69 Super Bee Vinyl top installation 101

[BAFRAID]

I took a big leap of faith tonight and decided to put on the vinyl top. Definitely a huge learning curve. I had everything measured out so it was centered. What I did wrong the first time was starting from the center out towards the passenger side about 10 inches I applied spray glue to the top of the roof and on the bottom side of the vinyl. Then I tried to stand on the opposite side of the car and use my fingers to slowly push the top slowly towards the passenger side. That didn’t work so well. Lots of creases. I pulled it back up and got things reset. Then I pulled towards myself from the same side of the car, passenger side, I used my fingertips to slowly Roll the vinyl down moving front to back putting down about a quarter inch or so at a time. That worked excellent. Heat gun came in handy around the rain gutters and around the rear sail panel area. It’s not perfect but I did it.

 

[dadsbee]

Nice! Thinking would a vinyl decal applicator "squeegy" not be a good tool for slowly smoothing the top into place?

 

[BAFRAID]

Nice! Thinking would a vinyl decal applicator "squeegy" not be a good tool for slowly smoothing the top into place?

Possibly The difference here is that you can’t set the vinyl down on top of the roof skin and moving around. Once it’s down it’s down. It’s a process of getting it down as good as you can and then going back and working on flattening everything out. Of course you don’t want creases or big wrinkles but there are small bubbles that pop up and you just push back down

 

[dadsbee]

I know contact cement is a one shot deal. I was thinking as you are putting it into place. Top rolled back coated in glue and then you slowly smooth it into place with a large plastics squeegy. Hopefully I never have to know, but I do have my eye on another Dart! LOL

 

[BAFRAID]

I know contact cement is a one shot deal. I was thinking as you are putting it into place. Top rolled back coated in glue and then you slowly smooth it into place with a large plastics squeegy. Hopefully I never have to know, but I do have my eye on another Dart! LOL

That may work. I think it would need to be a pretty long and somewhat flexible squeegee to make the ark of the roof. What I found when I was trying to push from behind was that because the vinyl is so thick enlarge it didn’t really follow itself. One side would move one side would stay and get kinked. Working it from the front side I was able to evenly pull the top down. Basically working it from the front instead of the back

 

[mr. b]

i think it looks good nice work

 

[Toxic Orange 493]

Nice job, I think it looks good. Were all of the folds out of the top before you started? Or were there still any left that came out as you smoothed it on the roof? Just curious so I know when I go to do mine.

 

[blue69runner]

Nice job. What about a roller like you use on the insulation matt. To help in smoothing it out. Bet you have many ideas after you got it on. Good job.

 

[BAFRAID]

Nice job, I think it looks good. Were all of the folds out of the top before you started? Or were there still any left that came out as you smoothed it on the roof? Just curious so I know when I go to do mine.

I had the top laid out on the car for the last month or so. When I first opened it up there were a lot of folds from being boxed up. Every now and then I rolled it into the sun to help it flatten out. When I actually glued it down last night pretty much all of the fold marks were gone. I was able to get most of the small bumps and stuff out of it when putting it on last night. The one thing I did realize is that the amount of glue you use makes a difference. Somewhere I read or heard if you think you have enough glue down put more down. I found that when there was too much glue it had a hard time sticking down even after letting it tack up. I did a couple light even coats for the rest of it and it went down and stuck down better.

 

[BAFRAID]

Also, initially I only bought two cans of the 3M high strength 90. Definitely get three cans.

 

[BAFRAID]

Nice job. What about a roller like you use on the insulation matt. To help in smoothing it out. Bet you have many ideas after you got it on. Good job.

Possibly. For me I like to use my hands so I can feel the material and feel how it is laying down. I found it easiest to just continually go front to back slowly pulling the top. I did the passenger side first which is where I was trying the other technique. That side is down but the driver side using the pulling forward technique is perfect.

 

[Bad B-rad]

GREAT JOB!!!!

 

[BAFRAID]

Thank you everyone. I was a bit nervous to start. I need to remember not to doubt myself. It’s so awesome to see her looking like a Super Bee again.

 

[JimKueneman]

Helpful hint. After the 3rd one I learned a trick. I now use the wife’s clothes steamer to heat and soften the material to stretch it and lay it down smooth.

 

[t.flatt]

Cool! It looks great! I was wondering when I was going to see your bee with the top on. Once you get going it's not that bad. Definitely nerve racking thinking you might screw up and have to buy a new top!

 

[69 MBee]

Looking good BAFRAID!
Another useful tool for the vinyl install. Stop by a neighborhood Sherwin Williams or any Commercial paint supplier and pick up a "smoothie". A white-ish plastic smoother for installing commercial wallcovering (roughly about 6" wide). I've used em for vinyl tops, tolex covers for vintage amps and of course vinyl wallcovering.
A heat gun and or a propane torch with the push button igniter (my personal choice) is helpful for tucking into tight corners (drip rails, ect)

 

[BAFRAID]