New convertible top. What's a good price?

[Shaners]

The local guy here wants $850 installed with a new glass window with defroster. That is re-using my headliner and no unforseen problems.

 

Is that a good price, or should I keep looking?

[topless94style]

That is a pretty good price. My rear window, most places around here wouldnt touch it. Many other places wanted to replace the whole top or headliner. Bringing the cost well over $1000. Finally, i called a car upholstry(sp) shop that did alot of work with convertible rear window installs. It cost $675 for the rear window. I asked about replacing the top, and since doing both jobs at once would be cheaper, the top came to about an extra $350 to replace. At the time i did not have that extra money, though i wish i did since my top has a few rips and a little whole in it. But overall this place did an awesome job with the window install. The window alone was $400+ because the trim is sewn right into the glass. Then the trim, which you pick to match your interior, is sewn into the headliner.

 

 

EDIT:I am guessing at $850 that is a good price. Check around at a few more shops and see what they charge.

[Shaners]

I thought $850 for the whole job was a good price... The guy I talked to does alot of custom interiors for street rods, but it didn't take him long to quote me a price for my top.

 

I've never seen his work, but from what I understand it is top notch and he would want the car for 2 days...

[topless94style]

Yea at first i didnt realize you were going for the whole top just the window. But yea $850 sounds like an awesome price.

[DOHCRagtopguy]

That's a real good price. I couldn't find anything under $1000 around here.

 

Your ragtop looks like my twin!

[GnatGoSplat]

I'm going to need a new top for my wife's Cutty too.

I'm not sure I understand why a new rear window is required, when I looked at mine, it just looks like it's glued in using urethane. I would think they could cut it out and reuse it. I'm brave (stupid?) enough to try this on my own when I finally get to it, so I guess I'll find out!

 

Anyway, if you can, I would try and go for a cloth/canvas top over vinyl. The cloth/canvas ones just look so much more classy and is what they put on BMW, Mercedes, and even the newer Sebring convertibles.

[topless94style]

I'm going to need a new top for my wife's Cutty too.

I'm not sure I understand why a new rear window is required, when I looked at mine, it just looks like it's glued in using urethane. I would think they could cut it out and reuse it. I'm brave (stupid?) enough to try this on my own when I finally get to it, so I guess I'll find out!

 

Anyway, if you can, I would try and go for a cloth/canvas top over vinyl. The cloth/canvas ones just look so much more classy and is what they put on BMW, Mercedes, and even the newer Sebring convertibles.

 

 

For the window, are you takling about the glass being glued directly to the fabric? After mine broke, you can easily tell the glass is glued on, i dont know what kind of glue cuz that glass is heavy as hell, but when you buy those windows new it comes with maybe an inch of fabric glued onto the glass. Then it is sewen into the headliner. So i dont know how well regluing it would work.

[GnatGoSplat]

Yeah, that glue to me looks like urethane, the same glue used to hold the windshield in. But, it's attached to the headliner so the top can be replaced without touching the window?

[topless94style]

You should be able to replace the top with out doing anything with the window. If you look inside, the headliner is attached by velcroe(sp) and some screws, i think if you take the screws out and disconnecte the velcro the headliner should come off, with the window. I think. If it does, I am sure you can replace the top without doing anything with the window.

[GnatGoSplat]

That's great news, thanks!

[Shaners]

He quoted my $500 to just do the top without replacing the rear window section. I could easily go that direction and in a few years when the back section needs replaced, he said he could do that fairly easily.

[WhiteOut]

$850 sounds pretty decent to me, I ended up paying just over $900 for a shop to replace my top with a new white vinyl one, that price included the work on the rear window, and a new headliner.

 

I'm none too impressed with the vinyl top though. After only one season's use its starting to show its age. The bows in the top have created permanent marks/wrinkles in the vinyl that look like hell, and small holes are starting to appear in other spots that see a lot of flexing during up and down opperation. I think when I do it again in a couple years I'll spring for the extra couple hundred the cloth top costs, and I don't think I'll do a white top again, its too hard to keep clean.