stretching the vinyl

[Mike Kast]

I'm trying to stretch the vinyl onto the targa top. It is 70 degrees and it is sitting in the direct sun but I have a solid 1/2 inch further to stretch. Do I really need to wait until the temps hit 100 to do this project?
I have been studying this one for some time and thought I had figured out a way to do it so it would be tight as a drum. But DAMN!!!!
&0 degrees in February, it may be 100 in a couple of weeks anyway

[cgarr]

Do you have time to install it if you toss it in the dryer?

[Mike Kast]

arggggggggg... lol! it won't fit in the dryer anymore

[snbush67]

Is there a gym with a sauna close by?

Seriously, I have replaced the vinyl and I think they are just sewn to small, I did mine in the hot Hawiian sun (same sun as yours, just closer) and it still was a pain.

If you collapse the frame a bit and then glue it, when you open the frame it will become taught. Thats how I did it.

[Mike Kast]

thanks. It is the front to back I am struggling with. I'll get this bustered

[snbush67]

I think that if I had to do it again that I would glue the front edge first and let it dry and then pull and clamp the rear edge.

[PorscheGAL]

Try a hair dryer. I did almost 4 years ago on my targa top in the same type of temps.

[Mike Kast]

That was the exact conclusion I came to. I am dreaming of a way to stretch it. I am thinking of making something to clamp the beaded edge on the rear and pull it with another clamp. There must be a stretch table in a shop made for this type of thing. It needs to hold stretched until the glue on the rear edge sets up. So there needs to be a series of stretching clamps each grabbing maybe 4 inches of the bead. At least 4 of them. I really cant afford the 800 to let Dan do this. But I wish I could. I priced it at a shop yesterday and they wanted almost 300 just to stretch and glue up the vinyl. With me supplying everything. I could have slapped him.
I was responding to the gluing the front edge idea, a hairdryer? How long did you have to cook it for?