RED86RAGTOP

Hey all, new to forum and already have a question! I would like to replace the top on my 86 convertible and was wondering what material everybody prefers. Do you convertible guys go with the original pinpoint vinyl, or use the stayfast cloth? Is the stayfast worth the extra dough ? My top is actually in pretty good shape except for the faded rear window, and I haven't seen any way to replace just the window. Also, is it a big PIA to replace the top yourself, or would you recommend having a pro do it ( never done one before!)?

Thanx for any help,
Dennis

92LRC

I wouldn't take on the job of replacing the top myself. Unless you have unlimited patience along with all the right tools you're better of having an upholsterer do it for you.

I just purchased a replacement stay fast top. The top the car came with (I'm pretty sure it was an after market put on by the previous owwner) was the vinyl and I hate the way ot looks. The stay fast looks much better.

I bought the top on e-bay and I'm having it installed this week.

Good luck

zr1fred

Definately the cloth!

VenkmanP

Original was cloth, not vinyl.

creoleman

Stay with the cloth, it's more Moola but you'll be glad with the better-looking results!

Road Agent

RED86RAGTOP

OK, it's the stayfast cloth! Does anybody know a good upholsterer in the southern NH area?

92LRC, did you by any chance buy from this guy? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Corve...spagenameZWDVW

sonomacrew01

If you are willing to travel the distance, I had Jeff from J.C. Auto Top and upholstry domine on my 93. He is located in Blackstone, MA. He's about 1 hour from manchester (manch vegas). He is also knowledgeable about the rear glass retrofit.

(508) 883-1379.
315 Main St, Blackstone, MA

92LRC

I got it from this one.

http://stores.ebay.com/Topsonline

Now, like I said I haven't gotten it on yet but Just from looking at it the quality is real good and the material looks great.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out. I'll be posting my before and afters in the next week or two.

89vert

I went from vinyl to stafast cloth. I bought the top from a local trim shop and had them install also.

From this.


To this


Hope this helps. Tim

Mark_Sheehy

You should try a search of the forum before paying someone else to do this. Mark Woodworth offered to make copies of a video he had and send it out, so I took him up on it. I was leery before seeing the video, but after having seen it I would try this myself before paying someone else to do it. Patience is a huge necessity and being sure of the fit and placement before gluing is important, but it is doable. I went through the video and documented the steps, text below. I don't have a way to copy videotapes, so can't help you there.

Installing a new convertible top on a C4 Corvette
These steps were translated from a video I received from Mark Woodworth on installing a new convertible top on an 86-93 C4 Corvette. He got the video from someone else, didn’t tell me who, but kudos to them! In this video they also replaced the headliner, some steps may be peculiar to this only, judge for yourself. You don’t have to replace the headliner if you don’t want to. I have not changed my top yet, so I can’t vouch for these instructions, they are only as good as the video I got them from.

Tools: Scissors, Hammer, pliers, screwdrivers, a scraper about ½” to ¾” wide would be handy
I recommend you put some blankets on the exposed paint areas and the interior.
LABEL THE PARTS AND BAG THE SCREWS AS YOU REMOVE THEM!
The video said the contact cement was a 3M product, nothing else. One person said to use “3M heavy-duty trim adhesive” in the spray can (Don’t use the “General” type, only “heavy-duty”). Permatex makes a cheaper version in a spray can. 3M does make a contact cement called “FastBond”. Another person used the Black 3M weatherstrip adhesive with clamps until it dried.

REMOVING THE OLD TOP
1. Move the seats as far forward as possible. Leave clamshell up and fold top back into the compartment, but not all the way; it stayed halfway up in the video.
2. Standing in the car, start by removing the retainer on front bow by removing the screws, video started in the front driver corner and proceeded across the front.
3. Fold the top all the way down and start removing the weatherstripping, starting at the front side rail. He was jamming a flat-blade screwdriver under it with one hand and grasping and pulling it with the other, scraping with the screwdriver. If you are saving the weather stripping to reinstall later, be very careful.
4. Underneath the weatherstripping is a retainer that holds the top in place, remove the screws and then the retainer. Pry up and remove the small corner guard, no screws.
5. Unscrew and remove the front retainer that holds the headliner in place; he started in the front driver corner and proceeded across the front. Pry up and remove the front retainer (appeared you need to remove the headliner retainer to do this). Push the headliner down out of the way.
6. Using pliers, start peeling the front edge of the top off of the frame, then go around the corners about halfway down. DON”T REMOVE THE HEADLINER UNLESS IT HAS BEEN DAMAGED AND YOU WANT TO REPLACE IT.
7. With the top pulled back, unhook the wire pocket cable (about halfway down) on both sides; fold the top down all the way.
8. If you are changing the headliner, use a screwdriver to pry out the pressed-in strip that holds the headliner into the top bow.
9. Remove the screws that hold the top into the top bow. Once all the screws are removed, you can remove the top from the top bow.
10. Remove the retainer from the old top pocket, appeared to be what the top bow screws actually screw into.
11. With the top still folded down, there is a small fastener at the bottom of the weatherstrip that needs to be removed (this would be the bottom corner of the back of the window). Then he started prying underneath the weatherstripping to get it off (as earlier). Remove the screws then the retainer (back of window); there was a screw on the very end so don’t miss it. OK if you need a screwdriver to pry out the retainer, but try not to bend it. Another series of screws to remove on the edge and another retainer to remove.
12. Slide the cable out of the wire pocket on the edge of the old top (above the window).
13. Top held open now so the actual bottom of the top that meets the car clamshell is straight up, with the cable removed you will be able to pull the top back; this will expose some fasteners you need to remove. Start by peeling the weatherstripping back (same way as earlier). Remove the screws that are holding the retainer in place and then remove the short retainer.
14. With the retainer removed, simply peel off the top from the rear top bow (he used a screwdriver in the very corner).
15. The top should be completely off now.

