Top Replacement

[70spider]

Hey. My next purchase to get the car drivable is a new top. A couple of questions is canvas worth the extra price? and how difficult is it to replace it as do-it-yourself (w/wife) project?
I looked for instructions or a video online and couldn't find anything on the Fiat.
Any help would be great.
Thnaks, Pesto

[courtenay]

Do a search for "top instructions". You will come up with stuff like this:
http://www.fiatplus.com/members/tech200.htm

[70spider]

Thanks for the link. It looks like one of those projects were you read 10 times then read again, then pay someone else to do it. No, I'll tackle it myself that is why I got the car is to do as much as I can myself.
Have a good one and thanks again for the link.

[dmwhiteoak]

The top replacement is a DIY project. Me and a buddy replaced mine last year with no issues. With someone reading instructions and another looking to understand it was actually a fun project. I bought a canvas top from auto berry and noticed the instructions that come with the top were the same as others that I had read. Unless your wife has great upper body strength, I would enlist a friend to help. Really no big deal. Now wether or not canvas is better, I cannot answer that but if the funds would have been available at time I would have one on my car now.

[70spider]

dmwhiteoak,
Thanks for the incouragement. I have two sons 21 and 18 so they can provide the muscle my wife will provide the brains and patience. Now which company has the best fit; AutoBerry, Convertable Top Guys, or WorldUp? I can spend about $500 but if I can get a good product for less I will, which will leave more cash for the dashboard .
Much appriciated, Pesto

[Exit98]

Here's one link of many about tops. The search feature on this forum is pretty basic, but if you are patient you can find pretty much anything.

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... s&start=15

[70spider]

Good link, with good info.
Thanks

[paintdudeluke]

I just replaced mine with the $189 ebay vinyl unit. 1st time ver doing a top. It was done and looked perfect in under 4 hours. Its like slipping a wrangler top on + glue the ribs + a couple rivits on the front edge of the window flap. If you work on stuff and are good with your hands its really a simple operation. I would explain the job like this.

1) pay attention to how the old one comes off
2) have have your wife help with a few things(like pressing the rear edge down in place while you screw it from the inside)
3) do a clean job gluing the ribs.
4) make sure the front edge is pulled sufficienty far forward before you screw the edge down (self explanatory after you take it off) and do the front edge with the top all the way open, just make sure the front bead is quite forward or you might end up pealing it back and adjusting it a 2nd time, (no biggy even then)
5) have a 6pack of blue moon on ice, you'll be done before you're out of beer. its like a timer

It really is pretty simple. On a 1-10....about a 4. No big deal. Do it yourself.
BTW, the cheap top looks great too. Its down 75% of the time anyway, and if it goes to shit, for under 200- I'll put on another one and it'll only take an hour and a half 2nd time around.

Another thing; read the instruction links 5 times and throw them away. They tell you all you need to get your head around the job. Its about thinking it through after that.

[70spider]

paintdudeluke,
Thank you for the incouragement . I'll get a six of Peroni, that should set the karma in the positive direction. My wife and I put together a fixed-frame theater screen so we have had a little training. After I figure out the status of my front shock towers (found some unexpected rust during a suspension parts need list) I'll get the top. I have decided on getting the German Sonnenland from AutoBerry or WorldUphostery's Stayfast. Again thanks for the pep talk.
Pesto