Anybody needing any advice on a convertible top replacement?

jacks87ponycar · Jun 8, 2022

I bought my dads 87 Mustang over 20 years ago. When I finally was able to put some time and money into her, one of the most important things to replace was the convertible top.
I bought a vinyl replacement top (I really wanted cloth but at the time they were hard to find) thinking all the while I was going to do it myself.
After seeing several video's of mostly amateur's installations and seeing how they looked after they were done, I decided to pay a pro. HOLY COW, I got quotes of $1,800-$2,200 and they were so booked up it was going to take 2 months to get on the schedule.
So I said to myself, what do I have to loose? The replacement top was relatively cheap, $320 or so and I purchased a headliner which the car never had.
So if anybody is interested, I learned from trial and error how to install this top.
Let me know.

Potomus Pete · Jun 8, 2022

I had the same story as you. Especially with the two thousand dollar price. Did it myself, and came out well.

ReefBlueGT · Jun 10, 2022

Would be interested to hear how long it took you, what tools/supplies you had to buy, and what advice you have for someone considering doing it themselves. My new cloth top is a few years old now, still in great shape. But keep having issues with the seal at the top edge of the glass; and I don't not think it's the shop's fault for how they installed the top and placed the window piece, despite what they say. So I'd consider doing it myself next time, especially with how expensive the labor is compared to how relatively cheap the replacement tops are.

Potomus Pete · Jun 10, 2022

The new top comes with marks that line up with factory marks that will still be on your car. My top took about ten hours to install, but I worked very slow. Taking my time was very important for an amature. I got a DVD from LMR. The great part was I got my vynle top with glass from Car Tops com. for $250 on a Black Friday deal. Just needed an air stapler that works with a small compressor. The kind you blow up tires with...As to the leaks up top/front I got the new rubber header, but it still leaks a little

MUSTANGJOE · Jun 10, 2022

It must be a really hard or time consuming install, the shops around my area don't even touch foxbody tops

Mstng93SSP · Jun 11, 2022

It's not really that bad. They just don't know these "old" cars and it probably scares them. I did my first one in one day. Not like a 12 hour day, but a good solid 8 hour day. The next one I did was faster as I already knew the tricks. The good thing is if you have wrinkles, all you need to do is pull the tacking strips, unstaple, pull the material, re-staple and check for wrinkles. Doing it yourself allows you infinite time to adjust to your liking. If a shop does it, and there are wrinkles, it's back and forth, drop the car off, pick it up, hope it's fixed, endless cycle. I prefer to do things myself.

limp · Jun 11, 2022

Mstng93SSP said:
It's not really that bad. They just don't know these "old" cars and it probably scares them. I did my first one in one day. Not like a 12 hour day, but a good solid 8 hour day. The next one I did was faster as I already knew the tricks. The good thing is if you have wrinkles, all you need to do is pull the tacking strips, unstaple, pull the material, re-staple and check for wrinkles. Doing it yourself allows you infinite time to adjust to your liking. If a shop does it, and there are wrinkles, it's back and forth, drop the car off, pick it up, hope it's fixed, endless cycle. I prefer to do things myself.

That looks awfully nice to me,

Monday · Jun 11, 2022

When I put a new top on, I made a deal with an Upholsterer and we agreed on 400$ for the whole job. Thing was I disassembled the top myself; bought all the supplies; and finished the job after it was re-installed.

Top: 250$
Supplies: 70$
Upholsterer: 420$

The supplies were staples. contact cement, and Truck Canopy Liner (double-sided) and a socket. Took three days.

I am still really happy with the whole job. It seemed overwhelming at first, but I kinda learned from other seemingly impossible jobs that you just gotta suckitup and take the first big step, then the rest is just momentum. Got that first twelve point off and it was off to the races.

I also was quoted 1100$ to 2100$ from shops.

Blueinfan · Jul 20, 2022

jacks87ponycar said:
I bought my dads 87 Mustang over 20 years ago. When I finally was able to put some time and money into her, one of the most important things to replace was the convertible top.
I bought a vinyl replacement top (I really wanted cloth but at the time they were hard to find) thinking all the while I was going to do it myself.
After seeing several video's of mostly amateur's installations and seeing how they looked after they were done, I decided to pay a pro. HOLY COW, I got quotes of $1,800-$2,200 and they were so booked up it was going to take 2 months to get on the schedule.
So I said to myself, what do I have to loose? The replacement top was relatively cheap, $320 or so and I purchased a headliner which the car never had.
So if anybody is interested, I learned from trial and error how to install this top.
Let me know.

WOW! I'm looking on installing mine. Can you sure what issues you ran into and what to do and not to do?
Where did you buy the top and the boot, did you need anything else and how much?

Info will be much appreciated.

Thank you for your time. This is my project.

i have the top down because the entire top is off.

I've replaced everything inside.

Anybody needing any advice on a convertible top replacement?

jacks87ponycar

Member

Potomus Pete

I'm still waiting for the fully nude shots

ReefBlueGT

Potomus Pete

I'm still waiting for the fully nude shots

MUSTANGJOE

Silver Stanger

Mstng93SSP

You have a nice rear end there Dave.

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

Monday

Member

Blueinfan

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Anybody needing any advice on a convertible top replacement?

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I'm still waiting for the fully nude shots

I'm still waiting for the fully nude shots

Silver Stanger

You have a nice rear end there Dave.

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

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