How to Buy a Convertible Top Online

When it’s time to replace your convertible top, you don’t need to go to the local trim shop and work with whatever they happen to have - you can get a brand new, perfect fit convertible top online at an affordable price point and a 100% guarantee.

Buying a new convertible top online is actually pretty easy! Here’s all you need to know:

• Make and model of your vehicle
• The type of convertible top material that you want to use

Based on the criteria above, you can easily shop, buy, and get your new convertible top online.

The Benefits of Buying a Convertible Top Online

Shopping for a new or replacement convertible online has plenty of benefits over stopping in the trim shop.

More Convertible Top Options

Chances are that your local trim shop only has a finite inventory of convertible auto tops. Depending on the shop, you’ll have limited choice in the type of material you can use for your convertible top, and the make/model they’re able to work with. Limited options will either make you end up paying more for a convertible top replacement job, or force you to hunt around for a shop that offers what you’re looking for.

By shopping online, you can choose the type of top you want based on the make/model of your vehicle or the fabric that you want to use.

Purchase Guarantee

If you’re shopping convertible tops online, from a store like AutoTopsDirect.com, you have a purchase guarantee. While some trim shops might offer a refund, their policy might not cover the manufacturer fabric along with the installation process. Shopping online allows you to ensure that you’re getting a guaranteed product.

Lower Prices

If you’re shopping online, you’re cutting out the go-between that trim shops need to do in order to acquire convertible top material from suppliers. Those suppliers markup their prices from the manufacturer and pass it on to the trim shops, and then the trim shops pass it on to the customer. By shopping online direct from a manufacturer, you can cut out the middleman and get a convertible auto top at an affordable price.

Ensuring a Good Fit for Your Convertible Top

Once you’ve selected your convertible auto top, you then need to make sure that installation is going to go smoothly. The auto top installation process is different depending on the make/model of your vehicle and the type of top material that you use, so you need to make sure that you’ve got an installer who knows what they’re doing.

AutoTopsDirect.com has the benefit of having a nationwide network of auto top installers who are able to work with our products. This network allows us to offer our “Perfect Fit Guarantee.” No matter your make/model, if you take your new convertible top, headliner, boot cover, or seat cover kit to a professional trim shop and they cannot properly fit it to your vehicle, we will gladly replace your product or offer a refund. This allows you to shop at AutoTopsDirect.com with the confidence knowing you are getting a product made correctly for your vehicle.

If you’re considering buying a replacement auto top online, be sure to make sure that your retailer can offer a full money back guarantee and connect you with a professional installer, otherwise you’ll be hunting around for a trim professional that can install your make/model top.

While you don’t have to shop for your convertible top online with AutoTopsDirect.com, we hope that our Perfect Fit Guarantee, massive convertible top inventory, a huge network of professional installers, and industry expertise will help you choose to shop for your next auto top here.

Most Common Fabrics in Convertible Tops

If you’re replacing a convertible top or restoring a classic car for the first time, you’re in for a surprise. There are a lot of options in convertible-top fabrics, each with its own specific benefits, style, and more. Hopefully, this guide will steer you in the right direction.

Everflex Vinyl 

Everflex is high-quality convertible-top material. It is manufactured in England and was primarily used on classic luxury cars like Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and Jaguars from the 1960s to the 1980s. At the height of its popularity, it was featured on the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.

Everflex is similar to colonial-grain vinyl, but it’s more durable and more expensive.

Characteristics

• Supple 
• Handsome 
• Extremely durable 
• Stitched with matching colors using high-quality, bonded polyester thread 
• Heat-sealed seams for added strength 
• Expensive 

Pinpoint Vinyl 

Pinpoint, also known as single-texture vinyl, is the most popular and least expensive convertible-top fabric. The two-ply composite was original to many American cars made during the ’50s through the ’80s. It was also common on some European cars like the Volkswagen Beetle.

Pinpoint vinyl is constructed with an outer layer of PVC and an inner layer of dyed, 100-percent-cotton sateen. It gets its name from the tiny pips covering its surface. You may mistake it for Eurotop at first glance. It performs surprisingly well even though it costs less than most other toppings.

