What Size Staples To Install A Convertible Roof

Installing a convertible top is not the blazon of project that y'all just make up one's mind to tackle on a whim; this is a serious task that takes a lot of time and attempt. Duct tape and hand-stitched repairs simply terminal and so long, and they really don't look skillful. Don't expect your starting time top install to exist perfect, it won't exist. We take had experts install tops that didn't come up out right. For the first-timer, you volition want to take your time and plan it out. To make it easier, nosotros went through the process on a 1964 Buick Skylark and noted a few tips and tricks that the pros utilize.

The number one tip for whatsoever convertible top is the height itself. You need to choose a quality brand from a reputable dealer. In that location are many peak manufacturers, but they are non e'er good quality. Nosotros sourced our acme from Twelvemonth One, which always uses quality stuff. Expect to pay 600-1000 for the elevation and rear window (they are not ever together, so make sure you lot enquire). Some of the better brands are Electron, Robbins and Kee. Another issue is the rear drape, otherwise known as the rear window. There are ii main types, glass and clear vinyl. Both are available for many cars, but the manufacturing plant used one or the other. For case, 1968-1972 GM A-bodies all had glass rear defunction, but the 1964-1967 models used plastic windows, some had zippers, some did not. You lot need to research your particular model to know what it is supposed to take. The clear vinyl windows yellow and crack over fourth dimension, just they also don't break like the glass windows can.

Installing the top takes time, effort, and some tools. The main tools you need are an air-powered terminate-staple gun (use brusque 3\16" or one\8" staples!) and an air mucilage-gun. You can utilise a cheap siphon-feed gun for the glue, which you can buy at just well-nigh any upholstery shop. You can buy a gallon of glue, merely unless y'all are going to do a lot of upholstery, it will just go bad afterwards six months and it is expensive. Other than that, basic hand tools like screwdrivers, a straight pick (for finding trim holes) and some good scissors are all you lot demand.

Some other helpful tool that you might desire to cheque out is the installer volume for convertible tops. You will likely take to cheque with your local upholstery supply house to find i (peradventure you can get a copy of the page you need), merely this will accept all of the pertinent specs for installing the top, such every bit trim locations and measurements. Some cars have a floating rear bow, which is the concluding bow at the dorsum of the top that rests under the rear deck. This is either a solid, non-moving piece that bolts downward, or it floats. Before you remove anything, yous need to measure out this (at least three times in every bit many places) and mark the torso where it rests. Once you lose this measurement, you have to accept the in a higher place book to find that spec.

Expect to spend at to the lowest degree i whole day, probably two if it is your offset, on the installation. Take your fourth dimension and don't become rushed, it will evidence. You volition likely have to adjust and re-staple along the way, and so only use a few staples until y'all know how it all fits together, then y'all tin make your final assembly. If you are patient and pay attention, your new top volition expect bully.

01. Earlier doing anything to the machine, the new top needs to be stretched out. Sitting folded in a box puts a lot of creases and wrinkles in the top. The best fourth dimension to do this is on a warm mean solar day, cold vinyl is hard to work with. We used some bungees and clamps to go the superlative back to the approximate shape.

02. Inside the shop, the rear drape was laid out on the assembly table. Some defunction accept zippers, and then the right orientation is important.

03. Some other key characteristic for a new summit is the weatherstripping. While your stripping may be good, replacing it will give y'all a tighter summit-to-trunk fit, which is ever better than loose and leaky.

04. One of the about often disregarded areas is the elevation frame itself. Pooling water and debris can eat away at the basis for your top, which is not practiced at all. The top frame on this Skylark was in decent shape, just we had to clean upwards some scale and supplant the tack strips.

05. The lower top bow was removed from the car and the well liner stapled in place. As long as it is centered, it will piece of work well. The rear curtain needs to be lightly stapled in place, centered besides.

06. Before the rear drape was installed, the height of the rear top bow is measured. This can motility around, and then it needs to be set up at the proper altitude, otherwise, the pinnacle will be either too tight or as well loose. This is usually done before the top is removed; otherwise, the pinnacle book is needed. You can also search forums for assistance.

07. Next, the meridian pads were stapled in place. From the rear forrad. The pads open up, exposing the eye liner, where it should be stapled, then the cover is laid over the center and spray glued in place.

08. Side by side the lower bow is mounted in place, and the curtain laid over the upper rear bow. You can use spring clamps to concord information technology in place during the alignment process. A few staples at the corners to hold it tight are and so installed. The rear curtain is covered by the top, so information technology doesn't have to exist perfectly centered, but information technology needs to be tight.

09. The top was laid over the frame and adjusted to fit. This is the most time consuming part of the install. The lower bow is removed to secure the lower department of the summit.

10. You really need two sets of hands for this project, ane to stretch, the other to staple and adapt.

11. On some tops, at that place are two small slits in the top, near the upper rear bow. These can create some problem. Non all tops have these, simply this is a KEE top, which is an OEM supplier. You demand to centre these over the bow then that they will be covered by the trim.

12. Some tops apply cables to support the sides of the cloth. Nosotros reused the original cables, but getting these downwards the sewn-in pocket was difficult. Using a string as a leader, tied to a strong wire, like a coat hanger, makes this much easier to thread.

xiii. Once through the pocket, the cable was screwed into the top frame.

14. The front end side of the top pads were trimmed to fit with scissors, and so a couple layers of duct tape were used to smoothen out the seam. This makes for a amend transition, which looks much better when the acme is installed.

15. Next, the front border of the top is stretched and wrapped tight to the header bow. You have to test the tightness forth the way. A good play tricks is to use a paper-thin box, almost viii-inches or so, between the summit frame and the windshield, putting some slack in the top frame. This yields a tight meridian without existence too tight when the top is clamped close.

16. Once the forepart of the top is tight, the wrinkles take some time to work out. The sides of the top will have some wrinkles, just expect it. You lot will have to the take the slack out, and ofttimes you lot have to pull the lower bow and re-staple it.

17. Stapling the upper rear bow is a tricky spot. You practise non want to have to take these out, considering and then you have trivial holes in the elevation. Yous may accept to, so exist careful.

18. Underneath, at that place are several sleeves that hold bars that bolt to the inner bows between the front and rear bows. There are usually ii or 3 of these.

19. The sides accept extra material that needs to be glued to the inner frame. This is critical for a final terminate, don't merely cut it off.

twenty. In one case glued, a pick was used to find the screw holes for the new weatherstripping, which is held in place with screws.

21. For the GM A-body, the rear bow trim is positioned 8-inches down from the seam on each side. We marked this with chalk.

22. Then the trim is stapled in place. Practise NOT install this trim backwards; it folds over to the rear. If you flip it, the wind will open it up.

23. A soft hammer is used to knock the trim downwardly. It is kind of goofy, but this is the factory solution. It looks good once installed.

24. So the stainless trim was installed with the supplied spiral. You commonly take to order this new; the top does not come with it. You can use the one-time ones, but they are unremarkably beat upward and non in great shape.

25. The last footstep is the staple on the front header trim. This is fabricated of a thick circular cord wrapped in top vinyl. Only go along it even and clean and you are good to go.

26. The completed installation looks great. Another trick that yous should know is to proceed the top upwardly for at to the lowest degree xxx days after the install. This lets the superlative set its shape. Dropping it sooner frequently results in wrinkles and creases that are difficult to become out. As well, never keep the peak downwardly for 24-hours straight.

Sources:

Year One

https://world wide web.yearone.com/

What Size Staples To Install A Convertible Roof,

Source: https://streettechmag.com/2015/04/29/pro-convertible-install-tips-and-tricks/

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