Contact cement removal

My cloth top does not seem not to cover the header completely, 2.5 inches on each side. Now that I am going to make the speedy a daily driver (I have no problem driving it in the rain anymore) and I will need the top to keep from boiling my peanuts in the blazing sun. I realize, now, that when I adhered the top that I did not stretch it enough side to side. Is there a safe way to separate the cloth top from the header with out ruining the top so I can stretch it properly and re-adhere it to cover the entire header? I used the DAP contact cement that everyone championed. I would not like to a sharp knife or anything that would rip or tear the top. You would have to look closely to see the header sticking out from beneath the top in the picture, I don't have too many with the top up.

I am not sure if a heat gun will work. There is such a thing as adhesive remover. I have used "Goof" brand with success.

I am not sure if adhesive removers will darken your tan top.

my .02

I have removed tops from the header bow by heating the area a bit with a heat gun (don't get carried away and hold the heat gun too close or you'll be buying a top too) and just pulling it lightly.

Plan" B "
Wrap a clean cloth around your finger and lightly dampen it with laquer thinner, dab the glue only, it will soften quickly and can be rubbed/rolled off with finger pressure or a popsicle stick, work it slowly and the top will come off from the bow.....be sure not to get the laquer thinner on the paint surface as it will almost surely lift the paint.

Then again, if you don't give a rats pitutie about eating up the lacquer on the header (you can always re-paint the header with rattle can lacquer after it dries), then go to a local pharmacy (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) and ask the pharmacist for a root canal irrigation syringe. It looks like a BIG plastic syringe (holds about 30cc's) with a curved plastic tip on the end and is designed for squirting saline solution into an open root canal (yuck!)

Load it up with lacquer thinner, then slowly and gently squirt a small stream along the intersection of the header and the top material along the inside/top of the header. Don't go nuts, as it WILL eat the lacquer off the header, but it should also soften the contact cement a little at a time so you can peel the material back across the header until you can completely remove it. Peel it gently and it won't stretch out of shape.

Remember, don't drown it from the syringe.....just use enough to soften the cement, loosen the material and allow it to be slowly peeled off.

Another thing to consider, is that tightening the top material to make it "taught" and look cool when sitting still increases the possibility of it later shrinking in hot sun, stressing the windshield and causing a stress crack.

Buena Suerte.....

Gordon,

Are you speaking from experience about the hot sun?

It seems like the top warmed by the hot sun would loosen a bit.

Nope.....I usually see tops in the Sun follow Archie Bell and the Drells and "Do the Tighten Up", especially if the top was wet to begin with. I suppose that it might depend on what type of top it is in the first place.

Get a Stay-Fast top wet, put them in the Sun and they'll shrink right up, although not enough to help Kevin, perhaps. Can't say the same shrinkage rate for a CMC el-cheapo vinyl top, but it'll change, too, maybe just not as much as a Stay-Fast.

My top (a Stay Fast) stretches out a lot whenever I trailer to/from South Carolina. I then wait for a good, hot day, get the top soaked and let it dry in the Sun to shrink it back. Sometimes takes two or three times, but it always shrinks back!

However, my top is loose by design. It billows up at speed and looks fine as long as it's moving. When I stop, especially if it's been stretched, it looks a little wrinkled and "flappy" til I shrink it back.

Now....if it were tight in the first place, got rained on then the Sun comes out to dry it, THAT raises the possibility of over-stressing the windshield glass and cracking it.

gn

I used Original Weldwood Contact cement on my upholstery. That stuff will glue anything to anything. The only thing I found that can remove or disolve it is GOJOE cream hand cleaner.
I had Contact cement on my hands, arms, and my upholstery (the top side). I tried everything; Simple Green,Goof off, thinners, soap, bug remover, razors,you name it! I thought to get it off my hands I'd have it wait until it wore off! Then I discovered GoJoe! It takes it off and doesn't hurt anything. I use it to clean my vinyl upholstery, my vinyl coated canvas top and on my hands all the time.
I just bought a new tub of it today at Advanced Autoparts on sale for 98 cents.
Try it. It's better than soaking stuff in laquer thinner or harsher solvents.

Greg B

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I decided to call DAP and their tech reps said that using a heat gun is the best solution for three reasons:

1. the contact cement is designed to release at 1300 degrees
2. the contact cement will still adhere after being separated and remain pliable for 15 ~ 20 minutes until it reaches "room temperature" again.
3. I have a heat gun that can reach 1600

Yeah, but at what temperature does the top (and header) melt or ignite?

...1200 degrees...