It was brown and I dyed it black. Looked very good except for some dribbles that came out of the spray can towards the end. I doubt anyone but me would notice, but it bugs me.

 

Hey JBrooke,
Can't wait to see how yours turns out. Post a few pics. Have you had trouble in corners getting it to lie flat? Just a couple areas that I need to still work on. I know if I did 3 of them, the third one would be perfect! But I am only doing one.
I am actually missing my middle section of my interior (I have the two outsides). If you ever decide to replace your older pieces, let me know as I would consider purchasing them from you.
Pete

 

Thanks for the encouragement 7T1. It has given me a bit of confidence to try my convertible top next.
I would have used armour-all! But I shall follow your recommendation 7T1.
And post final pics once done.
Pete

 

Hey Momo,
Yes there is some wrinkling but part of it is the sequence of the pics. Some pics are before the bottom was wrapped and all are before final attachment of trim at the front of the top and by the back glass trim. However, the area in the picture bothers me a bit and I am not sure quite what to do.
As I suspect you have done many of these, my main difficulty is the wrinkle at the area in the picture. Shall I apply heat,,,, I don't want to burn it. Its too late for me to try another glue. I do feel that because the inside felt is so thick, the vinyl can move a bit even though the felt it completely adhering to the fiberglass top. Any advice from anyone would be appreciated.
Pete

 

I am not sure why my pics wouldn't be showing Alan?
So far I am pretty pleased but I still need to fix a couple things before I would consider it acceptable amateur work.
But thanks for the advice re the weatherstip. It is just sitting in a box from Willcox but look like great quality! I will use your trick if needed.
Pete

 

Hi Pete,no mine is at the body shop painted green I am going today to take the molding and new clips for the back window , the service manual
Shows where the cuts in the corners go .i think it's on page 305,or near
There. I will post some pics tonight . Good luck the vinyl looks nice.

 

I'm getting the feeling it might be bad form to be critical here looking at the other comments. I think you did a very good job with the layout and trimming but where things went sour is with the glue choice and not pulling the vinyl tight enough on the sail panels and above the side windows. It must be pulled very tight and the material laid down as you're pulling, the contact cement must be able to hold it there after you do. Heat as needed. If you have the same luck I have had with spray can contact cement the areas not held in with trim will loosen and require regluing. If you're happy with the job that's all that matters. I'm one of those guys that will tear something off and do it again to get it right, gets expensive sometimes. You probably could get that top off around the effected areas fairly easy with a blow dryer with that kind of CC but adding more glue of the right kind without cleaning the old glue out would give you a bumpy surface.

I only have the one brain to live in and in my brain I find it much more comforting and productive to bite the bullet and do things over no matter how many times it takes to get it right than spend even more unproductive time fretting over things that bug me that I could have done much better if I only knew. Once you get into redoing something you're almost instantly in to the project at the point of no return at that point you start looking forward and the next thing you know you're done and then think that wasn't so bad and damn I'm glad I did that.

 

Hey Momo,

Don't worry about offending me. Advice, especially critical, comes from experience and good intentions. If I was to plan to show this car one day I would agree and I would just start again. Or better yet, take it to a pro!!!!

But I likely never will show it, you have seen the rest of the car at this stage!

However, I think I could get rid of 50% of the wrinkles by heating and working it carefully but probably not all of it. I may try very carefully lifting off the one side where I have it highlighted and try reapplying it with a bit more glue. It may be a mistake, (guess I will find out). Next top,,, I will be using the glue you suggest but I don't expect their ever to be a second. (If I am ever lucky enough to have a stable mate for my 1969, it will be a 1967 coupe)
Anyway, so far my investment is about $125 not including weatherstrip and about 15 hours. I will not be happy if I have to start again however, I know that corner will bother me more than anyone else!

Advice always appreciated!!
Pete

 

Hi Pete,
I understand m608's comments about re-doing things.
(When installing new seat covers it took me 3 go completely back to the beginning tries).
I've never come even close to a vinyl top so I'm really clueless. But in my ignorance this is what I see.
???
Regards,
Alan

I think I can see which direction to move the material on the sail panel… but... I'm afraid I'd end up with a wrinkle in the area of the oval I added.
I get the ******* just thinking about it!!!

