Worth it?

[GutlassSupreme]

So this winter ill be pulling the vert off the road to drive my 89 Civic hatch. and the top and weather stripping needs to be replaced. IF i can find all of that, do you think its cost effective for me to do it on my own? There are top replacement manuals floating arounhd and i REALLY dont want to outsource this job so they can screw around and take like 3 months. it will be inside while im doing it so i can take my time and do it properly.

 

 

opinions? keep in mind its my daily driver/summer beater/people hauler.

[DavidHowell3633]

Let me answer this way. I'm 64 and have been putting tools to cars for 50 years. I researched this question as you are now doing. When I started looking at the hooks and screws I thought.. "I can handle this." But, the more I researched the more I remembered that there are some jobs where technique can be the missing element that determines a bad job from a good job. Considering the costs of the top and back window and the arthritis in my hands, I opted to find someone local that had a good reputation and worked out of his house. I gladly paid him $500 and money is important to me. I've resurrected this car in all aspects- except, the top fabric installation. Also, my wife loves this car- more than I do. If the top wasn't quite right, I would never hear the end of it. Having said all that, if you don't have a wife that would drive your number 2 Phillips into your right ear I would say "Go for it." The answer has to be an individual one. Of course, once you've done one, you can sail through the next one and apply all you've learned. Bottom line: We've driven in hard rains and remained dry. We've never worried about the top- just used it. Those are important to us.

[GutlassSupreme]

i completely agree! thank you very much for that reponse, i feel the same way with the car. But as you said, i dont ha ve a wife or somone who would rag on me(no pun intended) if the top were to be horrible. last night it rained and i had to dry off the seats yet again haha. so its defenitly something i need to fix. and i mup to the challenge aslong as i have everything i would need as far as parts go.

 

any estimate as to how much the top alone would cost me?

[DavidHowell3633]

I found mine on ebay at a reasonable price. I can't recall how much I paid.

I believe the top, rear glass and pads was around $500.

I had a delay on receiving my top.

Plus, they sent me a second one for a 49 Oldsmobile. (Mine is a 94.)

I still can't figure out how to remove the headliner- I want to have it dry cleaned.

The guy that installed everything said the Olds is a lot easier than a Mustang- whatever that means.

Also, there's a guy on the forum that has a CD of top installations from GM.

It gets way deep into adjustments of weather stripping a keeping the weather out.