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DG, I would swear that someone just had trouble with a convertible top just like that. I have no idea who or where on the forum...sorry, Lou.
I probably read the thread that you are referring to----and a dozen other google-related writeups....Tulip Permanent dye was recommended in different forums that I googled, but it's just not as potent as the dye "they made back in the day".
I took the day off concerning finish-installment of the top. A fresh start will help me and the top......LOL
Set=back! I had to trim some of the burlap reinforcement material off the ends of the bow padding because of water damage....which caused the pads to be even shorter.
I picked up some upholstery material and will repair the pads--then get back on track with the installation.
As for the new paint on the hood and hardtop....naturally the day after I dropped the hood off at the painter it started raining and hasn't stopped since! I'll drop the hardtop off Monday and check on the hood progress---hopefully he managed to take the old paint off and repair a few chips.\
58000
Last edited by doorgunner; Feb 21, 2015 at 08:47 PM.
It's 78`F in the sunny South today....it won't get any better than this in order to stretch the convertible top pads and cover.
It looks scary and mangled, but it just needs the kinks removed.
I used the ratchet straps to pull the rear window bow tight before I staple the bow pads to the middle cross-piece. I'll give it an hour in the sun before I staple the pads to the smaller front cross-piece.....
I decided to cover the rear window after finding a couple rusty staples on it when I stretched it this morning.........
Another 20 minutes of heat-soaking the material and then back into the sun to see if I can re-stretch the bow pads to the front cross-piece....and then over the bow!
S-l-o-w-l-y it goes. The driver's side was a tight fit...
I added re-inforced tape over the stapled areas where the underside of the top cover was beginning to show some wear.......
The passenger's side was more stubborn. It needs a little extra stretching in the sun with some c-clamps on the padding---I'll give it another hour since the final section is about 6" long/50%shorter than the other sections of padding.....
A pic from above (with all the A.D.D. parts/boxes covering the front half of the car)...I also spay-painted all the staples before I taped over them to prevent the rusting that the original staples had.......................
I'll be back in another hour or two....hopefully with the last piece of padding stapled down and the bow material stretched/glued down/wrapped over the leading edge of the front bow and stapled.
Last edited by doorgunner; Feb 22, 2015 at 01:06 PM.
The passenger's side was 3 times more difficult....but the padding is done.....now that I look at it---it shouldn't be on an angle toward the front bow....it should be parallel with the frame outer edge---OHHHHHH WeLL......
The top cover is ready to be pulled forward and attached to the bow....
Time for a lunch break---time flies when you're having fun. Then back to the garage.
Last edited by doorgunner; Feb 22, 2015 at 06:28 PM.
Crossing my fingers that this weather does the trick for ya DG
Thanks Brack c........the top softened up and stretched out.....but I ran out of steam before I finished installing the top material.
It's a good thing the V.A. meds zapped my energy, though.....because I realized that I had not installed the top tension cables/springs on either side! That would have been a pain trying to install the cables with the material glued and stapled to the leading edge of the front bow!
I laid the cables on top of the frame pads so I wouldn't forget-----AGAIN!
Tomorrow I will drill out the old rivets that held the cables in place...then install the tension cables with new rivets.
Hope you your strength back, did not realize top had so many components.
Having a heat wave here, it was up to 40deg today. 2 days ago it was 4, couldn't get car out yesterday because of snow. Soon enough.
Keep it up.
Hope you your strength back, did not realize top had so many components.
Having a heat wave here, it was up to 40deg today. 2 days ago it was 4, couldn't get car out yesterday because of snow. Soon enough.
Keep it up.
LOL...so many frame pieces to deal with........me either! And there are just as many pieces of individual weatherstrip....just smaller in size!
I gave the original weatherstrip pieces a good soaking of rubber rejuvenator....you can see the difference compared to the new bow weatherstrip surrounding the original pieces.....
40 degrees in New York City! I would have to climb into my refrigerator to see those temps!
Last edited by doorgunner; Feb 22, 2015 at 10:28 PM.
Looking good DG, always making progress!
Weather seems to be a popular conversation on your thread... it's been around -15 here in Michigan all week. Finally was at 27 today and I took a stroll out to the garage... only to figure out it was still too cold to lay under the car and take out the soft brake lines.
Love seeing that sunshine... it's been too long here
Looking good DG, always making progress!
Weather seems to be a popular conversation on your thread... it's been around -15 here in Michigan all week. Finally was at 27 today and I took a stroll out to the garage... only to figure out it was still too cold to lay under the car and take out the soft brake lines.
Love seeing that sunshine... it's been too long here
Thanks Cynical! But there was that stretch in '14 when the PTSD kept me inside for 5 months(not even to the garage)! I'm on a 25 day ""rip" at the moment---I'm trying to get as much done as possible before the stinking ptsd hits me again.
You guys have those super-cold winters......we have the hurricanes....I think it's a wash!
EDIT: By the way....two more days of 75* weather, and I'll have to get the lawnmower out of the storage room.
Last edited by doorgunner; Feb 23, 2015 at 08:49 AM.
Stay warm DG, it was -3 on my drive into work this morning.
Jack
-3!
I have to put on a coat to think about that!
Today I need to bring the hardtop to the painter Maybe it will quit raining this month so he can paint the two pieces).....then finish gluing/stapling the cover to the front bow...then install the weatherstrip and adjust the windows.
It did not feel that cold out this morning, we did not have any wind. I really hate getting use to the cold. Last week I was walking around Chicago with -5 to -10 temps and a hard wind on top of that. You have to love the weather guys it's -5 but feels like -30 ~ no it feels like death.
