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Convertable top replacement?

M

moonracer

Donation Time
I have started to replace my top on my S-V and have not been able to find anything on replacement procedures. I've checked my repair manual and the online one here to no avail. I've also done a forum search with no returns. I would like to read up about it before just blindly putting it on.

Thanks,
Marty
 
M

mikephillips

Donation Time
One thing I noticed. They call for alloy pop rivets, I'd get stainless instead, that way when moisture gets in you'll eliminate the dissimiliar metals reaction that causes the alloy ones to corrode away.
 
Ken Ellis

Ken Ellis

Donation Time
Marty,
Google site search can improve your odds of finding stuff here -- especially three-letter words like: top.

I've read cautionary tales about not stretching things too tight. What looks good and tight/smooth when it's 90 degrees out, and the top is new, will not look as good mid-winter 4 years down the road, when the vinyl has shrunk due to age and temps. So, drum-tight at the outset is not the ticket for vinyl.

Also, now's the time to make sure that:

Windshield rake is right.
Window track is correct at windshield.
Windows fit properly to frame when top is up.
Frame cam-action works properly (covered in referenced article).
And, if you have a hard top, it's the time to make sure the convertible frame and the hard top want the windows to be in the same place.

I'm in the same boat, upcoming... And I've got a hard top that's not been on any car is 20 years, a top that's not been up in 5, etc. etc. Should be fun!
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
top

ken,
most upholstery guys will tell you the opposite. they even use heat guns to stretch the material so all wrinkles,etc are out of the top when installed. they tug and pull on the material so much that's the reason most of them have hand and wrist problems. i picked up some pieces for my car last thursday and watched them install a top on a 55 t bird. no wrinkles and it was tight.
 
M

moonracer

Donation Time
Ken,

I've installed a few tops before and agree with you. They should be tight and wrinkle free but not drum tight.

I spent the better part of this morning adjusting top bows and windows before I posted needing the directions. It was quite the time consuming task. I also had to replace the strap that goes between the header bow and back bow as mine was missing. the link that was posted by the first person to answer me was exactly what I was looking for. My top is a new one that came with the car when I purchased it 8 years ago. I was always going to wait untill I painted the car to install it but last night i put the old top up for the first time in years and the window split and the top tore across the back.

I figured I should check it out before the invasion. With a bad back window I gaurantee it will rain ig I install the new top the weather will be perfect.

Marty
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
top

on series 3,4 and 5 cars it's a good idea to use the top for a series 5 that has the velcro for the side rails. when secured you don't drive down the road with the top a foot in the air. at one time we had a top on the series 4 with snaps on the side rails.
 
T

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
Marty, you say you adjusted the top bows and windows. Good. And did you also check how well the side windows match the vertical supports at the rear of the door? This is often a problem area. With the top frame up and linked into the windshield frame, crank up the side windows and be sure they mate well to the veritcal posts from top to bottom. It is very common for the vertical posts to get bent forward- mostly from pulling up the top without being careful to be sure it is pivoting up and not bending up. If the vertical posts get bent forward everything will still hook up EXCEPT it will not match the lower back edge of the side windows.

Tom
 
M

moonracer

Donation Time
I adjusted mine with washers behind the mounting bolt. It's close. I couldn't tell how to adjust them correctly though.
 
T

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
That's a reasonable approach. The "correct" fix is to rebend the tab on the end of the arm, but that's a real bear. You need to use a locking nut - nylock - on the end of that bolt that goes thru the vertical an into the tab on the pivot arm. This joint is also a pivoting joint. As the top goes down and the vertical arms pivot backwards that arm also tilts inwards against a "cam" to pull the arm inward to clear the top material from the edge of the body. And as it tilts inward the bolt holding the vertical to the pivot arm acts as a pivot so you must not tighten this bolt/nut too hard. So use a nylock nut to keep it from loosening yet allow pivoting.

And after you are all done, always be careful when raising and lowering the top to be sure the vertical arms are pivoting at the pivot point and not bending at the bolt. Someday on mine I might get some extra bracing welded onto that tab. It's the weakest link in the whole top arrangement.

Tom
 
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