Characteristics

• Durable 
• Known for weatherability 
• Affordable 
• Available in a wide range of colors 

German Classic Canvas 

This superior-quality imported fabric is sometimes referred to as Original German, Sonnenland or A5. It is common on BMWs, Aston Martins, Volkswagen Beetles, Mercedes Benzes, Volvo C70s, Saab 9-3s, and Porsche Cabriolets and Boxters.

Its three-ply construction includes a twill-weave, polyester-acrylic blend outer layer; an interior layer of butyl rubber; and a dobby-weave cotton lining in a herringbone pattern. The material is specially treated with flame to remove the downy surface and make it resistant to abrasion.

Characteristics

• Sturdy and long-lasting 
• Fade-resistant 
• Cut from one bolt of cloth for consistent color and pattern 
• Stitched with matching bonded polyester thread 
• Rich appearance because of the high thread count 
• Most expensive of the canvas tops 

Sailcloth Vinyl 

The two-ply composite of PVC and cotton-polyester fabric has a reputation for being strong and durable. It’s featured on Chrysler Sebrings and LeBarons, some Ford Mustangs and other American cars.

Both pinpoint vinyl and sailcloth vinyl are made to look like canvas. However, the sailcloth’s bumpy texture is spread out rather than closely woven like the dimples on the pinpoint. As a result, it more closely resembles woven cloth.

Characteristics 

• Strong 
• Fade-resistant 
• Known for weatherability 
• Acoustically enhanced 
• Suitable for replacement of original pinpoint vinyl 

Sonnendeck 

This American-made canvas is an affordable, high-quality substitute for German Classic. It also features the dobby-weave backing. The exterior fabric is a twill weave, and the inner layer is an elastomeric polymer.

Sonnendeck is also sold as Twillfast, but some Twillfast products have a five-ply construction. The basic brand is original to BMW 6 Series cars, Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros, Fiat 500s, Peugeot 108s and many others. Sonnendeck has recently become more popular among European convertible-top manufacturers.

Characteristics

• Comparable to German Classic in appearance and quality 
• Affordable 
• Acoustically enhanced 
• Fade-resistant 

Stayfast 

Stayfast canvas is a lot like Sonnendeck, but the backing is smooth rather than textured. It’s classy-looking and durable thanks to its rubber core.

Stayfast was original to Chevy Camaros, Pontiac Firebirds, Dodge Vipers and other sporty American cars. Foreign cars featuring Stayfast include Nissan 370Zs, Toyota Celicas, Mazda Miatas, Alfa Romeo Spiders and Peugeot 306s.

Characteristics

• Highly rated for durability 
• Wrinkle-resistant 
• Sleek appearance 
• Popular for upgrading vinyl convertible tops 

Twill Vinyl (HV Denim) 

This heavy-duty material is also known as HV denim, twill-weave vinyl or twill-grain vinyl. It can stand up to lots of abuse. It’s constructed with an outer layer of PVC and an inner layer of blended polyester and cotton.

The distinctive grain on the surface imitates the pricey toppings on luxury cars like Audis, Bentleys, BMWs, Maseratis and Rolls-Royces. It’s used as a direct replacement for original cloth tops or as an upgrade for vinyl on all types of cars.

Characteristics 

• Attractive 
• Strong 
• Non-adding 
• Heat-sealed deck seams 

Acoustic Vinyl 

The heavy, two-ply component makes for a quiet ride in Jeeps and other SUVs with removable soft tops. In some tests, it reduced noise by as much as 20 percent.

Acoustic vinyl is made of PVC and 100-percent-polyester laminated backing to resist mildew, abrasions and tearing. Polyester is now the material of choice in luxury European convertibles.

Characteristics 

• Strong and heavy 
• Significantly reduces noise 
• Resembles expensive twill tops on luxury cars 

For more information on different types of convertible tops and tops for different convertible models, get in touch with AutoTopsDirect today!