Convertible Top Replacement Instructions Options

[JPArdee]

Hey all, a new Celica owner reporting in here at 6gc looking for tips and advice on taking care of my first ever car, the '97 25th Anniversary GT. I was lucky to come across it on Craigslist and fell in love with it immediately. But however, it has sustained some wear and tear over the years - pretty much all only cosmetic, and I'm looking to tending to them in the near future.

I want to start with getting a new cloth top for the El Nino winter that we're expected to have here in Texas. Before I pull the trigger on buying a cloth top from eBay (all I can afford really), I was wondering if anyone can share their instructions PDF or whatever help came with your replacement top. I had read on here that some people got them with buying a new top, but am unsure if the one I'm looking at would, and also to see how much work I'll have to do to install one.

I did hear it was a two-person job, but I have no idea where I would start without these instructions, apart from knowing that it's a two-piece design that can be done with glue and a stapler gun. Any advice is welcome too, and thanks in advance.

[pandito]

Funny enough, I was also thinking about replacing the top on my vert. And double funny enough, Autozone had instructions! Now to decide...cloth or vinyl?

[njccmd2002]

8 hours 1 person job. i got one from a yard. not easy... if you dont want to get frustrated, dont attempt.























lol, some pictures to share my frustration, never could grab the balls to do a how to... nor will i ever do one, i did not follow any instructions, as it was self explanatory, once you tear the old one, you get an idea.

[JPArdee]

Thanks for the hindsight. I think I want to put myself in the crucible fixing up my car though, it's just something I want to experience first hand. I am curious however that you said this is a 1 person 8 hour job. What part took the longest to do? Is removing the old top more taxing than putting on the new one? Where could a second person come in handy to cut down on the replacement time? I'm willing to spend a weekend doing this for myself, so any pointers will be handy

[njccmd2002]

Unless youve done it before and you know what your doing you wont speed up. If you want to do it. I can sort of help. Take your time. Dont go fast. Usually new tops come with instructions

[IllIllIll]

I replaced my top too, & it was a giant pain in the butt. Probably spent 3 days getting it off & getting it back on right. The biggest problem I had was I made the top too tight in some spots & too loose in others, & had to pull out all the staples & redo it. A second person is really needed, but I didn't have help for most of it. The instructions that came with my top were just a photo copied page of generic instructions with no car specific info.

My top is done except for the short tension cables. Can anyone take a few pictures on the inside of the convertible top frame? I had broken cables on my top, so I removed them & I don't remember where they attach. It's the two short cables about where the side windows meet. I was going to make some new ones, but I lost the pieces once I finally got some suitable cable, so I don't know how long they need to be either. If I knew for sure where they need to go I could measure the distance & crimp some new cables for it. The two long tension cables that run to the front corners are good, I riveted them in like the pictures above.

[njccmd2002]

dont understand the question. i think you already riveted the cables, i dont remember any other cables.

[IllIllIll]

There is another cable on each side under the top, but above the headliner. It was close to where the top frame folds, near the top of where the front & back side windows meet. On my car these cables were both broken on both sides. The cables are short, only a few inches or maybe a foot long, & were held in with screws on both ends. I'm not sure of their function, maybe to prevent the headliner from getting pinched or to prevent the top from folding up too far.



In the picture above the screw that holds the broken cable in place is circled in red, the cable where is was bent nearly in half below that is yellow, & the end were the cable is snapped is circled in light blue. I just would like someone to take a few pictures of this area so I can see where these cables need to go.

I took the screws out & removed the broken cables a long time ago. It took me a long time to finish putting the new top on, & now I don't remember which screw holes they went to. I took a broken piece of one of the cables to home depot & got a length of replacement cable. I was going to crimp some electrical type connections to it, since that's pretty much what was already on there.

[njccmd2002]

ill see what i can do tomorrow.

[CosaChow]

I'm curious to what these short cables are for as well. I can try and get some photos of them if you still need them. Also, does anyone know of a writeup explaining how to properly adjust the convertible top?

This post has been edited by CosaChow: Oct 12, 2015 - 10:38 PM

[njccmd2002]

i was out of the country for a few days, and its difficult to get the pic..





pics are from the inside....

there are not a lot of adjustments that can be done to the top. only a few bumper stops here and there.

[IllIllIll]

Thanks for the pictures. I'm sure it was difficult to take good pictures of that area. I can't really see what I wanted in those pictures unfortunately. Can you see where the other end of those cables go? The pictures you posted is of the front side of where the cables mount. I'm hoping to find out where the other end goes. Can you follow it back with you hand & at least tell me about how long the cables are? I should be able to figure out where they go if I know how long they are.

Maybe by looking at these diagrams you could point out where the cables go.