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Convertible Top Installment - Automotive Plastic SurgerySince We'll Occasionally Go Topless, We Wanted To Have A Good One! From the March, 2009 issue of Mopar Muscle By Dave Young Photography by Dave Young
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Replacing your Mopar's convertible... Replacing your Mopar's convertible top is easy and less expensive than you might think. Follow along and we'll show you how it's done. We love driving our Mopars around, and when the weather is nice we enjoy the ride with the top down. Convertible Mopars aren't for everyone, but if you like the wind in your hair and don't mind getting caught in the occasional downpour with the top down, they can be a lot of fun. Since Chrysler only made a limited number of these drop-top machines during the musclecar era, convertibles generally have good collector value in addition to simply being a cool ride. While there's no doubt a convertible gets attention, especially with the top down, there are some misconceptions about cars with convertible tops. The first misunderstanding is that these cars always leak. While older cars with weathered tops and worn weatherstripping can certainly be prone to leaks, a convertible car with a properly fitted new top and new weatherstripping will seal its occupants from the elements as well as any other old Mopar. Another fallacy about convertibles is that the top mechanism is complicated and often doesn't work properly. In actuality, the convertible top mechanism is simply a frame of metal and hinges on which to install the canvas top. Though some convertibles came with manually actuated tops, most Mopars produced in the '60s or later had electrically powered, hydraulically actuated tops. Though a power top is slightly more complicated, it's also a far more convenient way to get the top up and down, especially in a sudden rain shower. You might recognize the '67 Barracuda we're working on from previous articles or even our Rare Finds section. Having been stored outdoors in the Florida sun for ten years or more, the top on this convertible was dry, torn, and in some places nonexistent. Additionally, exposure to the elements had rendered the power top's hydraulic cylinders inoperable, so we'll need to address that issue as well. Fortunately, Paddock Parts had everything we needed for the installation, including a new top with premium rear window, a new well-liner, new boot cover, and all the hydraulic components to make the top go up and down correctly.  After sitting in storage lots...  After sitting in storage lots in the hot Florida sun for more than ten years, there's no doubt our Barracuda needed a new top. We actually began this job at the paint shop, not the upholstery shop.  The top cylinders are easy...  The top cylinders are easy to install, only being held in by one bracket and the bolt that attaches the cylinder to the top frame.  With our new components in...  With our new components in place, the new lines are installed. Now the reservoir can be filled with type F transmission fluid, and the top is actuated up and down to fill the cylinders and lines and purge air from the system. This will have to be repeated a couple of times until the reservoir remains full of fluid and all the air is purged.  The first step of our convertible...  The first step of our convertible top installation actually happened at the body shop. While the car was being painted, we had J.D. perform a couple of minor repairs, then strip and repaint the top frame. This procedure will make the car look much better when the new top is installed, and should be accomplished with the old top removed.  The old motor and pump unit...  The old motor and pump unit is simply held in place by rubber grommets. The new motor comes with new grommets and is a direct replacement.  Before taking the car to Emo's...  Before taking the car to Emo's Upholstery, we decided to install the hydraulic pump and motor, lines, and cylinders ourselves. We got the parts from the Paddock, and they were direct bolt-in replacements.  Before going any further,...  Before going any further, the new top is placed in the sun. This makes the top more pliable and easier to work with during the installation. Though it is possible to install a convertible top yourself in your garage or home shop, we hadn't done it before so we enlisted Emo's upholstery in Lakeland, Florida, for some professional assistance. Having an upholstery shop perform the work saves time since they have all the tools and equipment needed in house, and it can save money as well because the job will be performed correctly the first time. Convertible tops aren't that expensive, but having to replace one that you messed up installing yourself definitely costs more than paying a professional to do it right initially. Fortunately, our top frame structure was pretty sound, though faded with some surface rust. To make it look its best, we had our top frame stripped and painted satin black while our car was at J.D.'s Paint and Body Shop getting a paint job. If you don't have access to a body shop, don't worry. This step can also be performed in your driveway with sandpaper and spray paint, though the results may not be as nice. Overall, once our top frame was repaired and painted, it took less than a day to install the new hydraulic motor, lines, and cylinders; then it took the better part of a day for Emo's Upholstery to install the top, liner, and boot cover. Once finished, the difference was dramatic. The pieces from Paddock Parts were topnotch, constructed from heavy grade material that should stay looking good and last a long time. Even better, we can drive our car in the rain now without fear of getting soaked!  