INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

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corvairian1
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INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by corvairian1 »

I will be replacing the convertible top on my 65 Monza when the winter is gone and since I have never done this I would like some advice and/or instructions on the installation. My old top has a zippered window also, I saw that Clark's has a vinyl top and a leather top. Is one easier to handle with the installation than the other? Will I need special tools and how difficult of a job is it? Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. :ty:
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Jerry Whitt
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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by Jerry Whitt »

Consider painting all of the top frame work before doing the cover. The mechanism is fairly complicated. Take many many photos during the tear down. After painting, the assembly process will take a day or two and the photos will really help. Be sure to get detail pictures of the nuts and bolts and the positions of the misc. hardware items.

Took mine apart a few years ago, really struggled to put it back together. Luckily, several sons came to the house for a weekend and with help from the pics and various books, we were able to get the frame work working.

Normal wrenches work for mechanical stuff. The top itself was done by a top shop.
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corvairian1
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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by corvairian1 »

Thanks Jerry. Does the frame work need to come off the car to replace the vinyl top? Thanks again.
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terribleted
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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by terribleted »

Frame does not need to come off the car to replace the top. In fact, my upholstery man suggests to never remove the frame from a convertible unless it is truly necessary. There is quite a lot of adjustment in the frame mounting to the body. He feels that generally tops fit better if the factory alignment has not been disturbed and that getting the frame perfectly re-aligned is difficult and somewhat hit or miss.
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corvairian1
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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by corvairian1 »

Thanks TerribleTed. I was hoping it didn't have to come off. How is the top fastened to the frame? Thanks again TT


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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by terribleted »

The top is mostly fastened with staples. There are a few screws and some glue as well. I did one top myself and it came out fair. I have deferred to a pro multiple times since then. My guy does a much better job than me and is worth the cost IMO.
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66vairguy
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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by 66vairguy »

terribleted wrote:The top is mostly fastened with staples. There are a few screws and some glue as well. I did one top myself and it came out fair. I have deferred to a pro multiple times since then. My guy does a much better job than me and is worth the cost IMO.
Agreed - Considering the cost of a good top - use a pro to install. After talking to a few that did it themselves they said "It came out O.K., but I could not get it as smooth as a top shop does".

If using a top shop is not in the budget, then buy a cheap top and do it yourself, but it probably won't be as nice.
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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by SyntheticBlnkerFluid »

I also agree with sending it out to a Pro who does Convertible tops. Too many people who have done it themselves aren't usually happy with the end product.

Even working at a couple restoration shops, that was always outsourced to someone who did tops for a living.


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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by barrist »

It "Can" be Done.............Just don't expect to do it in a weekend.

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6304

Read ALL that you can, and be prepared to redo it a few times. :banghead:

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corvairian1
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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by corvairian1 »

Thanks to all! This is the best CorvairForum I have been in. I will certainly do my homework not only on how to install it but, where I can have it done by a top shop. Again thanks to all my Corvair friends. CORVAIRS RULE!


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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by bbodie52 »

In case you need it, here is some material I gathered in 2014 on convertible top replacement...
The consensus seems that a kit from a source like Clark's Corvair Parts can be pretty good, but it is a lot of DIY work and professionals probably do it better, because of the unique learning curve and they have the experience and know the "tricks of the trade". I had one done professionally in 1980 but that was my only experience in this arena. Since I still own a Corsa convertible I suppose my time is coming, but it is one area where I think I will defer to the professionals.

Clark's Corvair Parts has an excellent reputation for good interior and upholstery items. There are a number of videos on this site that will take you on a tour of their facilities, and you might enjoy watching them to learn something about what it takes to reproduce so many critical items that help us to keep our Corvairs alive.

:link: viewtopic.php?f=81&t=6004

I've watched them a couple of times and have found them to be very informative. If you are planning a DIY effort to restore your car's interior you might want to watch the video that covers interior reproduction parts — the upholstery tour.
:think: I have not done this work myself, but some time ago I did a little research to find out what is involved. The material I looked at is shown below. Some of it is not Corvair-specific and is more generic in nature, but it should help you to gauge the effort and to see if you feel that you are up for it.

The Clark's Corvair Parts online catalog pages 291-295 covers their convertible top materials. I would suggest clicking on the link below and then browsing through the pages to get a feel for the items that are offered. When browsing their online catalog, just click on any part number to display pricing and availability details.

As you can see below, Clark's indicates that a DIY installation is "not easy" but that 40-60% of their customers do it themselves in 6-8 hours.

:link: http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... N&page=291
Image

CORVAIR CENTER: Replacing Convertible Top
:link: http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/read.ph ... 305,354414

Here is a link to a Car Craft magazine article that discusses a DIY installation at home, entitled: Install A New Convertible Top At Home

:link: http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/cc ... ewall.html

Here is a video that discusses this issue when performing a convertible top replacement, in this case on a 1969/1970 Cougar / Mustang



This Web site may also be helpful...

Image
:link: http://www.convertibletopguys.com/static/topmanual

I have extracted the section of the 1966 Fisher Body Service Manual that applies to folding top work. I had to divide it into two parts to make the file size in Adobe Reader (.pdf) format small enough to upload to the Corvair Forum website. The information it contains may be useful to you.

:tongue: I suspect that there are not a lot of members of the Corvair Forum who have tackled such a project. So if you decide to attempt this DIY project on your Corvair, here is my unofficial invitation to be a volunteer Corvair Forum Guinea Pig. If you decide to do it yourself, might I suggest that you consider providing us with some feedback as you complete your project. We would love to see you document your effort in pictures, video, and perhaps post a detailed write-up telling us of your experience. Such feedback could provide some valuable guidelines and information from your experience for other Corvair owners!
::-):

:BradBodie:
I have also attached some material from the 1966 Fisher Body Service Manual that pertains to convertible tops. Perhaps you will find some useful material there.
1966 Fisher Body Service Manual - FOLDING TOP - Part 1 of 2.pdf
1966 Fisher Body Service Manual - FOLDING TOP - Part 1 of 2
(6.32 MiB) Downloaded 91 times
1966 Fisher Body Service Manual - FOLDING TOP - Part 2 of 2.pdf
1966 Fisher Body Service Manual - FOLDING TOP - Part 2 of 2
(6.57 MiB) Downloaded 79 times
1966 Fisher Body Service Manual - ELECTRIC FOLDING TOP - CORVAIR.pdf
1966 Fisher Body Service Manual - ELECTRIC FOLDING TOP - CORVAIR
(722.15 KiB) Downloaded 47 times
Brad Bodie
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caraholic4life
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Re: INSTALLING CONVERTIBLE TOP 65 MONZA

Post by caraholic4life »

I did not read all the replies word for word, I only skimmed them and may have missed the one piece of advice / experience I will offer.

Having owned several late model convertibles over the years, the one piece of information I retained was offered to me by a professional in the business. I was told that it is important to make sure the location of the cross bars remains the same as it was on the original top.

If you are not replacing the pads, this should be easy to do but....If you are planning on removing and or replacing the pads, be sure to carefully measure exactly where the cross bars are so they can be properly placed during reassembly. Failure to properly locate the cross bars could result in a poorly operating top or potentially worse.

The only tops I installed were simple swaps from a parts car to another. Should I ever need another convertible top installed, I plan on having a reputable experienced professional do the job for me. (as I did for the last one I had done which included ALL new rubber weatherstrips.)

I wish you the best however you proceed with your top replacement.
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