Just wondering if anyone here as done it and what issues if any did you have. I am going to replace the top on my 66 dart and have been thinking about doing it myself. It does not look to be very difficult.

It depends on your level of skill with interior fabric, how to "handle" it, and throw in mechanical understanding of the top frame, and it's adjustments,.....and have the patience of a saint, and you might get thru it!......I've done a few, and for all the headaches, I'd much rather pay someone,....I say that everytime, hoping they get easier,....but they don't .....working the well is perhaps the most fustrating part, if you can have a helper, it will go easier,....most quotes for install, in this area, range from $600-$1000,...not including the top

Sounds like the voice of experiance talking? I have looked at a couple of do it yourself manuals and with some time and patience looks like it can be done. I did the seats in my 66 a while back after taking it to the local upholstery guy and getting quoted $900.00. This was with me suppling the covers and buns and doing the disassembly. He said if I thought it was easy he would sell me the hog rings and plyers for $25.00 and I could do it myself. Well a couple of weeks later and some frustration I got them done. I am still a bit away from doing the top but thinking about it.

Yes, it is doable, I did mine and ten years later it was still perfect....but will soon be changing it again as I want a different colour as part of the ground-up rebuild.

You need to be patient and methodical. I did not need to do any frame adjustments, I guess in theory if it is OK now then as long as you install the new top like the old one it should pretty much stay OK.
Make sure you know the rear bow height and you should be alright

I did a new top on a late 90's pontiac sunbird once. It's not that hard you just follow the instructions. It's just time consuming. If I recall I did it over a weekend. In a comercial parking lot. (my appartment was above the shops) I'm sure a pro shop might have better tricks and the like for getting it perfect and as tight as possible but there didn't seem to be any problems with the way I did it. Yea a helper would have been nice to get things tighter but I don't recall having one.

I paid to have mine installed on my GTS and I'm sure I would have done better with a blindfold (well, maybe not a blindfold......). And, once it's stapled on it would have required a new top to get it right. My problem was that the last top that was installed in the 70s was done wrong (rear bow too low interfering with the rear curtain zipper). I fully explained this to the shop.........

I WILL do the next one and the one after that and........ (there are six of them).

To be honest it does not look to be that hard and as said just take your time. I would do it with a buddy of mine and pretty sure we can do a pretty good job. I would buy new tack strips and foam and anything else required to do it right and still save money. When the time comes I will post some pictures.

Don't buy the white nylon tack strip crap. it doesn't hold staples well...The original cardboard type works best...

Tackle it yourself. There are some good how to articles to help you. A shop bill is going to be heavy & they might not be as meticulous as you are going to be & I do not like the idea of someones greasy hands on my interior plus the satisfaction of having installed it your self is priceless.

I just did mine a took a couple I wanted to bump this old thread up because it comes up in a Google Search. I looked all over the place on how to do it and never found enough info on what to do.

Here is how I installed my top, halfway down my page. Glass window cost me $100 on Ebay and the top cost me $200 from Year One on a %20 off sale day. I was a 3 or 4 night job and I kept taking the back window in and out because I wanted to get it perfect. If I do it again, it would be lots quicker. I saved at least $600 to $1000 by doing it myself.

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=44869.150

I also have replaced the top on my Chall vert, it's not easy but its not impossible. The 1st time the rear seam didn't match up with the rear top bow and I had to redo it.

Watch the measurement on the rear bow and go for it- before you get too old to contort into the positions needed for attaching the top to the underside of the deck!

I've done a '70 Challenger. It's not too difficult, just take your time and measure, measure, measure. Also, use the old top as a template especially for the tack strip positioning.

Good Luck!

It's all about the wrinkles and straightness of the seams. You can spot a homedone job everytime. Even some professional's work looks wrinkled and crooked sometimes, not only on convertible tops, but also on the seatcover installs. There's an art to it, and like so many trades, finding a good upholsterer takes some footwork.

That being said, when paying a professional to install tops and seat covers, the wrinkles from the tops and seat covers are transfered to your pant's pockets where your money, and lots of it, once was.

I have the new canvas top and yet to go for the install. I have to say that your post is inspiring and very well detailed! Your top looks great and you started out with something a bit rougher than mine. I have not priced install by someone in the know, but still leaning on doing it myself. Thanks for the post revival and inspiration for doing it at home.

We'll probably be doing a LeBaron next week if the pads and cables come in......