ASSEMBLY

Frame

For 90% of the installation process, two people are required. Make sure you and your helper are extremely patient, and begin knowing that there will be many questions and issues if this is your first time.

The first step is to tape and protect all paint in the area of the rear window and quarter panels. The top will come in and out of the car many times during installation, and you don’t want to scratch the paint.

Move the restored cage into the car. Leave the hydraulics disconnected for now, since it is easier to move the top by hand at this stage. You need two to three people for this step. Bolt the hinges to the body.Test fit the cage’s movement and adjustment by manually closing and opening the top. There are four locations for adjustments:

1. At the three hinge bolts to the body
2. At the grooved section for the rear top bow mentioned earlier
3. At the front face plate where the latch assemblies connect to the frame rail. There are two bolts, which adjust the front plate front/back and side/side.
4. The latch hook is adjustable.

Top

In general, the order for top install is as follows.

1. Pads
2. Rear Curtain at rear top bow
3. Rear Curtain at rear trim stick
4. Top at rear trim stick
5. Top at rear top bow
6. Top at front
7. Top on sides
8. Weatherstripping

Pads

The pads should be taught when the top is closed. You CAN see the pads after the final install from the inside of the car, so ensure they are wrinkle free in their appearance. Once the top goes on, you can not adjust the pads since the top is stapled through the pads.The open side of the pads should face upwards, and the wider section of the pads is towards the rear. Use your old pads as a reference for approximate fastener locations. Lay out the pads with the top closed to test fit prior to cutting the new pads to length. After final install, the top flaps of the pads are glued down to seal them. There are little recesses on the cross bars and frame, and the pads should not extend outside of these recesses. They are there so the thickness of the pad is not visible on the installed top. The pads also should not extend lower that the

outer edge of the frame bars, else they would be visible from the side of the car even after the top is on. Once installed and adjusted, they are cut to length in the front and back.

Use 1/4″ staples for the front, 3/8″ staples for the first cross bar, rivets for the next (it has holes predrilled and should have been previously riveted when you were removing the old pad), and 3/8″ staples or 1/2″ staples in the rear top bow. Basically, staple length should not exceed tack strip thickness.

Test fit your pads with the top ~1 or 2 inches open to account for future weatherstripping. They should be secure and with some light tension. If not, this is the time to re-do them as necessary.

Once stapled and riveted, use a section of material from where you trimmed excess length to cover the staples and rivets. This ensures the staples or rivets don’t show or tear the new top.

Install the rear well liner over the rear trim stick. This must be below the rear curtain and convertible top. Staple from the center outward and pull the liner lightly towards the side as you go. A-lot of staples aren’t required since the rear curtain and the top will both be stapled over the top. Make sure there are no wrinkles at the trim stick, since this will impede stapling the rear curtain and top later.

Rear Curtain

This is where things get tricky. More or less, this is trial and error. Before you being, there are four critical measurements you need from your old top.

1. Distance from the top edge of the rear window to the rear deck. If the window is too low, the new top won’t cover the border around your new window.
2. Rear window must be centered perfectly in the car. There is only 1/4″  +/- of overlap with the top and the edges of the rear window. Most tops have the center of the rear curtain marked with a slit or punch. Measure and mark the rear top bow as well as the deck/body for center. Chalk is an excellent option for marking, as it washes off easily.
3. Rear top bow height. This is the distance from the rear top bow to the deck. This must be the same as your previous top. Measure and if it is not correct, you must use lengths of wood and wire to move it to the correct position. If this is wrong, all other adjustments will be off.
4. On the rear curtain, the distance from the staple line on the top of the rear top bow to the deck. This should be measured on your old rear curtain, and the stains on the lower section of the old curtain should indicate where the deck ended. This is related to #1, since it affects the window height of your new install. Whatever the height is of this staple line, mark it on your new rear curtain.

Some tops have guide holes or marks on the lower corners of the rear curtain. If they do, these holes or marks line up with the center or top of the rear trim stick. It’s only a reference, and won’t be exact, so expect to make adjustments. If your new rear curtain did not come with marks, lay it over your old top and trace the staple line onto your new curtain. This will be your starting point.

Hold the top partially open with a board, box or similar to facilitate installation of the rear curtain. I found that the top being ~2 feet open from the windshield was ideal.

Tack staple the rear curtain onto the rear top bow. Make sure your measurements are correct per above. Drive 3ish staples in the center, and a handful moving outward, pulling light tension towards the side as you move. don’t overdo the staples, since this may need to be re-done.

Next, do one corner at a time. Install 5 or 6 tack staples on the line you’ve drawn or that was included with your new rear curtain to the rear lower trim stick. This is done while the trim stick is laying on the deck lid. These will almost certainly need to be pulled for re-adjustment, since this is only a first attempt.

Once both corners and the rear top bow staples are installed, fit the trim stick into the car and loosely bolt it to the frame brackets. Close the top SLOWLY by hand and watch for tightness and wrinkles. If you have overly tight sections that prevent the top from closing, do not force it. Mark these areas for adjustments and loosen the rear curtain at the lower trim stick to allow for more slack. If you can close the top by hand but have wrinkles, circle the wrinkles with chalk and pull the rear curtain tighter as necessary.

If the rear curtain is generally loose even with the top closed, pull the fabric down lower so it overlaps further with the rear trim stick. If you have vertical wrinkles that extend up and down, you may need to pull/adjust the curtain towards the side, rather than higher or lower.

If the entire window or curtain is in the wrong place, or the window hits the rear seat or deck when opening and closing, you’ll need to re-adjust the staple line at the rear top bow, which will also require re-doing the staple line at the lower trim stick.

