1966 Ford Fairlane Convertible Top Replacement - Lid Lifter

Rick starts to pull out the old top. Note the protective material taped to the car's trim. It's there to prevent you from scratching your car's paint while you work.

As the staples were removed, you could tell there had been a replacement top already installed. The factory used stainless staples, while the replacements were either zinc or copper. There were traces of staple rust, which stainless wouldn't have left. The new staples will be stainless.

The old top is pulled away from the tack strip. The strip appears to be in fairly good shape to hold the new top.

One tack strip had a large chunk of material missing.

There are different ways to handle a situation like this, including the use of body filler, but the material must be pliable enough to accept staples-too brittle and it will crack and not hold.

As the old top is being removed, the skeletal structure is assessed and is sound.

The cable is disconnected and ...

...hangs free on each side of the car.

Rick begins to remove the top from its mounting at the front of the car. Obviously, the top had to be raised in order to get this done.

As the screws are removed, there's evidence there had been glue used on the top. It's OK to use glue here, even though it doesn't help sealing. Glue elsewhere will not withstand the pressures.

The old belt padding is removed from both sides. A Phillips screwdriver will do the job.

With the top removed, this is a good chance to lubricate the moving parts in the convertible top.

Here are the skeletal workings of the car's convertible top. With less strain on the mechanism, this is an opportunity to check the workings. You'll see if the top's motor is working too hard or if the process is sticking. This is the time to make any necessary repairs before the new top is in place.

We'll be reusing the glass window that was on the car. It's the original window, which can be removed by unzipping the unit. It's still a mystery to some of us why you'd want to remove a window instead of lowering a top. The tack strip needs to be marked for proper reinstallation.

New pads were provided in the Hydro-E-Lectric kit. Throughout the process, the fit was right on the money.

Rick applies the new pad on the right side.

Staples will be used at the rear, and pop rivets will be used up front. The pad must be pulled very tight.

These pads had strong burlap reinforcements inside.