 

I pretty much agree with this and I wouldn't be shy about how much of the top to pull up to stretch it in place. I would release the vinyl up to the seams that run front to back and remove the back window trim along with the side trim. BTW, mineral spirits does a good job removing this type of contact cement. Just make sure it's all dried out before you begin reapplying more CC. prep it for reattachment the day before to be sure or put a fan on it for an hour.

IMPORTANT!!!
If that replacement top has a fabric that acts as very thin padding on the glue side of the top. Some of that has good chance of pulling off the top if you try to remove it once it's glued on as it is now. If any of that comes off you will see it in the top surface once its re-glued back on. The top material is ruined. Hard to see in the pics if this has padding but I think it does. I would go real slow with a hair dryer and see how it releases from the hardtop if replacing the top material is out of the question. Good Luck!

 

Hi Pete,
After re-reading your post, my post, and m608's post, I must add…. Please don't think that I'm suggesting YOU have do what's being discussed.
I posted my thoughts and the photo only to show what's going through my mind.
You have to do what's RIGHT for YOU!!!
I have seriously screwed up far more than my share of things by trying to improve on what I'd already done!!!
Regards,
Alan

It all started about 65 years ago with melting a plastic model car body over the gas stove because I though the plastic would just get soft enough so I could "customize" it!!!

 

Hey, I just appreciate the feedback Alan and M608, even if it is critical and forces me back to the drawing board.

You know what, I started with taking the trim back off and just lifting the edge every so slightly and spraying a bit more glue after I heated it up with the gun. I then used clean cloth and heat gun again to work it flat. So far, I think I am happy with this part! Definitely better! I am glad you guys brought it up so that it could be corrected. Time to move on.
Now I will attend to the front trim and rear glass trim area which is a bit tricky and stubborn.

 

Hi Pete,
That does look much better.
That rather 'tight' corner has to be a difficult one to do!
I'm glad you posted the latest photo so we could see what you've accomplished!
Regards,
Alan

 

i bought a complete top in boxes and bought the Knocks fabric, I just need to install it. This is going to help alot. Know if I can find that long front stainless trim that I put away so it wouldn't get bent Ild be happay. I remeber saying " I'll put it here so it doesn't get bent, I just need to remember its here". Well 2 months later I forgot where here is, if anyone remembers where I left it, let me know. Thanks

 

Glad it helps a bit Rescue. I am happy I can finally give something back to the forum after getting so much great advice.
I hide stuff like that all the time, you may as well just go buy another one!
Amazing for me how something can't get lost in a two car garage!
Its crazy.

 

thanks, i believe i will be buying a new piece, i priced them nust above $100.00, but once i buy the new one, I'll find the original

 

Day 5 approx 3 hours

1. removed back trim (again)
2. cut back vinyl around back window more carefully and glued vinyl down
3. reinstalled back trim
4. used heat gun to flatten wrinkles

1. removed back trim
After putting the back window trim on to test fit, I removed it so that I could glue the edges of the vinyl down and stretch it as tight as possible. I had not previously glued this part as I wanted to just try the trim to see how it fit.

2. cut vinyl around the back window more carefully and glued vinyl down
I knew this would be one of the more difficult parts of the job as the vinyl needs to be cut fairly carefully around the back clips that hold the back window trim in. It is not a difficult job but honestly just takes a bit of time. I then masked most of the window and exposed vinyl so that I could spray the small edge around the window trim to glue down the vinyl carefully. I don't think I got any pics of this but it was pretty straight forward, just a bit time consuming. After the glue got tacky I pulled the edge bit of vinyl as tight as I could and pressed it around the corner next to the glass edge. I ended up getting glue on the window and the wrong side of the vinyl but mineral spirits removes it very easily so don't worry too much about that.

3. Re installed back trim
Same as earlier, not much to say here. It pops on very easily and is very simple once you have done it a couple of times.

4. Used heat gun to flatten the wrinkles

The heat gun has proved very valuable to get rid of any wrinkles that appear. Each day I go out to the garage wondering if the wrinkles will reappear but so far it is holding fairly well. The most difficult part to get looking flat it where the vinyl has been joined from the factory because it is so much thicker than the rest of the vinyl as it is doubled at the seam. This again is where a thinner vinyl would be much easier to work with.

 

Bumping this to the top > i'm going to start on mine next week and just read others need this thread

 

Nice job.

 

im painting my top the color of the car after this,,great job and write-up