Convertible Top Replacement
Team Owner
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 53,663
Likes: 5,601
From: Plantation Florida USAF(Retired) 1966-1990
U.S. Air Force
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Why don't you go to your your local dealership, and ask a service writer what upholstery shop they use for tops, repairs and replacement. You do know they don't do it there, they farm it out, to local shops, then go ask questions, check the place for cleanliness, the turn around time is usually 24 hours.
I also would replace the headliner when you have it done.
Good luck!
I also would replace the headliner when you have it done.
Good luck!
Pro
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 534
Likes: 162
From: Omaha, NE
Top
I just had a 92 done this spring. Labor was $900 at an Upholestry shop. I bought the top for $425, shipped to me. The top was a Robbins Brand Black Canvas one with a plastic window. I already had a convertible weather stripping set. It was another $260.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 30,427
Likes: 1,609
From: Outside the Quick Stop N.J.
When I had the top replaced on my 89 I had the shop do a glass window conversion. It does take up a little more room than the plastic window and requires a retrofit kit for older models, but I thought it was well worth it. IIRC everything cost me ~$1,600.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 18
Likes: 2
From: Turnersville NJ
Replaced my top about a year ago at a local auto/boat upholstery shop in Southern New Jersey - https://www.moorestownautoupholster.com/
Cost about $1,200 total, they reused the headliner which was still in great shape, but replaced the window weatherstripping / molding.
Cost about $1,200 total, they reused the headliner which was still in great shape, but replaced the window weatherstripping / molding.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,475
Likes: 270
From: Kingman AZ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Cruise-In VIII
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 14,664
Likes: 749
From: NEwhere Ohio
I had this done on my 1993 this past winter.
with me supplying the weatherstrip and glass window conversion kit, i paid about $1200
i had bought the hard to find discontinued kit to convert to a glass rear window like the 94-96 had.
i believe you could convert to a glass window without the kit, but the kit is desired bc it provides pads and stops for the rear glass window to ride on.
the installer noted my headliner was in good condition so he flipped over the headliner bc the other side wasnt faded.
the installer had a humble small shop in rootstown, ohio. He did a good job with the install and the rear glass window conversion kit (it didnt have good instructions)
what he did a bad job at was the weatherstrip installation.
i recommend doing this yourself. It can be done separate from the top install.
he did NOT do a good job removing /scraping the old weatherstrip glue out. Even though I told him too.
he also stripped and lost a couple screws from the weatherstrip retaining channels
frankly, no one cares about your car more than you do, so do the weatherstrip part yourself. Like I said, you gain nothing having it done at the same time.
with me supplying the weatherstrip and glass window conversion kit, i paid about $1200
i had bought the hard to find discontinued kit to convert to a glass rear window like the 94-96 had.
i believe you could convert to a glass window without the kit, but the kit is desired bc it provides pads and stops for the rear glass window to ride on.
the installer noted my headliner was in good condition so he flipped over the headliner bc the other side wasnt faded.
the installer had a humble small shop in rootstown, ohio. He did a good job with the install and the rear glass window conversion kit (it didnt have good instructions)
what he did a bad job at was the weatherstrip installation.
i recommend doing this yourself. It can be done separate from the top install.
he did NOT do a good job removing /scraping the old weatherstrip glue out. Even though I told him too.
he also stripped and lost a couple screws from the weatherstrip retaining channels
frankly, no one cares about your car more than you do, so do the weatherstrip part yourself. Like I said, you gain nothing having it done at the same time.
Last edited by dizwiz24; Jul 4, 2020 at 05:31 PM.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 252
Likes: 83
From: State Of No Return
Here is where to buy the how-to DVD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOKKDHXaIuc
It was helpful to have a second pair of hands here and there, but I don't remember it being an overly difficult job.
Doing it yourself may be worth investigating???