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Anybody seeing rips appear on their convertible top fabric? Yep. Well here's a quick fix that will result in a quality-looking finish:
There was an FAQ floating around about repairing rips in convertible tops by using misc. adhesives and fiberglass mat coth. Can't find it now, but no bother. We are finally warming up here in Michigan and I'll bet that many are taking out their ragtops for the first time this season to find abrasion and rot taking its toll.
Here's my repair method which has held up well for over a year now:
I used quality iron-on patches. Use a dark color or prepare to use a marker to hide any peek-a-boos. These are the same type of patches momma used to use on dungarees. They are applied to the BACKSIDE of the top material.
First raise the top half-way in order to get between the liner and the top fabric. I used a 5x5x1" pine block in the "sandwich" to provide support for the patch. The patch was cut much larger than the tear. To facilitate proper placement, I dabbed three or four small dots of contact cement to the backside of the patch to temporarily stuck it to the pine block. After curing for a few minutes, the patch/block combo is then centered under the tear and any splits carefully pulled together. Then just iron away!
There are a few tricks I learned, the most important being not_to_overheat_the_fabric! Sure, this fabric can take some pretty good heat but the iron still left the surface with a very_slight glaze. Too much heat may also produce an impression of the wood block. My top is made of a synthetic material so next time I would use a 1/2 to 2/3rds power setting on the iron. I originally used the high "cotton" setting thinking that more would be better... Also limit the contact time by introducing a bit of steam to facilitate quick heat transfer. Let the patch cool a bit then unhinge the block from the patch. Remove and repeat. You might also round off all edges/ corners of the block to lessen any smoothing or glazing transitions between the patched area and the virgin material. Such transitions were slight to begin with but this would create a patch that would be virtually invisible.
Good luck!
Matt
BTW- I now store my convertable in the garage on the off-season with the latches popped to relieve stress. Definitely don't garage the car with the top down all winter. I believe this is what leads to stress tears at the usual points.
posted by 65.176.200...
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