NotExactly

My top is old and it's got a few small tears. I've been shoe gooing it up every now and then to keep the rain out, but that's not going to work forever. I'd rather have a good top in place before winter sets in as I park it outside.

What replacement tops are recommended? I know there are vinyl and cloth tops. I'm assuming vinyl is best for an outdoor car?

Any shops in the Boston area that you have experience with? I'd consider buying from them if it made the labor cheaper. I don't think I'll have the time to do the job myself, especially since I can't leave it in a garage. Allston Auto Tops has been mentioned in other threads, curious what people have to say about them.

What are good prices for tops and labor for this? Are there other things I should do (like file the little nub off that causes some of the tears?

Thanks!

EOE

I was too lazy to respond, still am... Fine I'll respond.

Get a robbins cloth top for amazing looks. (Mine is mint)
Get vynil if you are lazy
Get the top installed by Jeremy... Problem is, he is far away(NJ). However, that didn't stop me.

NotExactly

I think I'll go for vinyl since it's outdoors all the time.

How much does a top install typically run?

EOE

Realistically I'd expect $500-$600 for one of our fellow S2Ki members to charge. Some might do it for less however, dealers or upholstery shops can charge up to $1,000 or $1,200.

Cloth has been a bit of a pain because things stick to it. But i'm okay with that though. My car doesn't have a garage and is always parked under a tree.

Lainey

We had the top installed for $600.00 by an upholstery shop.

Tkacs

We bought a vinyl top from Robbins, didn't even think to try cloth..DUH.

The guy did a good job, even added some interior patches on the spots where the top tends to wear out. The guy was an older guy, small shop, not fancy at all, but he's been in the business for years.

Top replacement is a ton of work. Don't expect to get out on the cheap. Not worth it.

NotExactly

I know it's a lot of work, but I wanted to get an idea of how much it should cost. How much was yours at Tkacs? What about the cost of the top? Given that it seems Robbins is the company to go with, is there a site where it's cheapest?

Lainey

The top was around $500.00, I don't remember where +1 ordered it from, but I'm guessing he shopped it around a bit. How much should the install cost? I'd say $600 and up

MR J

Hi,

I also had a new robbins top installed at Traks. They did a great install job in May of 2013. No issues since. I use the 303 for Marine tops and the water beads just like on the back of a duck.

MR J

2poor2mod

Dmitiry,

Thanks for the recommendation.

To the OP, most shops will charge around $1000 just for labor, but if there's a shop out there at $600 it may be worth checking out. As a former S owner myself, I was always cautious about who I let touch my car. I didn't want someone who knew nothing about the S working on it. Make sure to ask around before deciding to go with a particular shop.

As far as the top itself, check out www.topsonline.com and go with the Robbins Premium top in either cloth or vinyl. It will run you no more than $549 for the top.

Send me a pm if you have any other questions

Thanks

Jeremy

Lainey