. The header tack strip is about 3/4" wide and 1/4" thick. This tack strip goes the length of the header. There are also two small 2" long pieces that I cut from teh main strip that go on the sides of the header. This tack strip is held in place with contact cement and metal tabs which fold over and hold it down. This could be unexpected potential problem area #1 if the header is rusty because water got forced in as you drive, then the tabs could be non-existent. In which case, you'd have to spot weld a reproduction tab peice in. Definitely the condiition issomething you want to check out first to see if you need to order that as well. The second bow tack strips are thinner approximately 1/2" wide by 3/8" thick. These you cut from the long peice they give you for the fourth bow. They are about 5" long each. The third bow tack strip are approximately 1/2" wide and 5/8" thick. This one does NOT come with the kit. The fourth one is approximately 1/2" wide by 3/8" thick. This is potential problem area #2. The kit only gives you enough for the front header and the rear bow. If you need to replace the tack strip on the third bow, you will need to order that in advance. If I had known, I would order extra because it's relatively cheap. I realized I didn't have enough after I removed all the tack strips. So rather than wait, I made my own tack strip for the third bow. The original material looks like pressed paper. The replacement tack strip is some kind of black plastic polymer. I made my own tack strip out of this synthetic molding that you can buy at Lowes or Home Depot (it comes in shapes like quarter round, I bought the 5/8"x5/8" x8' piece. It trimmed it down with my planer to the dimensions I needed. I bought 8 linear feet for $3. I ran some staples into it first to make sure it had good holding power and would work as a tack strip. Top construction: The top has two parts, the rear rear part which contains the window. It goes from the fourth bow to the third bow. It is attached with staples on both bows. The other part of the top is the 'top'. This goes from the header, over the first bow, over the second bow and over the third bow. From teh third bow to the fourth bow are two flaps. These flaps overlap the rear curtain and cover the rear quarter to the left and right of the window. The top flaps are stapled at the fourth rear bow and also at the third rear bow. The second rear bow, it is only connected by a lengthwise fabric loop which allows some movement. Then it is attached to the front and underside of the header with contact cement and staples. Other parts: There is a pad on the driver's and passenger's side which runs from the header down to the third bow. The pad is stapled at the header, the first bow, and at the third bow. The second bow has two small screws which go through the bad. Also, on the first bow, part of the metal shaft which screws into bow, (about a 1-1/2" overhang clamps down on the pad). There is also two short cables that consist of an eyelet at one end, a stainless cable, a spring, and then an eyelet on the other end. These cables screw into the side of the convertible frame near the front and go through a loop in the convertible top on the sides and then screw back down into the side of the frame near where the quarter window is. These cables seem to hold the sides of the convertible topdown over the edge. There is also a well liner that covers the convertible well area behind the rear seat inside the car when the top is up. This is stapled to the fourth bow also. The important thing for me was understanding the top was two parts, the rear curtain, and the top and how the top overlapped the curtain and connected at the fourth bow. Because the material overlaps (top goes over the curtain), you will have to staple through the curtain material already stapled to the third and fourth bow when you put the 'top' section on. Since the well liner is stapled to the fourth bow also, there is three layers of material there that are stapled. Removing the seat, parade boot, and weather strip trim: 1. First I removed the rear seat. To remove the rear seat, I removed the bottom cushion first. There were no screws just a metal hook that holds them. I pushed backwards to clear the hook then up and forwards to remove the seat. This exposes two wire loops at the bottom left and right sides of the back cushion that hold it in place. Remove the two 7/16" screws and washers on each side whcih releases the bottom. There are metal hooks at the top behind the cushion. To remove the top cushion, push the top of the cusion towards the trunk and then lift up to clear the hooks. 2. There are two metal trim peices taht hide the hydraulic cylinder when looking into the fender area. There were held in with 1/2" long phillips screws. Undo the screws and remove the metal trim piece. You can't get to the peice if the top is down. 3. Remove the parade boot. It is held to the top of the sheetmetal behind the where the top rear seat cushion was. The boot has a rib which goes into a channel in a long metal strip about 3/4" wide and 3 feet long. The strip is screwed to the sheet metal. Unscrew the sheetmetal screws and remove the boot still attached to the metal strip. 4. Remove the rear side panels. The side panels are two peices but can be removed as one piece if you remove the screws attaching it to the sheet metal. The courtesy light in the side panels have to be removed before you can remove the panel. To remove the courtesy lights, unscrew the light fixture from the panel. Use a small screwdriver to push in the plastic tabs on the back side to remove the plastic cover of the courtesy light. You can then remove the bulb from the socket and then remove the light socket from the courtesy light fixture. I tucket the socket into a hole in the sheet metal so I wouldn't accidentally step on it and crush it. 5.Remove the weather strip trim. Side windows have a horizontal peice of weatherstrip at the top of where the window would be and also another peice of vertical weatherstrip where teh quarter window is. Each peice has phillips screws which hold them on. You may have to push the flap of the weather strip in the middle to get to expose the screw.
