Soft top

[sc1956]

Soft top needs recovering, last guy did a crappy job, and used white vinyl. 2 questions:

1. Where the window meets the frame toward the rear...how much space is between the window and that vertical rail?

2. How hard is it to recover (Stayfast)? I can't get anyone to touch it here for less than $1200 ! Personally, I'd rather destroy two, get it right the third time, and know how to do it when I'm done! Any advice/suggestions?

Thanks!
Stephen.

[nomadbird]

Stephen,

Sorry, I don't understand your first question. Actually, dimensions are secondary. What really matters is the relationship of the top to the closed windows and doors.

For your second question: I have never personally installed a soft top for a whole litany of reasons. Don't attempt to do it yourself. Plan on recruiting a friend who has a temperament and quality value similar to yours. An extra pair of eyes and hands are invaluable for this task. Wives don't count! Alimony sucks up too much money that should be spent on cars! If you have the top frame adjusted before you start, and are truly ready to start re-covering; you and your friend should be able to complete the job in 6-8 hours.

Warning: The majority of re-covered tops out there are incorrect in varying degrees. Finding a good example to follow, will be difficult. As you can see from your trim shop estimates, they use two persons full time on the installation.

Tom D.

[Ts & As]

Stephen

If your first question is the space between the bottom of the window and the frame rail that actually rests on the rear deck - 2". If you mean at the top of the window to the folding rail 2 1/2".

For what it is worth I have a 95 Audi Cabriolet Convertable as my summer daily driver. Just had the top replaced on it with Stayfast in black by a professional upholsterer & top man. Cost was $1,100 and he gave me a break because he also did my T-bird Seat cover installation. So your estimates are in the Ballpark.

I WOULD NOT (shouting as loud as I can) atttept the top myself. And I have done just about everything else on my own without knowing much about anything! The results are toooooo obvious if you know what I mean.

One last thing is your top black or white? I believe Stayfast is only available in black but I could be wrong!

Good Luck

Tom R.

[sc1956]

Good morning, guys. Thanks for the replies. That's the one drawback to this site, is that typically the traffic is much less than that on the others I frequent.

1. Dimensions. Assume the window is raised. I'm looking for between the window, at it's rear edge, and the vertical piece of top framing. Mine is only about 1/16", and I KNOW tolerances weren't good enough at that time for this to be intentional.

2. I'll probably try it myself, but that said I recovered my dash, my seats, arm rests, garnishes, and a number of boat biminis. This one will be stayfast black.

3. This is a new one. The last dimension I just realized may not be correct on my car is the positioning of the folding bows. Bows 1 (windshield) and 4 are obviously fixed. The question is, how many inches from the back edge of bow 1 to the center of bow 2, and then from the center of bow 2 to the center of bow 3?

As to Tom D's wife comment. I'm with you ALL THE WAY on that one. I can't paint a room with mine, it makes me nuts. I can't believe I was stupid enough to try to teach her to play golf a couple of years ago. $75 an hour for a pro seemed REAL cheap after that project got started!

Stephen.

[El Sol Infinito]

Sorry to get off topic, but...
What other forum sites for T-birds get more traffic?
Thanks.

[nomadbird]

Stephen,

You never specified what kind of soft top you were using. There is an early version, a late version and a couple different repros. All my dimensional replies will be based on late version stock tops. I'll give you a heads up here regarding window adjustments. You might find it necessary to start straightening the front pillar to facilitate window adjusting without binding. Advise you to not raise window all the way unless you're ready for a lot of work.

(1) Distance from back of door window to soft top frame = 1/2"

(2) Distance from back of #1
bow to center of #2 bow = 18 1/2" to 18 3/4"

(3) Distance from center of #2 bow to center of #3 bow = 18 1/2" to 19".

The dimensional variations are the result of measuring two different cars with both using late style production tops. I know little if anything, about earlier tops or repro tops.

Tom D.

[Ts & As]

Stephen

I installed a reproduction top made by Prestige Thunderbird in Sante Fe Springs CA. If that is what you have (should be a tag on the bow over the windshield above the mirror) let me know and I'll take measurements tonight. Fits great and is supposed to be the closest of them all to original set-up.

Tom R.

[sc1956]

Tom-

Thanks, but I've got an original top. Sometimes I'm not sure if that's actually a good thing or a bad thing, but it's what I've got.

Stephen.