curtain. The many alignment marks showing where the top was
attached to the trim stick are barely visible.The owner of this car requested that all of the original top and rear
pads and cables be reused so they were set aside. The condition of the
original tacking strips that mate the convertible top to the frame were
inspected and any that required repair or replacement were addressed.
Installing a new top
Although a new top and rear window curtain were ordered, it required
inspection for size, shape and other characteristics to ensure it matched
the original. While working with the rear curtain, its glass rear window,
which is tinted with a built-in defroster, was protected with bubble
wrap. The wires for the defroster were also taped to the glass to keep
them from harm.
While the new top was on the work bench, the original cables were
taped to thin but stiff wire and strung through the top. Due to the size of
this car’s top, the rear pads and curtain were attached to the original
trim stick at the table, because of the top’s overlap of the rear curtain.
For this step, the center of the top and the rear curtain were determined
and marked. Then the trim stick’s three pieces (driver side, middle and
passenger side) were laid out and attached with the original corner
brackets. When necessary, tape was used to reinforce the corner brackets
of the trim stick during the top’s installation. Once the center of the
middle trim stick was determined, the original marks and measurements
from the old top were referenced to align and staple the new rear
window curtain to the trim stick.
At this point, the rear pads were laid on the new curtain and lined up
using the original measurements and marks. The rear pads and curtain
were then stapled to the trim stick. The top was then laid on top of the
curtain and rear pad assembly. Using the measurements from the old
top, Chase drew a removable thin line to follow the body line of the car.
This line was in the location of the trim stick, as it determined where the
top was stapled to the trim stick. This area was critical to a tight fit of
the convertible top, which will help it stay sealed. Once the top was
properly aligned with the marks, it was stapled to the trim stick. All