I know a few members have installed convertible tops themselves. I have the video and need to put a new top on my 87 Sunbird and 89 Z24. I was wondering what length staples are best to use and if steel ones are ok or if stainless steel ones should be used? The video doesn't specify that critical piece of info. and I would need to order the stainless ones which are a bit salty, though I have 80,000 steel ones different lengths due to buying all the lengths available when I bought the pneumatic stapler since the shipping was cheap when power buying. I was buying for upholstery use and not outdoor convertible use at that time.
Though its been a while since I have been active on the forum, I pop in now and then. Last year this time I was trying to teach myself how to paint and am still trying to do that. I didn't paint the sunbird yet, but now have my 89 Z24 all apart trying to do a quick paint job, the semi right way by tearing the car apart to jamb it, then paint the outside all assembled. Once the car is painted, I have a new black top to compliment the electric blue metallic top color with silver ground effects. I was given a set of Fiero GT wheels and tires. I orginally planned to put them on the Sunbird, but may run them on the Z for a while for a different look. Once the outside is done, I would like to replace the carpet and maybe stitch up a new interior for her too. I think I will have only about a grand in the body work, paint, top and carpet, which also includes another hood for the car. I scored a sweet coupe door and the hood for $125 and cut the door up to make it a convertible door, but didnt cut out the inside center section to finish the job because I figured I better save that sweet piece for my other white 89 Z24 convertible I want to paint black so it is a triple black car, then I will be in a position to give honey the blue convertible so we have a his and hers pair and when the sunbird is done, I will have a pair of 87 Pontiacs= Sunbird GT Conv and T-top Trans Am. A pair of open air Pontiacs the year I graduated from high school....things I only dreamed of then and would acquire years later when others found little value in them. I'll try to post picts of the finished products......if that ever occurs....though it needs to before winter because I have other things to move into the garage and what a shame the new painted, new top car will have to sit out in the snow this winter. Too many projects and too little space.
Thanks for the great info and links. I am sure it will also help others in the future especially since I look for the convertibles to be the ones that get saved from extinction because of their air through the hair option.
I also used a spray contact cement that I got at Home Depot, I think it was a 3M upholstery/headliner cement. I think the spray stuff works better (seemed easier for the novice to use as it did not drip as much). 