Anyone Try a Convertible Top Install?

[jikelly]

I thought I remembered a guy saying he was going to install his new convertible top himself. I was just wondering how that panned out.

If they were successful I was thinking about trying to get them to do my car for a couple cases of Miller LT.

I've been thinking about trying to do mine myself, but with all the other stuff, paint, tremec rebuild, engine shortblock swap, and EFI install, I think I might have more on my plate than I can chew. Thank God my friend moved back form Atlanta!!

 

[billison]

I did a top on a 89 and it was easy, took alot of time, but easy

 

[1320stang]

whwright did his '72 himself, first time ever.

 

[Ronstang]

I did the one on my 57 T-Bird and that one has a completely removable folding top. It is not necessarily hard but time consuming for someone inexperienced. The key to a good top is making sure the frame is in good shape. Rebuild it first with new bushings and pins. Have it powdercoated if you like. I did mine and it still looks brand new 10 years later.

 

[dennis112]

I've done both a Mustang and a 63' Comet. I bought the little manual from a Mustang dealer and went to town. I did it myself and had no one to ask advice from. Both came out nice. I had to alter the directions in manual a couple of places in order to make it work for me.

As mentioned, it is not hard, just time consuming. You should have a good stapler and a good adhesive handy. You will also need to make sure you have good tacking strips to work with.

The sail panels in the rear were the hardest to get right and I redid them a couple of times to get the right look.

 

[1320stang]

I emailed whwright to tell him about this thread. The only thing I saw wrong with his install was a little wrinkling at the base, but he said if he did it all over again, he could likely get most of all them out. I believe he took pics as well.

 

[whwright]

Yes, I did put my own top on my '72 model. No, it didn't turn out perfect. Here's the lessons I learned.

1. Buy a really good staple gun. Not a "stapler." A gun.

2. Pay attention to how the old top comes off. Check the lines that the manufacturer put on the new top CLOSELY. Don't have an old top to remove? Wow. I guess I would say MOCK IT UP BEFORE YOU STAPLE ANYTHING. I didn't check the lines closely enough, and the rear window is about an inch too low.

3. You CAN'T pull it too tight. Like someone else said, the sail panels are the hardest part. You can see it in the photo I attached.

Lots of guys would pull my top off and do it again. I decided to let it go until I wear it out for two reasons: My wife said "huh? what's wrong with it?" And I keep the car in the garage, and only drive it on top-down days anyway. (When and if I get a chance to drive it -- it's sat for about two years now.)

I'll do better next time.

Wayne.

 

[jikelly]

Gee Oklahoma City's not that far away. When I get my engine back in I could drive it up there and let you "practice" on my 73 before you redo your top.

Thanks for the info!!

Oh hey did you have a glass or plastic window insert?

 

[whwright]

It's a glass window. The old top that I stripped off had a plastic window; the zipper had rotted away and torn into several pieces.

When I compared the new window to the old one, I noticed that the line on the new window was in a different spot. At the time I thought to myself "looky there -- that last guy didn't know what he was doing."

I guess he showed me, because it was HIS window that was correctly marked.