[An82Mustang]

First thing to do is gather up some tools...

T-10 Torx
T-20 Torx
Needle nose pliers
appx 3 feet of stiff thin wire
10mm socket
11mm socket
13mm socket (Must be 12 point)
Flat head screwdriver
Phillips screwdriver
button puller (Looks like a small nail puller)
Prop rod
Pack of 10mm staples
Pack of 8mm staples
Electric staple gun
12 pack of cold drinks


Get stareted by lowering the top and removing the rear seat

about 1/4 way in on the left and right sides of the seat lower is a little tab that you push in and pull the seat up and out

for the upper there is 2 11mm bolts holding it in located in the lower corners

push the seat back up and remove

Sill plates

pry one side up and pull away from the car set aside

there are 4 plastic push retainers holding the quarter trim in.. 3 behind where the seat was and one on the top near the convertible frame

You can either remove the seatbelt and set the pieces aside or just move them to the middle of the car

Now it's time to remove the upper quarter trim

there are 3 plillips screws that hold in each side of the quarter trim. Two near the window and the third is near the curv and accessable from the outside of the car. now open the trunk and remove the rest of the screws across the back and remove the trim and set aside... (Might want to sand and paint the trim while it's off...)

Now there are 4 u shaped clips on wach side where the top connects to the quarter... pry those up and remove... save them for later.

close the top 3/4 of the way and use a prop rod to hold the roof up so it doesn't leak back down

remove the screws that hold the retainer accross the front of the top. (There are 4 t-20 that go into some seals and a lot of t-10 accross the front)

Next step is to remove the screws that are in the corners of your headliner... These are t-20 and there are 2 in the front... 2 in the very rear under the window, and 2 near the seat back

Please take note to how the top is folded in the corners so you can fold the new one the same way

Now it's time to remove the staples that go across the front of the top. ther are a lot of staples so be patient...

now you can seporate the top and headliner from the front of the frame. fold the top material back a little and pull the headliner material through to the insideof the car.

Please take not ein the order that you remove the headliner... the top frame is called bow one, 2, 3, 4, twards the back I took mine off in the order 1, 4, 2, 3but go ahead and remove the headliner and set it aside. There are t-20 screws holding the headliner to the frame, bow 2 also holds the top to the frame

Next it's time to remove the tension springs that hold the sides on, They are near the quarter glass. use your needle nose pliers to unhook them

next comes the top cables... they are on the topside of the frame near the quarter glass... unhook them and pull them through the top

now pull off your well liner... you can just unhook it from those plastic grommets

now remove those plastic grommets... (Use the 12 point 13 mm for this)

now you'll need to remove those braces from the top... (Time to remove more staples...)

fold the top back from the rear to front and leave the rear window hanging...

remove the staples that hold the top to bow # 4 Be careful not to remove the ones that hold the rear window in unless you are replacing the window also...

The top is off... YAY

Now you need to take your old top and lay it on the new one... cut the notches un the lower part near the last braces that you removed. do this for the rear window also if replacing..

if you are replacing the rear window go ahead and staple the brace to the bottom of the window

put the window in the car and staple it to bow #4 (Use only 3 0r 4 staples on the bow... loosly attach the lower bracket to the car using the 13mm plastic nuts and see how it fits... close the top and latch it. make sure it is nice and taught... (But not too tight)

if it fits good finish stapeling it in.
unbolt the lower bracket from the car again

lay the new top on the car and fold the rear up so you can get to the rear atachment strip. center this in the rear bow (#4) and staple it in

this is one of the PITA parts... you have to install the rest of the braces on the bottom of the top.. fold the window onto the roof and fold the lower corners of the top up. try and get them in the same spot as the old top... (Unfortunatly I don't have any good advice on how to do this because it sucks... and if you get them in the wrong spot your top will be loose and wrinkly...)

fold them back down and loosly bolt them in.

now you can start putting the headliner in... the same screws that hold the headliner in also hold some of the top in. start by screwing the headliner to bow # 3, then 4, then line up the top with #2 and screw the headliner through the tab in the top, and into bow #2.

now the rest of the headliner goes over the top of the front of the frame. Pull it snug and tac it into the front tack strip.

now we can start folding the top over the sides...

[An82Mustang]

I have to get to work but I'll edit it and finish later..... I'll also add pics....

[arabian stang]

where the pics?

[Smoothgrandmama]

Sorry bub This was written a year and a half ago.... don't think the pics are coming.