I need help with the top. A rip about 1.5 inches over the roll ball and smaller rips near where the top meets the door panel. Small rips near both doors.

Some questions :

1. Can I fix?
2. Does any shop offer a patch that looks OK?
3. What does a new top cost?

My car is an AP1 with glass.

Thanks in advance.

MR J

 

in on the same info...

 

1. Possibly but patch probably won't hold. Shoe goo might hold it.
2. You would probably want to just patch from INSIDE. Outside patch will look bad no matter what IMO.
3. Figure about 500-700 to install the top. Topsonline I think is where I bought mine. Got the same factory top material. http://www.topsonline.com/index.php?CarmodelID=7470 Robbins Brand $685.00 Black HV Denim

I was an AP1 with plastic and converted to glass. Very happy with results. Save up drop the money for a new top.

I have some of my old top in case I needed to cut it up for scrap later or put an extra layer of material on the inside. Or if someone really wanted some extra material of a top for a patch I could send it.

 

how much woul like cost, in your opinion, to get fixed the corner area which meets near the latches. Just the holes on the inside liner (plastic i think)...


any help will be appriciated.


thank you

 

Thanks all,

I am going with shoe goo, hope and saving for a new top next year.

Mr J

 

where in boston are you located I hae a small tear on my top where the drivers windown is clossest to the quart pannel...let me know how it works out for you.

 

I have a small rip in my top where one of the arms has been known to rub. When I bought the car I de-burred/sanded the arm smooth but the damage was already done. Last year I could see sunlight through it so it was time to patch. .

To fix it: I used a piece of black heavy duty cloth. In fact what I did was go to Building 19 and for like 3 bucks picked up a small black bag with some company's logo on it. Used the side without the logo for scrap fabric. I suppose you could also buy fabric at a fabric store.

So the problem with the location is that the roof support bars rub in the area when the top goes up and down which will eventually hit the edge of the patch and work it up. The trick is to make the patch long enough so that the bar never contacts the edge. So now I have a patch approx 3 inches wide, but maybe 6 inches long glued from the inside. I'll see about taking a pic later. Putting patches in other locations probably aren't nearly as a pain if they don't contact the support bars.

Also you need a good glue. I tried two other glues before finding one that worked. One was a spray adhesive which failed after a week. One was in a tube can't remember it, junk. The one that worked is called E6000. This glue has held my current patch for the last 6-8 months and through a NE winter. Highly recommended.

Granted my patch was small rip, by the time I patched it the tear it was only about 1/8" long. Not sure how well this will stand up to a bigger area. Then again, nothing to lose as you need a new top anyway.

The only issue with the patch is that you can tell from the outside it's there because over time it's made that area stiffer. But, as a short term solution it works. Eventually I will buy a replacement top but if this holds I'm fine with it for a few years even.