The new top is stapled to...  The new top is stapled to a tack-strip at the rear bow, and our original tack-strip was in pretty bad shape. Fortunately Emo stocks this item for most popular cars and had it replaced in minutes.  While the top itself is only...  While the top itself is only attached to the front and rear bows, allowing it to fold, the pad is attached to all the bows and protects the new top on the bottom side.  With the tack-strip in place,...  With the tack-strip in place, Emo begins the top installation with the rear window panel. Since the rear bow determines the position of the window and the top, its position must be determined.  Rear bow position can be determined...  Rear bow position can be determined simply by where the old top was, if the old top is still on the car. Since ours wasn't, Emo looked up the dimension in a manual, then measured and used tape to hold our rear bow in the proper position.  At the rear, the window panel...  At the rear, the window panel and top are held in place by more tack-strips, which bolt into the car. To begin the installation, Emo finds the center of the window panel and lines it up with the center of the tack-strip, then temporarily staples it in place.  Some convertible top kits...  Some convertible top kits come with pads, and some don't. Since ours weren't included, Emo fabricated some from material he had at his shop.  The window panel is now installed,...  The window panel is now installed, again temporarily, to find proper placement. This is trial and error until the window panel is in the desired location.  Once the new top is centered...  Once the new top is centered and in the proper position, the center panel is marked on both sides. Now the rear tack-strip can be removed and the top stapled in place.  With the top stapled to the...  With the top stapled to the tack-strip, the strips can be reinstalled to the rear of the top well. Next, the top is centered and stretched forward so that the positioning on the front bow can be checked.  Once the window panel location...  Once the window panel location is determined, it's installed permanently by staples to the bottom tack-strip and rear bow.  It takes a lot of staples...  It takes a lot of staples to properly install a convertible top, so a pneumatic staple gun certainly helps.  With the rear window panel...  With the rear window panel installed, Emo now lays the new top in place to check for alignment and proper fit.  Once in position on the front...  Once in position on the front bow, the top is marked so it can be folded back for gluing. Industrial grade upholstery adhesive is then sprayed on the bottom side of the top and on the forward bow, and the top is affixed in place.  After a few staples are holding...  After a few staples are holding the top, dropping it slightly will help it be stapled more permanently. Again, lots of staples are used so a pneumatic staple gun is definitely an advantage.  With the top affixed to the...  With the top affixed to the forward bow, and the top closed and latched, the side tabs of the top at the quarter windows can be glued and attached in place. The side tabs as well as the forward area of the top will also be held in place by the molding that holds the weatherstrip in these areas, as well as the glue.  The slit at the rear bow is...  The slit at the rear bow is covered by the rear bow cover, which is stapled in place, then bent over with a soft hammer to form a water-tight seal. The ends are held in place with metal trim and screws.  Excess material is trimmed...  Excess material is trimmed off with scissors, and the installation is almost complete.  The rear bow is where everything...  The rear bow is where everything comes together. The top is made with extra material here, so the top is pulled together and stapled in place.  With the top down, the boot...  With the top down, the boot cover really gives the car a finished look.  With the top affixed in place,...  With the top affixed in place, the molding and weatherstripping can be reinstalled. Rather than put our used parts back in, we purchased new weatherstripping from Paddock Parts to ensure a good seal at the side windows and front bow.  With the top down, the boot...  With the top down, the boot cover can be marked and punched, and the snaps installed with the tool provided in the Paddock top kit. Now that this step is finished, we can finally call the job complete.  The new top should be kept...  The new top should be kept in the up position for 5-10 days, and left in sunlight as much as possible to stretch properly. Emo says if kept clean and parked inside, convertible tops should last 5 to 7 years in moderate climates. We think the new top looks great and we're happy we can finally drive our Barracuda without worrying about getting caught in the rain!  The well liner is held in...  The well liner is held in place by the back seat at its forward edge, and snaps into place onto the rear tack-strip around the sides to seal off the trunk compartment.
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