How do I remove the old, VERY hard, tack material. It is like concrete in the bow!
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Re: Soft top restoration
Someone has probably soaked it in some epoxy material if its that hard.
A hammer and a chisel or screwdriver. -
Re: Soft top restoration
I don't know, Wayne.... I've seen factory original leather (especially on the older cars) that was like iron and took an 'act of Congress' to get it out of the rear bow recess.....Comment
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Re: Soft top restoration
I finally got mine out by digging with a screwdriver. Now the questions is how do I get the new tack strip in? It is beveled so it cannot simply be dropped in and it is too tight to slide completely around the bow. Then there is the issue of the "t" nuts..
Has anyone got any insight into making this process somewhat more manageable?Comment
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Re: Soft top restoration
Just curious as to where there is any leather on a top. The strip is usually made from something like pressed paper board, impregnated with a tar substance. I dont know what the proper term is. The stuff that most suppliers sell is either just paper board or plastic.Comment
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Re: Soft top restoration
What year are we dealing with here?Comment
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Re: Soft top restoration
Bob, I used the vinyl tackstrip material and glued it in place with the "Yellow Death". The reccomended method of attaching the front W/S with this type of tack strip is to use self-tapping screws right into the tack strip, but I could not bring myself to do this. I located the slots in the tackstrip from the W/S retainer and punched slots into the strip. After doing that I installed the original style T nuts and glued the strip down. I left the glue far enough back from the nuts that they still slide. All in all I would use the original style tackstrip material from Al Knoch next time, but you still would have to use vinyl on the rear bow as it was bent around the strip and cannot be replaced. There are people who sell replacement rear bows with strip, but at Close to $300! You can get a good job with the vinyl, and it does not show when complete if you use the original style T nuts and screws, but it was a lot of work.
JohnComment
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Re: Soft top restoration
John,
It just so happens that my rear bow is pretty chewed up with rust and has been bent and mistreated over the years. If I could get a new one with the tack strip installed for around $300, I think I would go for it. Do you know where I could get one for that?
We're talking about a '60 model.
FYI, I think I did myself a misservice by taking the top frame completely apart and having it powder coated. Now, due to the extra thickness of the powder coat, I cannot get the tack strip installed. I'm actually considering having it striped down to bare metal and just painting but, I would definately be interested in a new rear bow.
Thanks,Comment
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Re: Soft top restoration
Paint remover will remove powder coating, although it takes much longer than removing paint. I would remove the powder coat only near the location of the tack strip. Then spray only that area with paint.Comment
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Re: Soft top restoration
It's a '59. I've tried using a chisel rather than a screwdriver. My Dremel helps, but measuring the progress I've made, it looks like I have another 70 to 80 hours to go on this.Comment
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