Fix'n to buy a top. So many vendors......

[whiterabbit]

My wife's car will be coming out of the paint shop in a few weeks and I want to surprise her with a new top. Nice shiny new metallic dark green paint with a tan top will be HOT!
I've searched the forum but most posts about tops are canvas vs vinyl. How about fit and quality? Vicks,IAP,AR,Convertible Tops Guys,Germanex,Worlduph, and probably quite a few others sell tops but none have detail shots of their products installed and most posts here say it's "still in the box" so it's difficult to judge fit and quality. You guys need to get out there and install the darn thing so I and everyone else can have a look! Post some pics of your new top and help me narrow my choices down.

[narfire]

Perhaps other vendors have it as well, but I see IAP has the ability to choose your car colour and then top colour as well.
http://www.international-auto.com/file_ ... /index.cfm

Try that and see if that helps.
Chris

[whiterabbit]

Gonn'a be a tan top but I'm trying to get a good quality one. Staying away from the ebay ones, have heard bad things about them. Leaning towards Convert top guys=5yr warranty.
Just wanting to get some input or pics of different tops mfg. and any issues.

[vandor]

With tops you get what to pay for. There is a lot of cheapies out there. IMO the two top brands are Robbins and GAHH. Both are companies that sell tops for high ends cars, as well as Fiats. We sell GAHH, and I've likely installed over 20 of their tops, and they always look good.
Some companies making cheap top offer long warranties on the material, making it seem like it's a quality product, but the stitching falls apart in 3-4 years.

[BEEK]

too bad amco still doesnt make tops, mine is 12 years old and still looks good

[PininF]

Just got mine delivered to OZ from EZ soft tops in the U.S, German Fabric is standard on all Euro convertibles (this is the best you can get) make sure you ask them for the German fabric as it will be a custom make. You could do it yourself as I attempted but after cutting off the old one I discovered how bad the frame was had to get it sand blasted and powder coated as rust was well and truly eating it away ...Its currently at an auto trimmers being fitted as the job is far more complex than I thought it would be.
Cheers

[spidernut]

I have a World Upholstery top in black on my 79 that is now 10 years old. One of the convert. top bows is just starting to break loose. It can easily be re-glued. Stitching is perfect still. Window is crystal clear...vinyl has held up exceptionally well and still looks new. Fit was an 8 out of 10 only due to a very, very slight pucker in the vinyl that eventually stretched out and disappeared. It was their cheapest vinyl top they carry and I'm very happy with it. Car is garaged every day.

I also have a Germanex vinyl top in tan on my 80 which I've had for almost a year. Overall fit is a 10 out of 10. The mounting points are definitely superior to the World Upholstery top. I installed it in less than two hours and it is awesome. It was also their least expensive top and I bought it on sale for $165 if I remember right.

I'd personally buy the Germanex top over the World Upholstery top. Both were excellent tops, but the Germanex mounting points were so much better. I've seen more expensive vinyl tops, but none were any better than the Germanex one in my opinion.

This is the Germanex top one day after installation:

[Danno]

I have an eBay one. I put it on 6 years ago or so. I bet if you do a search you could find my post.

I find the quality to be very good, but I find the fit to be less than desirable. It pulls at the rear near those little piecs of glass that fold down when you put the top down. And on the front bow, the seam isn't forward like it should be, it aims upwards a little and looks plain goofy. This hasn't impacted the seal, but it does make it hard for me to lock the top down due to tension.

My other qualm is with the clear plastic. My isn't cloudy, but very susceptible to micro scratches. My car lives outside uncovered, so I cannot blame the top alone, but I wonder if the nicer tops would be less likely to scratch as many have reported.

If someone is on a budget and they need to protect the interior of their car I highly recommend the eBay one. Better a cheap top than a leaky top with possibly no window.

HOWEVER, if you want it to look and perform the best, then I'd go the vendor route. I think you'll find that several vendors get high reviews.

[Danno]

Ok. Forword on the following pictures:
The picture of the flap at the rear represents the worst condition it generally gets in. I occassionally have to work it back into position and ticghten things up, but it is something that happens and it is a pita. My point is that it looks fine after I force it back, but I imagine a nice top doesn't have to be forced back every once in a while.

The second picture is to show the front bow fitting. It looks slightly worse than normal because the rubber stuck to the windshield frame on a hot day this year and yanked the screws right threw the rubber, so it's not attached to the top anymore. I need to fix it, because it's a pita to try to wedge a free piece of gasket rubber on there while clamping down the top.

[whiterabbit]

I've heard good thing about the regular Fiat vendor's tops here but it's the little things that is hard to nail down like the side window over flaps, stitching, enough material on the inner rear flaps, Velcro, eyelets for the side "special" cables,fit, etc...
I've had one bad experience with a top for a Pontiac and don't want to go down that road again. Lots of cussing, phone calls, and finally a gallon of gas and a match!
Again, safe to say I haven't heard any bad comments about the regular Spider parts guys here. A good top is one of the VERY most important parts on our convertibles if you don't want a rusted out car. I've dealt with dripping, flapping,poor fitting,whistling tops before. No fun.
Keep the pics and descriptions of your tops coming!
Thanks!

[whiterabbit]

Hey Danno. The top that's on the wife's car does the exact same thing! Rear corners pull up and the frt seam is way high. Plus it has a few holes,seams coming undone,faded,few small holes,frayed, and on and on.

[spidernut]

If the lower corners of the convertible top lift away from the rubber strip behind the rear window, your top is not installed correctly or the cable has torn through the pocket that holds the cable along the convertible top edges. Here's how to correct the problem if it is an installation issue:

1. The side cable goes through a grommet at the rear of the convertible top canvas. (cheap tops don't have the grommet)
2. The cable should then go through a hole in the small tab that is tucked inside the passenger compartment see photo, then through the anchor point that holds the cable tension.



3. If the cable does not run through the hole in the metal tab, it will pull away from the window. This photo shows
how tight the top is pulled against the window when the cable is run properly. In this photo, the top isn't even secured at the windshield and the top is pulled tight against the glass.



I have seen cars that the tab was bent under or the cable was not properly routed through it.

Regarding the leading edge of the convertible top flipping up like a bad hairdoo, that can also be corrected. The top must be removed from the header bow, repositioned and glued back in place with contact cement. If glued properly when installed the top won't pull backwards causing the curled up leading edge. It will make the top slightly tighter, but it will stretch out and fit right with time and warmth.

[whiterabbit]

Her top is dry rotted and torn where the cable comes out to go through the tab. I've tried to tighten it up a bit but it's literally coming apart at the seams.
I took the slack outt'a it once. I think the little tab has come loose so I'll have to spot weld or steel rivet it back on.

[Danno]

Regarding the leading edge of the convertible top flipping up like a bad hairdoo, that can also be corrected. The top must be removed from the header bow, repositioned and glued back in place with contact cement. If glued properly when installed the top won't pull backwards causing the curled up leading edge. It will make the top slightly tighter, but it will stretch out and fit right with time and warmth.

Time and warmth may help with some, but not with an eBay special, they are just TOO tight.

[seabeelt]

Danno, Not to bash a vender, but who was the supplier of the ebay purchase? I am assuming that it is a Hartz by the look of it. Getting ready to do one myself over Christmas vacation and would rather spend a bit more than have install issues
Many Thanks