Convertible Top Restoration and Installation (Restoration How to S A Design)

I bought this to help me decide if I could do own recover or take it to a shop. The instructions are very clear and detailed with trouble shooting information.

Good

Item well described; Excellent packing and fast shipping, recommended dealer!

I received this book for free from Library Thing in return for a review. One important thing to state up front about this book is that I received a paper book, not an e book. It is coffee table quality; it is beautiful.Mattson covers an appropriate range of subjects: suppliers, tools, and several types of convertible and retractable tops. Instead of showing how easy it is to do a perfect job when everything goes right, he shows HARD real-world problems that need carefully thought out repairs.Plenty of pictures; just the right amount of detail without being too pedantic. I highly recommend it.I only have one criticism. This is a how to book, and therefore it should be bound in a way the book can lay open to the page you are on. Instead it is bound like a magazine, and does not facilitate sitting open on your bench top. But hey - if that is the only thing bad about the book; that's pretty good!

Not as detailed as I would have liked. More info would be needed for me to tackle a GM top.

Excellent step by step instructions with lots of color photos. Chapters on many topics relating to convertible tops: scissor, scratch-built, two piece, retractable, power top, etc. Detailed book on a very specific element of car restoration - another great book from CarTech!

A very thorough work on restoring and replacing tops on vintage convertibles. The author begins with a brief history of convertible tops, then walks you through replacing a one piece top, a two piece top, and building a custom top out of whole cloth (pun intended).The sections on the different tops are directed to specific models (first three generations of the Corvette for the one piece, GM scissors top for the two piece, and a 1949 Chevrolet for the scratch built), but he explains the details and includes many pictures so that the process will be useful to similar applications on other vehicles.He also includes sections on restoring and maintaining the structural and power systems, as well as suppliers he recommends, concluding with a section on maintaining the new top.My only caveat is that this is directed at vintage tops, and may not be as helpful for more modern tops that do not use the wire-on welt system for top attachment.

This fantastic how-to guide, written by upholstery and interior restoration expert Fred Mattson, shows readers everything they need to know to correctly restore and install their convertible top. The book begins with a brief and fascinating history of the evolution of the convertible top (along with some great photos!), followed by some extremely informative chapters on the tools and suppliers that are available to help you with your project. From here, Mattson takes readers step-by-step through the repair process for a variety of convertible types, from open cars, corvettes, retractable, scissor, two-piece, and scratch-built tops, to restorstion repairs, power-top systems and more. If you are planning a restoration project for your convertible, this guide will prove to be a very valuable addition to your toolbox. Highly recommended!