Convertible Top Lasted 1982 til Today

[tony barnhill]

Well, I went to put the top up on my 380SL today - ripped it! Its been down & stored in the boot for a couple of years...took the hardtop off over weekend...went to put top up because I'm going out of town for a few days....its the original German cloth top....dry rotted....riiiiiiiiiiip!

New, original German top is on order...car goes to my friend's upholstery shop this afternoon where he'll store it until top comes in...when I get back in a week, she'll be installed & be good to go for another 20+ years!

(but, you guys with LBC's should be happy about what our top's cost - I could buy 3 Robbins tops for an MGB for the cost of this one!)

 

[DrEntropy]

See my comment on the Benz 12-lunger over there>!!

 

[kennypinkerton]

mine too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

 

[tony barnhill]

& on the way to the upholstery shop a truck tossed a couple of rocks at my windshield....USAA is sending a glass guy over to upholstery shop Friday to install a new windshield....$800 & the glass guy said he was going to 'suck up' my $50 deductible - nice of him!

Not my day today!!

 

[kennypinkerton]

Ok... Seems like a bad day was had by all.

Sorry to hear about the top and the glass.

Tomorrow, I apply for the steelmill job, and take the other head off the toyota (as a might as well). Friday, I order the gasket set.

 

[William]

Tony, I've heard that there are (or were) cars like yours where the owners never took the hardtops off, ever. I would think that there's a lot of SL's with dry rotted ragtop material because of this.

Any truth to that, d'ya think?

-Wm.

 

[tony barnhill]

The doctor I bought mine from (original owner) never put the hardtop on & never put the convertible top up - he sold it to me because he only drove it around 800 miles a year...I've owned it 13 or so years & put the hardtop on every winter & only put the convertible top up if I let it sit outside overnight or we were on the interstate...

...however, my friend who owns the upholstery shop told me today that the worst thing I could've done to a canvas shop is leave it down in its little storage area under its boot over the winter....he said I should take the hardtop off & put the convertible top up when I store it over the winter....

 

[R6MGS]

Yeah...I always store any car with the top up.....The TR6 I just bought hasn't had the top up in years....apparently it's a new top....The first thing i am going to do when i get it is move it in the sun and carefully bring up the top.

 

[kennypinkerton]

I want a hardtop for the Alfa. Still looking.

 

[William]

I've sorta had issues with using the hardtop on the Miata over the winter. It's usually a bit stiff when I finally take the HT off in spring, and I have to wait for a nice, hot day where I can park in the sun. The material itself (vinyl) is still serviceable, but the heat last year turned my back window completely brown (it was getting bad, but it's pretty much clouded over now). I'm not looking forward to replacing the window. I'd like to just replace the whole ragtop, but I can't afford one, and don't have the skills and or confidence to do a whole top.

-Wm.

 

[tony barnhill]

My window was also brown from the heat of being stored in that hole called a 'boot'

Wm: contact me - you might be surprised at how affordable Miata tops are

 

[jayhawk]

[ QUOTE ]
the heat last year turned my back window completely brown (it was getting bad, but it's pretty much clouded over now). I'm not looking forward to replacing the window.
-Wm.

[/ QUOTE ]


I replaced the rear window on the Miata I had a couple of years ago-- wasn't too bad a job. There was a guy who provides a "kit" (clear vinyl and glue) but you can buy your own clear vinyl from an upholstry shop, cut it to overlap and glue it in. These new adhesives these days really work!

 

[William]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
the heat last year turned my back window completely brown (it was getting bad, but it's pretty much clouded over now). I'm not looking forward to replacing the window.
-Wm.

[/ QUOTE ]


I replaced the rear window on the Miata I had a couple of years ago-- wasn't too bad a job. There was a guy who provides a "kit" (clear vinyl and glue) but you can buy your own clear vinyl from an upholstry shop, cut it to overlap and glue it in. These new adhesives these days really work!

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you cut out the old one and glue one in? I read about that in the Garage at miata.net, and it seems like a far easier solution than getting the replacement panel. The plastic on the old one's so old that the bits that are glued to the vinyl panel should scrape right off.

Especially since I found out that the rain rail is riveted to the window panel, and you have to take the whole top off in order to get the rivets out. If I gotta take the whole thing off I might as well replace it, which I don't really want to do.

-William

 

[jayhawk]

"Did you cut out the old one and glue one in? I read about that in the Garage at miata.net, and it seems like a far easier solution than getting the replacement panel."

Yes, then glued a black vinyl fabric about 5/8" in width to go over the joint between old and new vinyl. That gave a nice clean look to the repair. I first considered it a temporary repair until I bought a new top but the top was still pretty good (after a good cleanup and dressing) and the window repair turned out better than I expected. Just take your time and trust those great new adhesives.. Clean and rough up the old edge that you will be gluing the new vinyl so it adheres better.