A helpful tip I discovered is that each time an adjustment was needed, I first marked where the fabric was originally with chalk along the edge of which ever trim stick or bow I was adjusting. This allowed me to see how far my adjustment moved even after the staples were pulled, ensuring I didn’t under or over do it. I generally made adjustments 1/8″ to 1/4″ at a time.

Test to make sure there is no binding while you open the top completely and fold it into the trunk. Move very slowly and do not force it. Pay special attention to the glass to ensure you don’t break or scratch it.

Once the rear curtain is adjusted, there is a test you can perform for the careful or nervous reader. With a helper, lay the new top over the frame and tape the front of the top around the front lip of the frame. Pull the top fabric towards the back of the car while it’s laying on the frame. See if the top correctly overlaps the top edge and side edges of the rear window slightly. Remember that the top will stretch some once installed. If it’s way off, something is probably wrong.

Once you are satisfied, complete the rear curtain install by driving the rest of the staples on the rear top bow and the lower trim stick. . The staples should be almost continuous, so plan on using a few hundred.

Install Pics:

Convertible Top

**** The absolute and most critical measurement is the staple location of the top to the rear top bow. YOU CAN NOT RE-DO THIS, as the staple marks would show in your brand new top if you needed to move the staple line. These staples are only covered by a thin decorative strip about 1/4″ wide, so these staples must be in a perfectly straight line, and should be horizontally oriented (oriented from side to side, not front/back on the car). ****

Lay the new top on top of the old top. With chalk, transpose the staple line from the rear top bow on the old top to the new top. Also mark the center.

Lay your top on top of the frame. Orient the top so that it slightly overlaps the top edge of the rear window.This is probably a good indication of the top’s correct location. If the top is too far forward, it will not overlap the rear window well. If it is too far rearward, it will make attaching the sides at the side window frame rail, and the front lip difficult. If the window placement matches your measurements and the chalk line from the old top, you should be good to go. Make sure the top is perfectly centered as well on the frame.

I opted to install the side tension cables first. This helped keep the top centered and oriented correctly by default. This was not indicated in the instructions, but worked for me.

The instructions stated to install the staples on the rear top bow before stapling the corners at the lower trim stick. I opted to do more work and stapled the lower corners first, before stapling into the rear top bow. This allowed me to test-close the top with with tension and staples in place to see how things aligned around the rear window and rear top bow. This helped reduce error at the rear top bow, since those staples can’t be re-done. I was lucky, and got the corners in the correct location nearly on the first try. With the top propped open and everything in good alignment around the rear window, I then stapled into the rear top bow.

The instructions were the reverse, stapling the rear top bow first. if you follow this order, drive a staple into the exact center of the tack strip on the rear top bow. DON’T MISS! Drive a handful of staples, starting in the center and working outward, keeping the staples in a perfectly straight line and horizontal. Remember you need to cover these later with the decorative strip.

Now install the lower corners onto the lower trim stick. This process is the same as the rear curtain. Use 1/2″ staples and tap them in with a hammer if necessary. Install, test fit, mark, adjust, repeat as necessary.

Once the rear corners are adjusted well, slowly open the top to check for binding, wrinkling, or other issues. Close the top within 1″ of fully closed to check for tightness, wrinkles, and binding.

Once satisfied, complete driving the remainder of the staples, and install at least 3 screws per corner on the lower rear trim stick to securely hold the top. Pre-drill the holes, and use #6 or #8 stainless machine screws. Do not drill too deeply, as you will risk tearing the well liner or other items. I installed 6 screws per corner. Get as close to the end of the trim stick as possible with the screw on the end.

Before putting the rear trim stick in the car for the last time, reinstall the rain gutter.

Once the rear curtain area is complete, move to the vertical section of the side windows. Wrap the top around the frame and hold with clamps. Test the fitment for wrinkles etc. I found that the staples kept pulling out of the lower rear trim stick which would prevent me from accurately test fitting.  This is the purpose of the screws. Once you are satisfied with the fit based on the clamp’s hold, glue the flap generously and install. Hold the flap in place by installing the weather stripping strip as well. Don’t get glue on your new top.

Now move forwards. Find the center of the front frame and top and mark with chalk. Wrap the top around the front lip and hold tight as you fully close the top (or as close as you can get it). If you can fully close the top, draw a chalk reference line on the front edge of the top. Open the top slightly and draw another chalk line 1 inch towards the rear of the first chalk line. Now wrap the top again until this further-rear chalk line is at the front edge. Staple the top with it in this position. The second chalk line is to put some tension in the top, since it will loosen the first couple weeks. Install a couple 1/4″ staples in the center.

Pull tension to the side as you drive a handful of tack staples towards the edges. 3 people are helpful here. One person staples, one pulls towards the drivers side, and one towards the passenger side. This prevents the top from being pulled excessively towards once side while installing.

Once the front lip is stapled, test the tension by attempting to close the top. You should NOT be able to close the top easily, and should encounter resistance a few inches away from latching the top. If the top closes fully first try, the top is too loose. If it is more than a few inches from latching, it may be too tight. The top will likely relax and stretch more than you think.

Install the sides and weatherstripping. Install the front wind guard/strip.

FINAL STEPS

Reinstall the hydraulics and bleed the system. Reinstall the interior and trip pieces. Test fit the windows.

If you can latch the top, leave it latched for at least 2 weeks, however don’t force it. If it can’t quite latch, let it sit out in the sun for a couple days to relax, and slowly help guide it towards closing.

Leave the top closed for at least 2 weeks. This helps the fabric adjust and prevents early wrinkling.

It may be necessary to re-adjust your windows or weatherstripping to properly seal the windows.

Protect and care for your new top!

Finished Top

Leave us a comment, and tell the world how your install went!

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