convertibletopguys.com ? Any experience?

[nismo27]

After much thought and reading the write-ups on here, I've decided to replace the top myself. I have the tools and the skills required to do this project.

I did some research, and I want a cloth/canvas top.

I would like to verify a couple of things:

The OEM top is a "Stayfast" canvas top, correct?

The brand that convertibletopguys.com is Haartz. This seems to be a good brand, and it's a "Stayfast" top. Has anyone ever had any experience with this brand?

Also, has anyone ever dealt with convertibletopguys.com? It seems like a great package deal with everything included for $465.

My top could probably last for another 2-3 years. However, the rear window is trashed, and I'd rather just replace the top and the window at the same time.

Any other comments/suggestions are appreciated!

Thanks.

[sci2000tech]

I have never personally ordered anything from convertibletopguys.com, but I did purchase a "stayfast" top from topsonline on Ebay.

The "Stayfast" top is great. I'm not sure if it is OEM, but the quality is to OEM spec.

If you are going to replace the window, I recommend just replacing the whole top assembly as you suggested. You will be happy with the end result.

The only tip I have is take your time. Replacing the top is not hard at all if you have patience and motivation. It may take some time to get everything aligned properly and mounted correctly, but in the end it is well worth it.

Be sure to bag and tag every bolt/screw you remove and let us know if you have any questions along the way. There are a handful of us here who have replaced the top ourselves that would be more than willing to lend a helping hand where needed.

Good luck and take a lot of pics.....

P.S. A member on here(I believe it was Hijacker) did a very informative write-up that was extremely helpful. I highly recommend reading that thread a few times before you get started so you become familiar with what you are working with.

[nismo27]

Thanks man. About how long did the whole process take you? I read both of the write-ups on here, and it seems like it will take me a couple of weekends.

And I'll definitely take tons of pics.

[sci2000tech]

It took me about 3 days total. I was in school at the time, so I only had around 5 hours a day to work on it.

[cmkelly]

I have had a Haartz top on both my M30 vert and my current 240 vert and the quality is excellent. I had it installed as I don't have the toolz or skillz. But the cloth top is great and still looks good two years later. Having a garage definately helps!

[nismo27]

Awesome. That's what I like to hear. Thanks for the feedback!

Looks like I'm going with this top.

[GoinTopless240]

got mine from Topsonline.com. I went with a different color than everyone else. Get the tinted window. Buy a pneumatic staple gun if you have a compressor. Get a good set of picks. Get a pop rivet gun and I think 3mm or 4 mm rivets. A good drill bit. Some good glue (to glue header and side pieces). Some good sealant (silicone) for back piece. A chalk pencil. Get some short staples (too long and they hit the bottom of tack piece and bounce out). Have some white lithium grease handy (to grease the pivot points while you have the top off). Do some exercises before unbolting the back area (you have to twist in all kinds of ways to get at everything). This job is by no means impossible, but be patient and don't rush. You will hate yourself if you do. Good luck and have Hijackers thread printed out and handy during process (read it at least 5 times before you start - don't skim it either - you'll understand why when you start it). Good luck again.

[nismo27]

got mine from Topsonline.com. I went with a different color than everyone else. Get the tinted window. Buy a pneumatic staple gun if you have a compressor. Get a good set of picks. Get a pop rivet gun and I think 3mm or 4 mm rivets. A good drill bit. Some good glue (to glue header and side pieces). Some good sealant (silicone) for back piece. A chalk pencil. Get some short staples (too long and they hit the bottom of tack piece and bounce out). Have some white lithium grease handy (to grease the pivot points while you have the top off). Do some exercises before unbolting the back area (you have to twist in all kinds of ways to get at everything). This job is by no means impossible, but be patient and don't rush. You will hate yourself if you do. Good luck and have Hijackers thread printed out and handy during process (read it at least 5 times before you start - don't skim it either - you'll understand why when you start it). Good luck again.

Thanks, man. I have all those tools, but what brands of glue and sealant did you use?

[GoinTopless240]

I actually brought some empty mason jars to a local upholstery shop and bought about 2 jars worth (like $20.00). It is the same stuff they use for convertible tops and they have a great reputation here in town. I talked with her a bit before hand and told her how I wanted to "take care of a few things while the top was off". She understood and let me buy the glue. I think Hijacker had some suggestions in his write-up though. Get used to pulling staples (lots of stuck finger tips and about 200 or so old staples).Good luck with it.

[GoinTopless240]

Oh yea, one other tidbit. Crank down you regulator to the staple gun (think I set mine to around 20psi). If you have it too strong, the staples will "bounce" off the metal in tack pieces and not hold too well (leave a gap between material and staple). You'll know what I mean once you start. Trust me after you get done removing all the staples to take top off, the fewer you have to remove because of mistakes the better. And don't forget to mark your old tops BEFORE you take it all apart (header piece at front, sides where you tuck the materials behind window strips, and rear at body line for reference. This will make sense once you start doing it. Again, not an unbelievably hard job, but slow and steady wins this race. Good luck and happy holidays.