Convertible top replacement difficulty ?

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Mar 10, 2012 | 05:36 PM

martyp

Thread Starter

Intermediate

Joined: Mar 2012

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Convertible top replacement difficulty ?

Hi, I've searched through the threads but can't seem to find one on replacing the top on a '90 convertible? Just wondering how difficult it is ? I've heard it's pretty hard. There was a partial video on Utube, but it didn''t show much.

Mar 10, 2012 | 09:06 PM

MonteMike

Heel & Toe

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 16

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From: St. Albert Alberta

Did my 87 last summer. I bought a Stayfast Cloth top that came with the full length You Tube installation video which cover all C4 tops. I followed the instructions to a T and took my time over a weekend and was very happy with the results. The shops around here wanted $1000 just for labor so it was well worth the effort. Don't be afraid because it's not that bad of a job......

Mar 10, 2012 | 10:10 PM

martyp

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Thanks, maybe give it a try. they want the same herer.

Mar 11, 2012 | 12:23 AM

helphos

Burning Brakes

Joined: Nov 2009

Posts: 828

Likes: 103

From: Olney MD

new top

I did mine last year over a weekend. It was a lot of steps, but Corvette Fever had a detailed set of instructions that kept me on track.

I don't have any 'before' pics of the ratty tan top, but here's the new black top after installation- no leaks and looks 100% better:

I needed help for about 15 minutes during the install. My daughter kept the top still when I had to make sure that it was centered along the centerline of the car.
Weather's getting just right for such a project.

You can do it!!

Mar 11, 2012 | 06:42 AM

martyp

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Looks good, Thanks for the reply. Would you have any suggestions about where to buy one ? There's a ton of them on the internet & Ebay, I want a good top, but don't necessarily want to pay through the nose. I've heard there's some crappy ones out there.

Mar 11, 2012 | 10:26 AM

MonteMike

Heel & Toe

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 16

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From: St. Albert Alberta

I bought mine from a company called Autotops on Ebay.

Mar 11, 2012 | 02:01 PM

24695bob

Burning Brakes

Joined: May 2004

Posts: 1,201

Likes: 2

From: Frederick Md

Unless the C4 top s a lot easier to install then either a C2 or C3 I;d pay to have it installed by a pro...

I did my own on a C2 ..and while it looked good from 10 foeet away It was not nearly as good as it could have been...when I did my C3 I paid to have the job done and I paid to have another top put on my C2 a few years later..

CLOTH however should be easier then thee Vinyl used onthe C2 and C3 vettes...its all about being TIGHT and wrinkle free..

That said I sure have never paid anywhere close to $1000 in labor... I realize it been 10 to 15 years ago but labor was only 2 maybe 3 hundred bucks...

Bob G.

Mar 11, 2012 | 04:26 PM

helphos

Burning Brakes

Joined: Nov 2009

Posts: 828

Likes: 103

From: Olney MD

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyp

I got mine from a trim shop- They put an ad on Craigslist. Somebody had ordered a Haartz Stayfast top (from Easy-On, I think) and put a deposit down and never came back to have them install it. It's black cloth and stays really dry inside even when it's raining hard. I try to keep out of the rain, though! My AC is non functioning and the windows get fogged up when it rains.

Here's the link to the Corvette Fever Article I used:
http://www.corvettefever.com/techart...t/viewall.html

Don't forget to buy weatherstrip- It's not cheap and gets destroyed when you take your old top off. Wilcox sells it as a 7 piece kit.

I'm happy with Wilcox' quality weatherstrip and the StayFast Haartz top.

One tip- I took a shoebox and punched several rows of holes in it and poked screws in that to keep from losing them or getting them disorganized. When I removed the front bow screws for example, I put the first screw from the drivers side in the first (left hand) hole of the first row of the shoebox, and so on. That way different length screws don't get mixed up.
You'll be amazed at how many screws there are!! But this makes it easy to keep organized.
Read through the article several times to visualize the steps. I believe you can do as well as a professional if you take your time.

Good luck!