after the well material was removed. The rear window defroster was also
disconnected.
Beneath the top is a formed metal bar with a tacking strip on its
outside known as a trim stick. The trim stick holds the top to the
framework. At this step, the nuts holding the trim stick to the top frame
were removed. The trim stick is a three-piece unit on most cars, and the
location and orientation of these trim sticks was photographed and
marked so they could be returned to their original position when the
new top was installed.
With the trim stick freed from the studs that hold it in place, the top
could be peeled back to expose the rear bow. This allowed access for the
removal of staples that hold the curtain and rear pads in place.
The convertible top was now free of the top frame. Chase found a
large, clean work table to lay out the original top. The curtain containing
the rear window and the rear top pads were still attached to the top with
the trim stick. Where the original pads and curtain attached to the trim
stick was carefully measured and marked on the trim stick. Once the
locations of these top components were marked on the trim stick, the
staples holding the pads and curtain were removed.
These hidden bolts in the side rail were removed after their
location was photographed and documented.