Recommendations on fixing/replacing top on my 68
 

So I'm about to take my 68 convertible to a shop not too far from my house to get the convertible top fixed. The upper rear edge of the window is coming unsewn and the cross-stitch that mates the roof with the rear window is also frayed (thanks to mouse-catching cats in my garage). I've attached some pics for you to see. Just based on phone conversations with the shop, they said that they may be able to fix the top...I think the rear window is probably easy but the stitch that goes across could be problematic. He recommended that I just replace the top. They quoted me a price over the phone of $250 for the top and about $250-$300 for labor. The price seems fair but I'd like to become as intimately familiar with this car as I can and was wondering if this is a job I could tackle on my own or should I leave it to an upholstery professional? What are CF's thoughts on fixing, replacing, price they're asking to replace, or if I should do it myself. Thanks!

BTW: The crappy quality of these pictures makes the top look faded and ugly. Aside form these two issues, the top is near perfect looking.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1211060/Cam...%2022%20AM.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1211060/Cam...%2030%20AM.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1211060/Cam...%2044%20AM.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1211060/Cam...%2019%20AM.jpg

I've replaced a top on a Vette before, and that welting that's hanging on yours is a separate piece from the top. It's a finish strip that gets stapled to the tack strip to cover the seam of the upper and lower parts of the top, that lower portion with the bead is part of the strip. Then you fold the top part of the strip over (it's metal reinforced) and hammer it with a mallet to be somewhat flush with that bead, then trim it off with the metal spear ends. That's an easy fix. I'm sure the upholstery shop would have a trick for reattaching the window too.

The issue they were giving me on the phone was that the color of the finish strip versus the color of the top may not match. The other reason they were trying to sell me on a new top was because of the crinkling that you can see just to the left of the window. They said it was due to sun which I find interesting because the car was rarely driven and was garage kept almost exclusively.

If the shop hasn't seen your car in person, then they're basing the need for a new top off your description which may have sounded worse than it is. When a top starts to get dry and cracky, it will start to crack and split on that vertical sewn edge on either side of the window, and anywhere else there is a pivot point such as the side sewn edges that are above the side windows. They may have been picturing that on the phone? Might want to see if a good day baking in the hot sun will pull those wrinkles tight again.

Ok thanks for the feedback. It sounds like the best course of action is to take it in and hope they'll be good with just fixing it rather than replacing the whole thing.

The only thing to determine that is whether or not they can successfully weld the back window into place. The hanging strip is a replaceable piece, and the wrinkles on the left side are cosmetic. If the window can get fixed, you don't "need" a new top unless its appearance bothers you.

We'll see, I have an appointment for next Monday. The appearance of the top is fine but I would like the repair to be seamless....I don't want anyone to look at it and say "not a bad repair job".