who makes the best e-body convertible top?

[jamesroney]

Help,

I am in the process of restoring my 70 R/T, and the back window fell out.  Does anyone know who makes the highest quality replacement convertible tops?  (mine is Black)

If you have installed your own top, is it something that a novice should attempt, or are there special tools involved?

Thanks!

[waskier]

It has been a couple of weeks since this was posted, but I can't find any updates.  So, where can a guy get a good top and what makes a top good?

[soundcontrol]

I got a canvas cloth top from M&T (convertibletopguys.com), not on the car yet, but the quality of the material seems good. Still trying to figure out if I should install it myself or if I should get proffessional help. Seems like experience is a good thing with top installs....


There is a 50 page top install manual included, haven't read it yet.

[anlauto]

Legendary Auto Interiors  Don't do it yourself.

[CudamanTom]

I purchased mine from Year One and I'm very pleased with it.
I purchased one for my 70 Cuda (sold years ago) from Year One as well and was pleased with it as well.

I installed my own this last time.
Here is the link from here. http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=97175.150

And a member here Rob (ShelbyDogg) did his own. Here is his link http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=44869.150
His install is what inspired me to attempt it myself.

The only special tool you really need is an upholstery staple gun and glue.
But if you have the extra funds, it's probably best to have someone else install it because there isn't much room for error.
I didn't have the old top to go off of so it made it much harder but if you have the old top, it will surely make it easier to install.
I did mess up in putting staples on the rear top corners (shown in the pics of the link) when I shouldn't have. It would have been perfect if I didn't, but I'm still happy with it.
If I have to get another top, I would certainly do it myself again as I know exactly what I need to do now.

Good luck,
Tom

[soundcontrol]

Looked at your install Tom, looks great! Now I'm tempted to do mine myself, when the time comes. If the staples has to be removed a bunch of times while readjusting, maybe its a good thing to change the tachstrips to new ones? Haven't looked at mine yet.

[Nel]

When I did mine, the tachstripes where done. I order new ones with the top. They where made of some plastic or rubber and the OEM where cardboard. I think the new ones are better.

[CudamanTom]

Looked at your install Tom, looks great! Now I'm tempted to do mine myself, when the time comes. If the staples has to be removed a bunch of times while readjusting, maybe its a good thing to change the tachstrips to new ones? Haven't looked at mine yet.

Thanks Ken.
Honestly, I shouldn't have even stapled the top/rear corners until I knew everything was right. That's the only flaw I ran into.
The tack strip along the body is also a place to be careful on. Provide a little more slack at first with a few staples and adjust as needed until the placement is right, then remove the body tack strip and finish stapling. Then bolt to the body.
I probably should have replaced the tack strip on the top bows but didn't.
Again, if I have to replace it again, I know exactly what I need to do. Especially now that I have a template to go off of, which would have greatly eased the process.