REMOVING THE OLD HEADLINER
1. Remove the screw in the very back corner holding the 2 pieces of headliner.
2. Remove the screws that hold the headliner to the rear bow.

INSTALLING THE NEW HEADLINER
1. Install the screws that hold the headliner to the rear bow. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!
2. Reattach the 2 rear pieces of the headliner with the rear corner fastener.

INSTALLING THE NEW TOP
1. He had a trigger gun with about an 8” wand with a brush on the end. The gun was filled with a contact cement of some kind, he said it was by 3M, should be suitable for fabric or vinyl, and didn’t give any names or part numbers. The idea is you apply the cement to both surfaces and allow it to dry.
2. Holding the headliner out of the way by pulling down on it a bit, he squeezed the trigger and spread the adhesive on the back edge of the bottom of the rear bow, and around and down the corner. He didn’t glop it on, but everything was well covered.
3. He then spread the cement inside the fold of the rear bottom of the new top. DON”T GET ANY CEMENT ON THE REAR WINDOW SINCE IT WILL DAMAGE IT! NOTE the top in the video had 2 flaps, put the cement on the one that will attach to the bow itself.
4. He then appeared to apply cement around the full surface all around the new top, inside the fold, but this later proved untrue.
5. Once both surfaces are dry, center the new top on the rear bow; the one in the video had the flap cut to signify the center. Once centered, pull down on the flap so the binding (or welt) is in line with the rear edge of the rear bow by pulling down on the rear flap until it won’t go any further. Work your way around the corner and then do the other side.
6. Once you have completed this trim off the excess material of the flap you just glued (and only that flap) with a sharp knife (he used an Xacto knife). Be careful you don’t slip and damage the top.
7. He then applied cement to the outside of the now-shortened flap glued to the bow as well as the inside of the wider flap that was left untouched.
8. With both surfaces (flaps) pressed together, trim off the excess material (same as earlier).
9. Apply weatherstrip adhesive in the rear channel of the entire rear bow (back and down the corners).
10. Line up the nylon studs on the weatherstripping and pop them in place. Press the remainder in place using a blunt screwdriver to push it down into the recess, kind of underneath it, not on the outside of the weatherstripping. Work your way around the entire rear.
11. Once complete, insert the retainer in the pocket on the top. Locate all the mounting holes in the retainer using an awl piercing the pocket through the top bow. Install one of the screws, center probably best and don’t over tighten. Install the rest of the screws.
12. Install the headliner to the bow, it snaps over the bow, twist it into place.
13. Install the cable through the pocket on the side of the top. Easier to pull wire using another piece of wire with a hook on it, snake this through first, attach the cable and pull it back through.
14. Install retainer into the next most forward pocket of the top. Repeat same procedure as before for mounting the retainer to the bow and snapping headliner into place.
15. Attach the front of headliner by putting retainer over it and using an awl to locate the holes; install the screws but don’t over tighten.
16. Spread cement over the front bow where the top will attach. He went around the corner a ways but didn’t go all the way to the end.
17. Install the cable to the top frame; insert the hook through the hole in the frame.
18. Spread cement on the top flap itself, a fairly decent coat since the top will tend to absorb the cement.
19. Once dry, pull the front top flap around the front bow lining up the binding (or welt) with the front edge of the bow, keeping it centered. It may be easier if you fold the top frame back a bit since that will create some slack in the top and make it easier to pull the top around the front frame.
20. Install the retainer on the front bow; don’t over tighten.
21. Front top of side window: Install the small retainer with the finger like tab on it that holds the front top tab in place (no screws), put the weatherstrip channel in place over it (with screws, don’t over tighten).
22. Apply thin bead of weatherstrip adhesive in channel and install weatherstripping by pushing in nylon retainer at bottom and then use a blunt screwdriver to push it down in the channel (same as before).
23. Latch the top to the car now front and rear.
24. Apply cement to the side window rear surfaces.
25. Once dry, pull the top around and line up the binding on the corner of the frame, kind of fits at the side of the frame. Make sure to push the top flap in all the way (he carefully used a screwdriver to get into the corners). Trim off the excess material.
26. Install the retainer (use an awl to make the holes) using the screws; don’t over tighten.
27. Unlatch the top front and rear and lift the clamshell. Put the top down completely.
28. Install the weatherstrip channel (back of side window); don’t over tighten the screws.
29. Put a bead of weatherstrip adhesive into the channel and install the weatherstripping same way as before using a screwdriver to tuck it into the channel.
30. Put the top up and latch front and rear and look at final fit of the new top.

RED86RAGTOP

Thanx for all the info guys Before I buy a top though, I'm going to try a vinyl polishing kit first. Thanx to bobhall for the tip on polishing kits!

trulytex

When I bought my 1990 Polo Green Vert, it had the Saddle color Vinyl top, which was pretty worn and started falling apart. I chose to go with the Stayfast Cloth top because I thought it looked richer. Although the Cloth top is not made in the Saddle color, I went with the Tan which is somewhat lighter and I really like it. It was $100 extra for the cloth and well worth it in my opinion. I had it installed by a professional upholstry shop and had them also replace the weatherstripping with Genuine GM parts that I provided.

idcard

You maybe able to replace it yourself. I was looking at an old Eastwood catalog and noticed PN 31330 Convertible Top Installation Video $49.99 looks like a VHS tape but maybe in DVD by now. If you do it yourself, you can repair any rust or other defects and trust the repairs job was completely done.

idcard

I forgot WWW.eastwood.com or 800 345-1178

92LRC

Here's how the stay fast cloth top came out.

http://home.earthlink.net/~servic/92...ter/index.html