Cloth top installation on Model A Coupe

[denver9]

Bought a top kit from Snyder's for my 31 Coupe. Local shop wanted $700 to install it. --- Way too much (IMHO).
Removed the top myself but hesitant to tackle installing the new one.
Any suggestions/tips etc???
What should I use for the sealant? The old stuff looks like ordinary vinyl window putty.
-Denver

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Was your top original, ...and was there "chicken wire" on the wood?

[Big hammer]

I replaced my TS top,over new wood bows,chicken wire,I used 3 wool
Blankets for padding,the kit I bought had cheap foam like a/c filter media
Then stretched the top material on (needs to be very warm to stretch)
It was most rewarding job You just need to follow their instructions

[Mikeinnj]

Here is a link to Marco's web site with some great tips and instructions on roof top replacement information.... Mike

http://abarnyard.com/workshop/roofinstall-1.htm

[denver9]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Was your top original, ...and was there "chicken wire" on the wood?

Don't know if is original. Yes, there is chicken wire, but it is covered with some sort of cloth then foam and finally the imitation leather top material.

[denver9]

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[QUOTE=Mikeinnj;982240]Here is a link to Marco's web site with some great tips and instructions on roof top replacement information.... Mike

Thanks Mike, that is a good site. I also found it through Google search just after my original post.
Unfortunately, I goofed up when I attempted to remove the nails that were holding the old fabric down. They were not ordinary tacks but rather what I call "drive tacks". ie: the shanks are twisted like a thread which made them difficult to pull out. As a result, I inadvertently put a couple of nasty dents in the sheet metal. Finally figured out that if I raised the tack head just a bit, I could twist the tacks out with vice grips. too late, little smarts.
So that introduced another problem: How to remove the dents without having to remove the top wood underlying the dent.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by denver9

Don't know if is original. Yes, there is chicken wire, but it is covered with some sort of cloth then foam and finally the imitation leather top material.

Foam, -or cotton batting?

[Tim Armstrong]

I filled pop bottles with water and clamped them to the sides of the top, then let it set in the sun till it stretched out. The instructions are pretty good just follow them. I sealed with silicone under the top before each nail. Use a sharp awl to find a spot for each nail.