Rear plastic screen replacement on NAs' (dodgy day style)

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Steampunk
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Rear plastic screen replacement on NAs' (dodgy day style)

Postby Steampunk » Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:42 pm

Hey all. Just wanted to share some words of wisdom.
After spending months googling and ebaying for a complete replacement of just the rear zippered section, I decided that it was actually easier and cheaper to just cut and replace the plastic.
Long story short I went to a hardware store (Bunnings) bought a 2x2 metre (which was WAY too much)1.5mm thick plastic sheet, Tarzan's Grip general purpose glue x2, and a sheet of medium-grade sandpaper. Total cost approx $35.
You need a sharp and strong knife, pen/pencil, scissors, flat platform used to lie the zippered section ontop of, glad-wrap.

Not sure if this topic has been covered but here are the steps in general:
Whilst the soft-top is up and latched securely, and the rear section is fully zippered -

1) cut original plastic screen with sharp knife, preferably something with a bit of weight to it, and a strong blade. I used my MacGyver-inspired Swiss army knife. Cut around the whole screen in one cut (take it slow and steady) leaving a generous 5-10mm of plastic if you can.

2) use the plastic that you just cut as a template to mark the same shape on the new plastic. Lightly use a pencil or pen to trace around the plastic template with a 10mm or so wider margin.

3) Use preferably a large pair of scissors to cut around the outline

4) make sure to mark which is the top and bottom and which is inside and outside, then roughen up the inside border of the screen with sandpaper. Roughen the OUTSIDE part of the plastic screen, on the top, left over from the cut-out.

5) Unzip the rear softop section, lie it flat on the platform and use appropriate glue to stick the edges of the new plastic to the OUTSIDE edge of the softop together. Use glad-wrap to protect the platform from the glue.

I think you get the idea.

VERY IMPORTANT tip is to have a flat platform to lie the rear section flat. I used large piece of chip-board.

Not the prettiest of repairs, but for $35 and an hour of elbow grease, it's functional.

Hope this helps :)

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Postby OMY005 » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:46 am

That sounds great. I need to do a dodgy fix one mine until I can afford a used glass window NB top.

Andrew. :)
Previously, White 95 NA 1.8 Hard Top,Stock standard
Now, 2016 Fiat 500x, 2014 Fiat 500, 2015 ND GT 2.0

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Postby Andrew » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:26 am

Any pics :?:

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Re:

Postby Steampunk » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:12 am

OMY005 wrote:That sounds great. I need to do a dodgy fix one mine until I can afford a used glass window NB top.

Andrew. :)


I'm hankerin for a glass top too, but the rest of my top is still in very good nick. If you decide to do it and need a hand mate, give me a holler.

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Re:

Postby Steampunk » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:14 am

Andrew wrote:Any pics :?:


I'll take pics tonight andpost them tomorrow.
Are you trying to expose how dodgy I can be? :P

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Postby Steampunk » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:19 am

Another big tip which slipped my mind: Using Tarzan's Grip causes the edges of the plastic to curl up.
Therefore you will need things to weigh it down .... should I tell you what I used? ..... nah .... well .... I used the flat part of a couple of chamois containers and shoes to weigh them down 8)

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Re:

Postby Andrew » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:20 am

1red5 wrote:I'll take pics tonight andpost them tomorrow.
Are you trying to expose how dodgy I can be? :P


nah just interested in the final product 8)

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Postby Steampunk » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:25 am

So you ARE trying to expose me? :D
Hey ... everyone in this thread is called Andrew 8)
Cheers
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Postby Richee » Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:18 pm

Im not Andrew,

I have just replaced my old top with a glass window one and the old top is just taking up space so if anyone wants something to practice on let me know.

Richard
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Postby Steampunk » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:46 pm

Richard ... do you mean that you replaced just the rear section from the NA's plastic one to the NB's glass one?

I hear this can be done but with some fidling with the frame so the glass can lie down properly when folding the top down.

If not, did you just replace the whole thing, if so, is it a straight replacement as I have heard.

Enlighten us as to what you did please.

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Postby Richee » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:53 pm

Hi Andrew

I replaced my NA frame and top with an NB frame and top - easiest way to go IMO. Out and back on again in 2-3 hours, probably less now Ive done it once.

Yes - you can purchase a top with a Glass window and fit it to an NA frame and the adjustments to the frame are minor it's fitting the top to the frame that is time consuming (so Ive heard).

Richard
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Postby Steampunk » Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:00 pm

Eeeexcellent

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Postby Steampunk » Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:07 am

Final product. As I said ... not pretty, but functional. Second photo is blurry cause camera is focused on foreground ie the rear-view mirror

Image
Image

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Rear plastic screen replacement on NAs' (dodgy day style)

Postby Noodle » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:33 pm

Bump, cause I'd probably get flamed for starting a new topic

Gotta few questions:

1. Would anyone happen to have a rear window template that I can print 1 to 1 so I can cut out a new window from?

2. Also how did you cut the old window out? Do I cut out as much 'old window' as possible? Or should I leave some 'old window' around the perimeter to leave more glue area??

3. I have heard of some people sewing a new window on? How is this done? Does anyone have any pictures ?


Thanks in advance.

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Steampunk
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Rear plastic screen replacement on NAs' (dodgy day style)

Postby Steampunk » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:32 pm

1. I used the piece that I cut out as the template
2. correct
Image


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