Has anyone installed a new top? Is this fairly easy. Is there sewing or stitching involved? Im just trying to save a few bucks, but i wont do it if Im going to screw it up.

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68/383/700R4/CONVERTIBLE

Helped a friend replace his on a 67 rs got it from ricks 1st gen for about $170, Others may have it for less, It took about three hours, Everything was there and it turned out great!
just be sure you have someone to help to get things lined up and you should not have a problem.... Jim

Whoa! 3 hours! I've heard that this is an extremely difficult job best left to pros. My top needs replacing and I have been waiting because of the cost. Are you in that business? What were the more difficult aspects of the job?

Coach I'm in the middle of mine right now. It came off real easy and doesn't look to hard to put on. I got mine from Classic because they send instructions with them. The instructions are very detailed. If you get yours somewhere else let me know I could probably fax the instructions. It's about 30 pages though and may take a while.

Coach, I dont know where you are in NJ, I am in Allentown near Great Adventure and know a great shop that specializes in Classic Cars both tops and interiors. If and when you are ready let me know if you need their number.

Ken

RICKB1B- HOW IS YOUR INSTALL GOING? YOU SAID YOU TOOK YOUR TOP OFF....DID YOU HAVE TO RIP ANY STITCHING OR DOES IT SLIDE OFF? PLEASE KEEP ME POSTED. ALSO, HAS ANYONE USED THE GLASS REAR WINDOW? I WAS CONSIDERING USING ONE WHEN I REPLACE MY TOP.

still wondering if anyone has completed this themselves without previous knowledge of convertible top replacement !i have done just abput everything else but always left this to the pros at 1500 dollars for a top i could screw up at least four of them before i would loose money my installer wants 800 just in labor !

I tired doing it once. Could never get all the wrinkles out of the sail panel areas and the rear plastic window. After pulling it off 4 times I got is so tight that I got a rip in the lower rear corner of the sail area on one side, plastic still had wrinkles in it. Took it to a installer, he had it done in 1 day. Still has a couple of waves in the roof above the door, parallel to the side rails. They've been there for 17 years now, guess they will never go away.

The fisher body manual gives you instructions for installing the roof fabric. It's by far the largest instruction section in the entire manual and requires a lot of patience and measurements. Probably not a one man job unless you know exactly how to do it. You also need a steamer to shrink and stretch it in certain areas to get the last wrinkles out.

Never used the glass windows, no first generation camaro came with them from the factory, and they reduce the rear window area by about 30% as compared to the plastic windows. If you take care of the plastic window it will last for quite a long time. The only real scratches in mine is from some damn neighbors cat sliding off the roof down the window with it's claws out.


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Mark Canning
1969 Indy Pace Car
350/300HP RPO Z11
My 69 L48 - 350/300HP Engine (http://www.townisp.com/~markcanning/camaro/transparent%20air%20cleaner3.jpg)

I took mine to a pro. Did not want to risk it.

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-Randy
Cars:
<A HREF="http://www.camaroclubkc.com/rpaxton.htm" TARGET=_blank>68 RS/SS BB ragtop
</A>RWHP: 329.4 RWTQ: 398.9
63 Nova II ragtop (http://home.swbell.net/paxtonr/nova.htm)
Club:
Camaro Club of Kansas City (http://camaroclubkc.com)

Thanks for all your replies. I will take it to a shop and let them them do it. It's a lot cheaper here in San Diego. Most of the prices I got were between $300 and $450 including the top. Thanks again.

Where in San Diego are you taking it? I used to live there and a budy of mine was asking for shop references.

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-Randy
Cars:
<A HREF="http://www.camaroclubkc.com/rpaxton.htm" TARGET=_blank>68 RS/SS BB ragtop
</A>RWHP: 329.4 RWTQ: 398.9
63 Nova II ragtop (http://home.swbell.net/paxtonr/nova.htm)
Club:
Camaro Club of Kansas City (http://camaroclubkc.com)

OK Guy's just finished putting the top back on. I was kind of a PITA but only cost me $200 as opposed to the $800 the shop wanted. It took me about 16 hours all total spread across four days to get it done.

The top comes off real easy, they are basically stapled on, so you just pull it off. After you remove all the bolts which clamp the back window in and the weather trim. the instructions have you building some sticks to locate the back bow so don't pull it off until you have made these sticks. Also you need to make some reference marks on the old top before pulling it off. SO DON"T PULL OFF THE OLD TOP UNTIL YOU HAVE THE INSTRUCTIONS AND NEW TOP IN HAND.

When I got mine off I noticed there was some surface rust on the frame so I used a little POR-15 to clean this up and then painted the whole frame. Next I had to replace the "stuff" the staples go in. It's kind of like pressed cardboard, Rick's has plastic replacements. I hade to drill holes and screw these on because the old stuf is glued in and the plastic will not adhear. This is the biggest reason I'm glad I did it myself. The last person who replace the top should have fixed these but didn't and I don't think a shop would have taked the time to do it either.

Next came putting on the side pads. These were real easy.

Then the back window. This was kind of hard to get streached out but after a few tries I got it stapled to the trim sticks and bolted in.

Next is the top itself. This really wasn't too hard. The big picture on this and the window is, to lay the old one on top of the new one and mark where the holes and trim sticks go. This gives you a starting place for stapling the new one to the trim sticks. then after it's installed you keep removing the trim sticks and adjusting to get rid of the wrinkles. I had to readjust mine 5 times before I got all the wrinkles out. This is kind of a PITA because the bolts which hold these trim stick are sheet metal screws and tend to strip out. By the time I was finished I had moved all the screws to the next larger size screw.

It now looks better than new and NO WRINKLES. Would I do it again? Yes, because I'm sure I did a better job cleaning up the non visible places. Now that I have done one I'm sure I could do the next one in about 12 hours (I don't think I would have to readjust it as many times)

Be sure if you attempt this, you have a good air powered staple gun and the right size staples. Along with a good cordless screw driver which can handle 1/2 sockets.

If anyone needs more info feel free to e-mail or post here so all can partake in the conversation. the key is to get the instructions which came with mine or I could fax.

If anyone out there has a site and would like to post the instructions I could fax them and save us all a little pain. The only question I have is, if they are copy writed. I'll Let the site person figure that one out.

RS1968SS- i Didnt have a shop narrowed down yet. I had only called some shops in the south bay area,where I live. These prices didnt include rear window.

I just wanted to share this link with you guys as a reference. WWW.SKULLMOBILE.COM/CONVTOP.HTM (http://WWW.SKULLMOBILE.COM/CONVTOP.HTM)

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Sean James
67 camaro convertible
69 Firebird - ls1 t-56 behind pontiac 350 motor
12 bolt 4:10

Notice in MO's pictures the rust on the frame and front header bow. That is how mine looked and is why I'm glad I did it myself. I don't think a shop would have taken the time to fix it.

Thanks for relaying your experiences. Maybe I'll try doing the top myself. This is a great site! http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif