convertible top replacement

BMOREstang · Jun 16, 2008

Well the old top finally gave up on me the other night when I put her back up and a metal wire shot out of the top on the driver's side window area. Anyway now I find that the drivers side door doesnt seal because of this and I need it fixed fast lol! I have heard that around 1000 is the usual for the top replacement if I took it somewhere. However I would really like to know if anybody has taken on this task themselves and where they bought their top. Any advice and input is appreciated, I know nothing about convertible tops!

eliyarbrough · Jun 16, 2008

I cannot really understand what you typed, my bad on that! I have had 2 new tops installed though in 2 years, I think. My 1st one got slashed by jealous okies. My 2nd one, just needed it. That 1st one was not the best in quality! It cost me $575 for the top + install. That one has held up very nicely! On 1/8/08, my top flew open by itself while going about 45-55. It is believed my driver's side latch failed, broke. I put her in the shop tomorrow to get that fixed! I just went to a custom upholstery place! Sorry, that's all I got!

Jrgunn5150 · Jun 16, 2008

I know some guy's that have done it, and they all said, it took 2+ guy's, a full weekend, and alot of sweat to get it tight. Pretty much everyone I've talked to said "never again..." lol.

BMOREstang · Jun 17, 2008

Thanks for the replies, lol what i meant to say about my top was that a cable that ran across the seal of the drivers side window/convertible came out of the top, if that makes any more sense.. It sounds like doing it yourself is a pretty big task. The top on the car right now is canvas, I have been looking around and it seems that there is a variety of different top materials. Does anybody have any suggestions about what to stay away from.

eliyarbrough · Jun 17, 2008

Just buy one that you know has good quality stuff. It might cost a little more, but it will help. I really like my 2nd one! If you have a custom upholstery shop that you like, ask them. They deal with companies and stuff. I hope you get it lined out!

BMOREstang · Jun 18, 2008

One more thing very important.... keep the tan or switch to black :help2:

Millzenator · Jun 18, 2008

From your sig pic, looks like the car is Deep Forest Green. My son has a '96 this same color that *had* a tan top, but we replaced it with black. MUCH better imho.

eliyarbrough · Jun 18, 2008

I love the saddle tops!!! Just me though!

BMOREstang · Jun 18, 2008

Sorry, yea my sig is dark, its actually pacific green, almost a teal.

5litrarag · Jun 19, 2008

I'd say go with black if the car sit outside most of the time and you wanna keep it looking sharp.

But I also like the looks of the tan top cars mainly because they are kinda rare anymore since most people seem to think these cars ALL need to be swapped to black tops / interiors. My vert will be getting a new top coming up here pretty soon and I'm sticking to my guns and getting another white top even though everybody and their mother says to get a black one. :nonono:

My car doesn't sit outside at anytime so a white top would last and look good for many years and again, its a different look on these cars.

Hybridbird · Jun 19, 2008

The third option is to do what I just did on my convertible 98 last week,find a wrecked on in the yard with a nice top still on it.In my case it was an 04 GT with only 38,000 miles on it that must have been garaged.Take the WHOLE top, frame motor and all and swap it with yours.There's 8 T-50 torx holding the frame to the car and then 12 or 14 8mm bolts holding the rear trim piece with material on it to the rear deck and then a couple plugs for the wire harness and rear defrost and it's out,we did mine in a couple hours just remember to latch the front down first so you can get the rear aligned where it needs to be.I gave up $500 and got a really nice low mile top,frame AND pump with 6 or 7 years less wear and tear on it and it's OEM material can't beat that with a stickI have talkjed to several people who have done just the material replacement on many different cars and they all gave me the above mentioned " NEVER AGAIN" response as well.Yeah and about the "saddletan" top do what the rest of us are doing and put it in it's rightful place....the shit can :hammer:

ga94gt · Jun 19, 2008

Yeah black would look good, if you can look into a 03-04 Cobra top, they look SOOO much better that the ones we have.

BMOREstang · Jun 19, 2008

I am kind of leaning towards the back and maybe doing the black interior conversion in the future, sorry 5litrarag. Does the top from the terminator's and new era bodied stangs fit our sn95's?

5litrarag · Jun 19, 2008

BMOREstang said:
I am kind of leaning towards the back and maybe doing the black interior conversion in the future, sorry 5litrarag. Does the top from the terminator's and new era bodied stangs fit our sn95's?

Dont have to say sorry to me... its your car, your work. :thumb:

I just dont like doing exactly what everybody else does.

Yeah the tops were all the same until model year 2004. If you're gonna do a black top the 03-04 cobra top was pretty nice and quiet too.

Jrgunn5150 · Jun 20, 2008

Hybridbird said:
The third option is to do what I just did on my convertible 98 last week,find a wrecked on in the yard with a nice top still on it.In my case it was an 04 GT with only 38,000 miles on it that must have been garaged.Take the WHOLE top, frame motor and all and swap it with yours.There's 8 T-50 torx holding the frame to the car and then 12 or 14 8mm bolts holding the rear trim piece with material on it to the rear deck and then a couple plugs for the wire harness and rear defrost and it's out,we did mine in a couple hours just remember to latch the front down first so you can get the rear aligned where it needs to be.I gave up $500 and got a really nice low mile top,frame AND pump with 6 or 7 years less wear and tear on it and it's OEM material can't beat that with a stickI have talkjed to several people who have done just the material replacement on many different cars and they all gave me the above mentioned " NEVER AGAIN" response as well.Yeah and about the "saddletan" top do what the rest of us are doing and put it in it's rightful place....the shit can :hammer:

The guy's I bought my car from part car's out all the time, and that's exactly what they do, they'll sell you a whole thing, but not just the top, lol.

9psi 98 · Jun 20, 2008

A guy I work with and I just did the top on his 88' Fox a few weeks ago. He had staples that were too long and a top kit that was a PITA with crappy instructions. It managed to come out good though. Never again is right.... Certain jobs are not worth my time and hair loss. I'd rather pay someone to do it.