Welcome back to the VIP Interiors blog! It’s March, Spring should just about officially be on its way (or maybe we are just hopeful) and you know what that means! It’s about time to put the top back and enjoy cruisin’! Now, what if your convertible top is in need of repair? That’s where we come in! This post is all about some very basic convertible top repair tips. Remember, a repair done poorly will just cost more to fix correctly. ‘Buy cheap, buy twice’ and all that.

Fixing a Tear in Your Convertible Top

Fixing a tear in the fabric can be one of the easier fixes to tide you over til you can get into the shop. Depending on how well you do the repair and how thorough you are with the job, it may last you a decent amount of time. Keep in mind, this will certainly not look as stylish as you may like, but if times are tight or you need it fixed just until you can see a professional, then this may help.

You’ll Need

• Curved Needle
• Thread/Fine Wire
• Scissors
• Glue
• Masking Tape

Step 1 The Stitch

First, take that needle and (strong!) thread and stitch that tear. This can be time-consuming, but you want to do it right. If you go quickly and haphazardly you’ll just allow for more space for wind to catch and tear the fabric further. Sew it as tightly as possible, using a cross stitch.

Step 2 The Tape

After you have stitched the tear as best you can, get inside your vehicle and tape the inside of the tear. You want to make sure the tape runs the full length of the tear. This is crucial for the next step (unless you like getting glue all over the inside of your car?)

Step 3 The Glue

Now go back outside your car, and from there apply the strong, heavy duty glue to the stitch. You want that stitch to hold don’t you? Don’t worry about using too much, the tape you applied in the last step should be catching the excess, so long as you did that correctly.

Now that tear should be able to hold until you can get it into a shop and a more professional job is done. If you want to go all in, you can get some marine canvas and create a patch for the convertible top, but at this point we are getting into needing very specific materials. But it is doable to repair it yourself, at least for a little while.

If your convertible is a hardtop and that needs repair then it is a whole different beast and beyond the scope of this entry, remember as well that there are more pieces in a convertible top than the canvas. If the power mechanisms involved are a problem, meaning your top doesn’t raise or drop like it is supposed to, then you will need a skilled, knowledgeable mechanic to sort it out.

Whether it’s a European convertible or a domestic ragtop, replacing and repairing convertible tops are our specialty. Bring in your ride and we can get your ride not only looking its best but working correctly as well so that you can enjoy that perfect Spring weather. Contact us today, get a Free Estimate and we can get to work. Once your convertible top is repaired you’ll be living the good life in no time.