• Welcome to the new SAOCA website. Already a member? Simply click Log In/Sign Up up and to the right and use your same username and password from the old site. If you've forgotten your password, please send an email to membership@sunbeamalpine.org for assistance.

    If you're new here, click Log In/Sign Up and enter your information. We'll approve your account as quickly as possible, typically in about 24 hours. If it takes longer, you were probably caught in our spam/scam filter.

    Enjoy.

Series V Soft Top Vinyl Choices

JSLoeffl

Gold Level Sponsor
Trying to keep my 67 Alpine Series V as close to original as possible. Hard choice between SoftTop vinyl choice, Crushgrain or Pinpoint?? I think Pinpoint was original, but which one looks better or is easier to care for. Or is it worth paying the extra and getting the Stayfast cloth??
Joey
 

alpine_64

Donation Time
Trying to keep my 67 Alpine Series V as close to original as possible. Hard choice between SoftTop vinyl choice, Crushgrain or Pinpoint?? I think Pinpoint was original, but which one looks better or is easier to care for. Or is it worth paying the extra and getting the Stayfast cloth??
Joey
If you want original you can buy a correct everflex top with the correct light grey interior. They make the interior feel much brighter and spacious with the roof up.
 

Tim R

Silver Level Sponsor
Whether you fit it yourself or get it done professionally make sure that whoever does it is familiar with Alpine soft tops and how to fit them (There are two videos on The Sunbeam Alpine Channel covering fitting Series V soft tops). In the U.K. there are at least two people who are currently in legal disputes with different 'professional' soft top fitting companies that have fitted their soft tops incorrectly and ruined them. Just because a classic specialist is familiar with MGs or Triumphs doesn't make them capable of fitting an Alpine top.
Tim R
 

JSLoeffl

Gold Level Sponsor
If you want original you can buy a correct everflex top with the correct light grey interior. They make the interior feel much brighter and spacious with the roof up.
Is this the one Sunbeam Specialties has AT50E for about $625 in their catalog?
 

alpine_64

Donation Time
Whether you fit it yourself or get it done professionally make sure that whoever does it is familiar with Alpine soft tops and how to fit them (There are two videos on The Sunbeam Alpine Channel covering fitting Series V soft tops). In the U.K. there are at least two people who are currently in legal disputes with different 'professional' soft top fitting companies that have fitted their soft tops incorrectly and ruined them. Just because a classic specialist is familiar with MGs or Triumphs doesn't make them capable of fitting an Alpine top.
Tim R
I'm going to guess the trimmer secured it behind the side strips....
I had the best trimmer in Australia fit a top on my SII in 1997. I had no top on it before as reference, but had given them the owners manual as a guide.
The fitter clearly didn't look at it and secured it behind the side retainers, didn't use a peg in the frame at the B pillar pivot instead fitting a stud in getter area and securing it to the tonneau peg on the B post area ... And then snipped the gutter at the leading edge of the side window... Causing the gutter to tear along the header rail..... My top was junk right after purchase and after paying a huge amount to fit it..... I basically would only ever put it up in extreme weather as it upsete so much how tattered it was despite being new.
 

Tim R

Silver Level Sponsor
alpine_64, it is not just securing the top under the side rails the fitters also routinely fail to secure the soft top to the drip rail on the inside AND to add insult to injury they usually cut the material too short at the sides so that you can't even fix what they've done. One of the 'professional' fitters told an owner that he had watched the soft top installation video on The Sunbeam Alpine Channel and then he STILL fitted it completely wrong and ruined the brand new top.
Tim R
 
Top