Repairing a damaged one piece top requires removing the top from the top frame and then sewing in a new rear curtain without scratching the plastic. After the curtain has been replaced you have the task of refitting the top.

Here is the rub- The old top has been exposed to the elements for a period of time and most likely will not fit exactly as it did originally due to shrinkage. The repair to the curtain will look like a repair and it will be very noticeable to everyone. The cost to the customer will be near the cost of fitting a new top.

Our industry needs to step up and become more professional in our approach to the service we do for our customers. It will benefit the customer in the long run to have a new top installed- clean look, leak free and it adds value to the car and carries a new top warranty. As an auto trimmer with the resources to obtain a new top, repairs to an old one piece convertible top is not a money maker, but rather busy work.

@Cody LunningI saw it at the MSRA Back to the 50's.
I also saw about 30 other cars that I had worked on over the past few years.

It sounds like a feed dog issue. The material is slipping some and this will cause an uneven stitch length. Replacing the feed dogs is a simple procedure that you can do yourself. If the machine has other issues it may be best have it professionally serviced.

The complex design of a Corvette door panel is difficult enough to restore, much too complicated to make from scratch. Al Knoch Interiors has by far the best reproduction Corvette interior products for the money. If you need something custom made, call them and they can make it for you.

It depends on your set-up. Some variation will need to be made to compensate for hose size and length.

Pot pressure 125psi
Gun pressure 85psi

Contact Pyramid Trim Products in St. Paul,Mn. Talk to Jeff, he'll be able to help you.
651-645-8126

Deep pleats are achieved by cutting a thin channel in the sew foam. You need to make the width of the material wider to allow extra material to flow into and out of the channel. If you are using 1 inch foam and the pleat is 1 1/2 inches wide, the material would need to be marked at least 3 inches wide. It would be best to cut a strip of material and lay it in the channel to determine an exact measurement.

To mark the foam, lay out your pleats and use a sharpie to draw the lines on the foam. With a new razor blade cut along the outside of the line on both sides of the mark to give you the thin channel. Be careful that you do not cut all the way through the foam backing. Remove the thin piece of foam.

Start sewing from the center of the insert and work your way to the outside. Chalk the sew line and use it as a guide to keep the stitch straight.

A narrow presser foot will also help when sewing.

@Cody Lunning Thank you. She should get the most out of the top. After all, I did write the book on the subject.

The soap will leave residue and the hot wax will seal it in. Eventually the top will look dirty and become unclean-able.
Hear is an image of a corvette top that was serviced by an automatic car wash. Show her this so she can see what her top will look like in two years.

The steering wheel covers are hand stitched just like all baseballs. Rawlings has been trying to automate the process but it has been too difficult to develope the equipment. It takes 108 stitches to finish a baseball.

There is a chapter on headliner and visor construction in my Interior Restoration book. There are details on how to do the bound edge and self edge finishes.

@Jesse DurkeeThank you for ordering the book. Let me know what you think about it. I tried to include an example of all convertible types.

ACC does a good job at making a formed carpet set. The fitment issue is how it is being installed. The biggest problem with a pre-formed carpet set is that the padding is already attached. Sometimes it isn't in the correct place and that will throw off the fit.

Solution: Order the carpet set with the padding loose. If you fit the pad to the floor and than position the carpet, you will find that it works much better. You may also need to add additional carpet padding to the floor to correct any irregularities in the fit.

Silly me. I have used a small piece of 2 x 4 lumber for a top spacer for years. I only yell at it when I can't find it.

There is a specific soft backed material made for auto bras. It will hold up in the weather and it will not scratch the paint of the vehicle.

Check with Fabric Supply in Minneapolis to see if they sill carry the Boltasoft bra vinyl.. Pyramid Products in St. Paul may also have it.

There is a lot more to a convertible top installation than the customer supplying a top. You must first inspect the car and determine what problems exist with the frame before you even accept the project. If the customer wants to save money, they should not buy their own products.

I believe in Electron Tops and their customer service. I have tried all the others and i can state that Electron Tops fit the best for most cars. The exception is the Corvette. Hands down Al Knoch Tops are the only top I would install on a Corvette.

I can't stress enough that education is the key to success. This trade needs more positive and pro-active people that can help the younger generation. There is entirely too much bad information out there that stunts the growth of our trade. I am all-in when it comes to helping train and educate anyone serious about learning this trade.

Make sure that the gluing surface is clean before you apply new contact cement. Apply the contact cement to both mating surfaces and then wait for the glue to flash, otherwise it will not stick properly and yo will have a hard time getting the material to stay in place.

If you need to make an adjustment to the top to relieve wrinkles, always re apply glue to assure a good bond.

Good Luck and please post pictures of the finished project.

@Cody Lunning
Vinyl should stretch in the direction of greater expansion. This way the material can move without causing damage to the backing material. For example- is the seat cushion depression is greater side-to-side then the stretch should also go side-to-side. A dash would be covered with the stretch going into the deeper depression or higher extrusion. Always work from the deepest point outward. This will give you enough material to cover. If you work into a depression, the material may need to be stressed more than it can and that will give you stretch marks that may not be able to be worked out.

There are some exceptions to these examples so it is best to just lay a piece of vinyl over the part you want to cover and check that the stretch will work.

@Kris Vowell
To help with wrinkles in vinyl bolster panels try to observe the stretch of the material. It is best to have the stretch of the panel work from side to side. This will give the panel the ability to move when it is sat upon.

Another thing to note is when you top stitch the panel, trim the seam allowance close to the stitching to relieve the bulk. After the panel is installed, applying some heat to the panel will aid in relaxing the material so that it will conform to the cushion foam. You may also need to add some additional cotton the the top of the foam to help fill out the seat cover.

Chris
I have done many of these interiors and I yet to find a source for seat covers and interior panels. The Cadillac has three times the pieces of any other GM car. I have done dozens of them and they are very satisfying to complete. They take a lot of time, so do not short yourself on the labor side of your estimate.

The book is available at CarTech Books or you can get it from Amazon.

Thanks @Don LaMott. The book just went to press and it will actually be available in early May. I am sorry for the delay, but I know you will find a lot of helpful information in it.

Convertible top work is not that difficult if you have some idea of the process and how to repair problems with the top frame. I am available for on site training. Also, the new convertible top book will be available in March.

Just dashes will restore the dash pad to original condition. The process takes several weeks after they receive your core. The cost begins at $1200, It can go higher.

This dash I believe has a french seam around the forward edge and can be recreated in shop for a lot less.