[jwillman]

All,

Has anyone tried a top replacement? Are there any DIY instructions available? Has anyone bought the tops from the ebay seller ($389)?

Thanks
Jim

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[flash]

do a search here - there is an entire section dedicated to the the cab top - the manual is posted there

beware of cheap tops - i've seen some that don't fit well

this is a fairly involved process, and tensioning the cables and adjusting the motors precisely is critical

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[jwillman]

<!--quoteo(post=76422:date=Jul 30 2009, 09:03 AM:name=flash)-->QUOTE (flash @ Jul 30 2009, 09:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->do a search here - there is an entire section dedicated to the the cab top - the manual is posted there

beware of cheap tops - i've seen some that don't fit well

this is a fairly involved process, and tensioning the cables and adjusting the motors precisely is critical<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Thanks,

I downloaded the top manual and reviewed but was hoping someone had a step by step for the actual removal and replacement versus piecing the process from the manual which does a great job of care and maintenance.

Still a newbie and not sure if I have search rights yet

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[flash]

you do have search rights

there are 2 manuals - if that one is not sufficient, i have another that is longer, but it is too large to post here - i will try to figure that out today

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[jwillman]

I did download the manuals but the don't seem to give replacement instructions.
Jim

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[flash]

the 27 page manual assumes you have done tops before, and know basic upholstery technique

the 71 page manual for the S2 has many more details on other parts of the car, and a few more on the top itself, but still assumes that you know how to install a top

this really is not a DIY job - there is one guy i know of who has done it himself, but i have not see the work, so i cannot comment on how well it went - i spoke with him briefly a while back, and he says it's fine, but i don't have any details (what top he used, how much work he had to do, etc)

seriously, the risk of screwing it up is huge - the cost can be even bigger - once a top has been creased, if it leaks or is not fitted correctly, you are screwed - it will never look right afterward

if you mess up the tensioning and motor synchronization, you could break a bow, and be starting all over from scratch, including having to buy a new top again

if you've never installed a top before, i would not recommend learning on this one - start with something simple like an MG or a Triumph

also, unless you bought a Robbins top, you will be doing some custom fitting anyway - the other tops don't fit exactly right, and need a tweak here and there - the GAHH is close, but still fits differently than the original Robbins - i've seen some that only needed minor work, and some cheap ones from ebay that needed to go under the sewing machine - again, something that an upholsterer knows how to do, but isn't in any manuals

i've installed tops before, and am generally not afraid of any job, but this one i leave to the professionals - it is not expensive to have them do it, labor generally being only about $500, and then you have somebody taking responsibility for the work if it goes bad

i've had many different convertibles over the last 30 years, and cannot begin to tell you the value and driving satisfaction of a properly installed top, and the pain and annoyance of one that isn't

good luck

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[bva]

any recommendations for an installer in so-cal area? i talked with 2 shops in the SB area that wanted $1300 to install, not including the cost of the top.

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[94SilverCab]

Jim,

I gotta say, if Flash thinks this is a job for a pro, then unless you run a top shop you should probably search one out. Not much he isn't willing to get his head around...

Best of Luck!

Jay

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[flash]

bva - ring me up - i have 2 for you, both well below that

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[jwillman]

Flash and all. Thanks for the time and invaluable advice. Sounds like I need to bite the bullet and pay the professional.

Jim

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[flash]

having taken the top half apart and put it back together myself in preparation for painting (no idea what i was getting myself into), i can say that it has got to be the most complicated one i have ever seen - clips and screws hiding where you can't get them, crazy alignment and tensioning procedures, ridiculous risk of bow breakage if you get it wrong, yada yada

the $500 labor to let somebody else take that responsibility is well worth it to me

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[Greystone]

Cab top headliner issue.

 

I am fiddling around with my headliner.  It is sagging, especially over the driver head.  I notice that there is u-shaped stitching right about the driver head as if it was designed to be somehow attached and held up a little higher to give more clearance at the driver head.  Anyone have insight about this area?

 

joe

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