Not R65 but still German

[montmil]

My four-wheel daily driver is a 1986 Volkswagen Cabriolet. Purchased from its original owner, I've had it for nearly eleven years. When regular gas went over two bucks a gallon, I parked my Ford F150 pick'emup truck and now drive the 'vert unless I'm hauling 4x8 plywood or some such.

Seven years ago, I put a new headliner, pad and top on the Vdub. The night of April 3-4 2008, a fairly benign  hailstorm -if there is such a thing- rolled across our village. Next morning, my 30mpg baby had 50+ holes knocked in the roof! Insurance? Nah... too expensive; just liability. So...

I've had a beautiful, new top sitting on my workbench, patiently waiting to be fitted onto the Cabriolet. Mister FixIt, as my bride calls me, done waited until we're in a string of 100+ degree days to work on the car. Never claimed to be really bright; just handy.

So for the last six hours today, I've removed the old top and completed the nasty prep work -who knew all that glue and stick'em would have to come off someday?- in preparation for the new top installation early tomorrow morning.

I stink. I'm hot. I drinking my second cold adult beverage. My wife left for Austin, Texas, this morning on a week-long bidnez trip. I am The King of the Castle... and I have my wife's permission to say so.

The photo shows how I've been embarrassing myself while driving the Cabriolet. The duct tape repairs scream ghetto.

[Ed Miller]

I hate to say it, but the heat may make the top easier to install.  Better you than me!

[montmil]

... the heat may make the top easier to install.

Right you are. The vinyl works much easier warm than it does cold and stiff.

This is day 2 of my garage captivity. Who knew there would be so much upholstery adhesive and sticky tape junk to clean off? Cautiously optimistic that the morrow will see the new skin on the vehicle.

What a mess.  

[not-so-fast-ed]

You are a far "Better man than I Gunga Din".
Monte, the VW tops are notorious for being APITA to work on!
I wish you all the luck in the world in your endeavor and will hoist an adult beverage in your memory, but believe it will drive you crazy before you're done.
My Goat bucket seats & rear seat rebuilds almost caused a divorce with my bride helping during the recovering.  I can only imagine your frustration level on the top replacement.    
Ed

[Justin B.]

I helped put on on a Fiat 850 Spyder many moons ago, not fun from what I can remember.  Post some "in-progress" pix so we can cry/laugh/curse along with ya...

[montmil]

Monte, the VW tops are notorious for being APITA to work on! ...I can only imagine your frustration level on the top replacement. Ed

Not the first rodeo with my '86 Cabriolet. I helped a retired master trimmer/hot rodder do the chore last time. Full boat - headliner, pad and top. He worked, I watched.Danged hail storm...

Besides hanging out with y'all, I'm also hooked into the Vortex. It's a site dedicated to Cabriolet enthusiasts and wannabe mechanics. Sound familiar?

The Vortex has many photo documented DIY projects; 'vert tops included. There really is no frustration going on. Just lots of getting ready to get ready make ready.

Here's a few shots from my digital memory. Love the instant gratification of seeing what I thought I remembered. As such, no wide angle shots but maybe some come tomorrow.


Pulled all six of the weatherseal strips and their mounting trays. Gotta unglue that gray vinyl


Left side aft of driver-side rear window. Side cable anchor point. The vinyl gets unglued here, too.


Header area with, ohmygawd, more vinyl to be de-glued!


And last week I installed new, to me, upper door caps. Took a long time to score them on eBay.

[Justin B.]

A headliner in a ragtop, what'll they think of next!    I remember the first headliner I put in a hardtop, I thought I'd be ready for the "rubber room" before I got all of the wrinkles out of it.  I couldn't imagine doing that to a moving target like yours!

[montmil]

Well, the top is on and anchored by the three cables -rear and two side, so now it's time to:  Do some fabric gluing to attach side panels and the header; Attach the assist tabs that help fold the fabric neatly; Reinstall the six weatherstrip gaskets after refitting the "trays" that hold them; Put the back seat back in; Replace the pneumatic top struts... on and on.

Anyway, I've installed a drink holder in the car that helps eliminate any frustrations when things don't line up just so.

Gotta wrap up this project so I can concentrate on our Sunday bike cruise to Eagles Canyon Raceway. Open track day for the roadracer type bikes. Coolness.

[montmil]

Here's a couple "glamor shots" of the completed top install. Back window goes in as soon as I can finish cleaning out all the hard, dry "plumbers putty" in the rubber window gasket - installed by ol' Gunther at the factory twenty-two+ years ago.

Now to repaint the fender flares...

[Bob_Roller]

Well, the top is on and anchored by the three cables -rear and two side, so now it's time to:  Do some fabric gluing to attach side panels and the header; Attach the assist tabs that help fold the fabric neatly; Reinstall the six weatherstrip gaskets after refitting the "trays" that hold them; Put the back seat back in; Replace the pneumatic top struts... on and on.

Anyway, I've installed a drink holder in the car that helps eliminate any frustrations when things don't line up just so.

Gotta wrap up this project so I can concentrate on our Sunday bike cruise to Eagles Canyon Raceway. Open track day for the roadracer type bikes. Coolness.

Not an empty can of Lone Star beer to be found !!!

How can you call yourself a Texan, for god's sake !!  [smiley=wink.gif] [smiley=beerchug.gif]

[Justin B.]

If you'd ever tasted Lone Star you would understand!  

[montmil]

If you'd ever tasted Lone Star you would understand!  

The ONLY good thing you can say about Lone Star beer is that they maintain a really neat attraction in ol' San Antone, their Hall of Horns. A taxidermist's delight with all sorts of Texas critters. My wife calls it, "that horny place".

I swear, boys... A buddy found some rust in an aluminum can of Lone Star. Nasty, nasty, nasty... sell it to the tourists.  

And BTW, Miller is brewed in Cow Town, TEXAS. I'm one of the faithful.

[Justin B.]

The Miller Brewery is about 5 miles from me and my neighbor retired from there a couple pf years ago.  He had worked there since before it was a Miller brewery.

[Bob_Roller]

Ok, how about Pearl beer, it's still being brewed by the Miller Brewing Company in Ft. Worth.

[montmil]

Ok, how about Pearl beer, it's still being brewed by the Miller Brewing Company in Ft. Worth.

Alright, Bob. Open your wallet and let the moths out. Buy a ticket on Southwest and come see us... maybe when the heat breaks sometime in late October... and I'll personally put you up here on Planet Parkside. You need to try some of our real Texas and Mexican beers.

It's not even possible to rank the quality and taste of either Lone Star or Pearl brews.

I'm serious here.