Convertible Top Buyers guide

I’ll be happy to update the previous posts with new info, tips, etc.

That's a lot of info .... which one are you leaning toward ?  Thanks ......

@cyclehead

I am in the same boat, hoping to get through another year or two, but the writing is showing up on the wall.

Can you delve a little bit into the differences in the canvas cloths? I already know I will not be going cheap on the fabric. I am annoyed that I have to do this at all, want the most durability.

As I only have 80K on the clock, and the top is actually well-cared-for, it is simple age and sun exposure that is killing it. Poor The Frog needs a garage; he may get one in a few years, but I cannot plan on it. Having UV resistance built into the product only adds to the goop I will use on it regularly, but it matters.

Something else I am very interested in is whether any of them is significantly easier than any other to install, to the point of being something I might consider tackling myself. I am still rather lowly, but I have 'tude. Still, its a $1,000 top. I saw one with a 26 page installation guide. Thats not as bad as it sounds, but i didnt see the actual guide. I can sew a button on a shirt, but not much more.

Thank you muchly for this thread. I got overwhelmed quickly, not having enough background to know whether the fabric made of squirrel hair and dung beetle spit is really as awesome as the marketers say. They all say their shtt is the very best, so all but one of them are LYING. Shocker...

Posted by: @phats

That's a lot of info .... which one are you leaning toward ?  Thanks ......

I’d like to see the Sonnenland material. I wonder if it’s really any different than haartz. I don’t like the plastic trim piece around the back glass with Autoberry manufactured top.

@nottamiata

So, how did you fix the holes in your tan top?

I’m still learning.  It turns out Sonnenland and Stayfast are both fabrics made by Haartz.   The stayfast is a coarse weave sort of like a canvas material.  Their “Twillfast” and “Sonnenland” fabrics have a much finer weave that looks more like a cloth shirt (very tight weave).

For PVC vinyls, I suspect there are many manufacturers.  There are certainly lots of surface grains that are all just patterns molded into the surface of the vinyl - ie:  Pinpoint, Bison, Twill Weave, Cabrio. Sailcloth.  I haven’t found many specific brands of vinyl material manufacturers, with quantification of vinyl thickness, UV durability, backing materials etc.     Apparently Haartz does make some vinyl (PVC) materials for convertible tops.

I have a coarse weave cloth top. No idea what brand. I just wanted to say that cloth is amazing, so much better than vinyl. Deep black and durable.

haartz Stayfast Canvas has a canvas outer layer and a preshrunk cotton inner layer. The two are bonded with and separated by a butyl rubber core. It is this core that makes the fabric last a very long time, with both better static and dynamic wear ratings than vinyl toppings. Haartz Stayfast is the American substitute for the German canvases used in Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, some models of Mustang and Lebaron and others. Canvas is widely regarded as "richer looking" than vinyl. It is a little harder to clean. The inside of the top is pre-shrunk cotton. The inner lining is usually black. If you do not see a canvas top listed for your car, please inquire and we will provide a quotation for it.

Sonnendeck Canvas (also called 'Twillfast') is an American made canvas, true double texture topping like the Haartz Stayfast. Many purists who own Mercedes and other German cars want to see the particular German weave (that is called "dobby weave") when they look up inside the car. Haartz Stayfast canvas has a plain (unwoven) inner lining. So for Porsche, Mercedes and BMW owners who will spend a little more in order to see that "dobby" weave we offer a fabric called Sonnendeck (in addition to the original German Sonnenland or Happich canvas. The wear rating of Sonnendeck is also greater than for Haartz, by perhaps 10%. This is due to the slightly heavier inner lining and subtle bonding specification differences.

@mrsponz

I "fixed" my top with Shoe Goo on the outside and some garbage Tenacious Tape on the inside.

I did four patches with the TTape, cleaned the bejeebus out of the fabric with alcohol, dried completely, but two of them still peeled off.

The shoe goo still holding up, though. I did a terrible job, it looks like someone wiped snot on it, but I think thats about as good as it will get. You get about 3.72 seconds to work with it before it becomes tacky, and if you keep going, it turns to shtt.  I may peel it off and try again at some point. It is an ugly patch, but it is small, and effective. So far, it isn't leaking. It was just a pinhole. Good stuff, but not easy to work with.

@nottamiata

Tenacious Tape was garbage? That's sad to hear. I'm guessing the tape on ebay is probable no better. What would happen if you re-inforced the edges of the T-Tape with some Shoe-goo? I guess I will find out eventually. Darn.

Only the ones that failed were garbage,  LOL. Half of them are still intact. And to be fair, they rub on the ribs, so it is a demanding application. I rounded the corners over too, which helps. The top is not the best fabric to adhere to, but the tape still claims to stick to plastic fabrics.

The failures were immediate, so if yours haven't failed in the first few days, its probably OK.

They really ought to install strips of tough, slippery reinforcement over the areas that rub the ribs and where it gets pulled super-taut.

A local installer who had a huge variety of cars in line (Merc, Porsche, BMW, Rolls, Caddy, Alfa, Miata...) and sold all the brands we see on line, told me that there were only 2 fabric manufacturers for our cars. This was 2 years ago and I seem to forget lots of the actual details. TopsOnLine essentially repeated this same comment. I think it comes down to many things with our cars. In the heyday maybe there were multiple materials and manufacturers. But over time, despite what might be advertised, the choices are brand not material. I will say that I decided to go with the best likely quality and the easiest retailer to communicate with.  The top pictured is the TopsOnLine brand. ( And I had a 10% eBay discount.) Quality has been excellent. See the frame around the rear window? Despite there being plenty of room when folded and no pressure in the collapse, etc. What happens is that that frame, which literally just lightly brushes against fabric when folded, actually polishes a 3x1 cm spot above the passengers head. So, I fold a small blanket and place it on the window and frame when I fold the top. Kinda a pain, but only because it makes closing and opening while on the fly difficult. Whatever. First world problem.

All said, the job is a pain, but actually not that hard. Patience...Dealing with old trim pieces is a hassle. The shopping and sweating the details is mostly about who can you trust to send quality and back up the product if there is an issue.  That said, I would be happy to detail/discuss what I remember about the install.