[FrayAdjacent]

I got the top installed this weekend. It was a heck of a job. I'll detail some experiences and advice for those who want to do their own top install:

- Removing the old top - Not very difficult at all. I had the old top off within 2 hours. PAY ATTENTION to where everything went! I got a little confused on the rear bow, but figured it out.

- the plastic 'slider' things in the B pillar... JUST BUY A NEW SET. About $40 for the full set from my dealer. The plastic gets brittle with age, and will most likely break in a couple places.

- Once the old top is off, and you're transplanting the aluminum plates to the new top: get some clamps, probably 6 to 10 of them. GLUE the top to the plates (on the side/strip that the screws go through) and use the clamps to hold it while it sets. Let the glue set for a few hours. You might also check into getting a small hole punch to punch the screw holes in the canvas, so it's easier to match up with the plates.

- On the Robbins top: There is no preparation on the front edge - it's just canvas. Once you have the side plates on the top, and the glue has set, you can put the top on the car. Stretch the front edge of the top over the front of the frame and glue it to the frame, and use your clamps to hold it.

- regular old double sided tape doesn't work very well at all. I couldn't find any automotive double sided tape, so I used Gorilla Glue, which holds well, and should be easy to separate later if need be.


Plan on a LONG day to do all of this. Let the glue set for a long time to make sure that it's firm. DON'T RUSH.

Make sure the back of the top is centered. I did not have it centered, and it started to bunch up on one side.

I don't have any pictures yet, as I got the top finished up yesterday evening, and the weather is CRAP today. It rained last night and this morning, and the top did not leak, which is a good thing!

I am going to take the car to an upholstery shop to have them refit it. I didn't quite get it right on the sides of the top frame... plus they can stretch it out for me. (the top is VERY TIGHT when you go to close it!)

Also, the glass window is VERY nice to have, it's very easy to see through compared to the old top with it's foggy mucked up plastic window. However, the top of the window sits about an inch lower than it would need to be to see very clearly out the back. This MIGHT be resolved with some stretching of the canvas, so we'll see!