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How hard is it to remove a ragtop from a car? I have a 88 T Bird with one and it looks tacky as heck! The car is already hurting enough with the metallic poop brown paint the tan top just adds insult to that injury! The canvas material is starting to peel of in places anyway.

As far as my understanding goes, I don't think it would be a big deal to have it removed. Of course, it depends on whether it was an aftermarket or factory modification. My rag top is bound around the rear window with screws and maybe some type of binding compound along the front. On an 88 T-bird, you would probably have a major difference between the paint underneath the top (if there is any) and the paint on the rest of your car.

Originally posted by jlowitz:

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As far as my understanding goes, I don't think it would be a big deal to have it removed. Of course, it depends on whether it was an aftermarket or factory modification. My rag top is bound around the rear window with screws and maybe some type of binding compound along the front. On an 88 T-bird, you would probably have a major difference between the paint underneath the top (if there is any) and the paint on the rest of your car.

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You could always do what I did, but I wouldn't recommend it. I used to have a '79 Grand Prix that had a "landau" vinyl top on the front half of the roof. I don't think it was from the factory, b/c I never saw a roof like that on any other GP. Well, the vinyl must have started to shrink because it started to pull away from the trim at the top of the windshield. I started messing with it just to see how hard it would be to take the top off (I didn't really like it). I wound up making it pull out even more. My dad said to stop messing with it or it would get ruined. Sure enough, first time I got it up to highway speed, wind caught that front edge and just ripped it right off. It came off mostly in one piece. Once I scrubbed the glue off, it wasn't too bad, paint was a little dull and there was the plastic trim strip halfway back on the roof. But at the time, It didn't bother me too much. I never did have it repainted or polished.

Where are the pics at

I want to see some pics of this. A rag top... Now thats BIG PIMPIN

Originally posted by remy:

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How hard is it to remove a ragtop from a car?.

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I used to work at a place that installed these "simulated convertable" tops. We would do it for Caddys and Town cars, the right color combos didn't look too bad.

There are some screws and glue involved, but the main thing is this. The fabric is glued to a big fiberglass piece molded to fit the roof and the fiberglass was fixed to the roof with ample amounts of silicone.

Needless to say, the screws and silicone made the install permanent. Once in a while, we did have to remove one (usually because they didn't like the color) and it was a MAJOR pain.

The car had to have another top installed because the screw holes would leak, and the silicone would ruin the roof.

I'm not sure if this is the method used for the mystiques, but you're doomed to always have a cloth top if it is.

Wow, I didnt know they were so permanent. I can see how taking something like that off wuld be a PITA.

Here is a link to an old web page of mine. The car now has tinted windows and has been knaburized. There are also more mods under the hood . I'll try to get som new pics loaded today or tommorrow.

http://www.sunflower.com/~jrobinson/

what the heck is knaburized????????? I hear people talking about it but I have no clue what it is and I tried to search for it but I think it is spelled wrong. BTW I dont really like that rag top

Originally posted by KUtour:

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Here is a link to an old web page of mine. The car now has tinted windows and has been knaburized. There are also more mods under the hood . I'll try to get som new pics loaded today or tommorrow.

http://www.sunflower.com/~jrobinson/

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does not look to bad. paint is in great condition.