From reading prior posts, it appears most prefer cloth as the material for their replacement top. However, I don't see consensus on the best brand. Any help/suggestions are appreciated.
I believe that Gahh owns a couple of the popular brands such as Robbins, Sierra and EZ Top. Sonnerland fabric is the prime material.
My personal listing from a post-it I have is:
Gahh
Autoberry
Robbins Top (Gahh)
Sierra Top (Gahh)
Tops On Line
Autopia
Autotopsdirect
EZ Top (not well rated) (Gahh)
EZON (not well rated)
Gahh is a couple hundred more than Autoberry and Robbins.
I installed an AutoBerry top and was not pleased with the fit when using the rear holes that mount the top on the back. I had a shop redo that for a better fit. That shop also thinks highly of Gahh and suggested Ez top when I asked what they used.
There are recommendations here, try using spydersearch.org for research.
Remember there is a difference between best and best value.
In my opinion, cloth looks better but does not last as long as vinyl. I've had both. The cloth is worse at chafing. Every spot that touches the canvas covering will eventually wear through the threads. Vinyl seems to be more tolerant of chafing, and vinyl never needs to be treated with waterproofing. Dried bird poo is easier to remove from vinyl. Cloth tops don't get as stiff in cold weather. Outside those tidbits, it depends on which feature is more important to you, appearance or longevity.
I have EZon top and I like it for its value. Holes were all spot on and therefore easy install. I've installed a high end (forgot brand) but it had all this extra padding in high wear areas and materials were above and beyond but then on the flip side, it did not install easily (no predrilled holes).
The Robbins that I had died right after the 5 year warranty. It was a vinyl version.
And to throw out another thought to what cyclehead said, I think overall the vinyl will wear worst because its so thick and tough. I agree though that the chaffing will be alot easier than on the fabric tops.
Installed a Gahh cloth top many years ago to replace the stock vinyl top, fit was perfect and love the look of cloth. If my car was an every day driver the vinyl top would be my choice, less trouble to maintain and to clean in my opinion. I put less than 2000 miles a summer and my top rarely sees rain, I just liked the look of cloth. Putting the soft top treatment was a lot easier than I thought.
I noticed there hasn't been any recent information on which top to get. I installed an Autoberry Stayfast a few weeks ago. Overall quality is very good. Some holes were missing, and I had to rivet two brackets to the fabric, not sure why it wasn't done in the factory. Installation took 10 hours (first time for me, no help). Fit is good, with a little slack in the rear window, which should keep the stress away from the window seams. No wrinkles and folds up and down nicely in cold weather. Burgundy on silver
I noticed there hasn't been any recent information on which top to get. I installed an Autoberry Stayfast a few weeks ago. Overall quality is very good. Some holes were missing, and I had to rivet two brackets to the fabric, not sure why it wasn't done in the factory. Installation took 10 hours (first time for me, no help). Fit is good, with a little slack in the rear window, which should keep the stress away from the window seams. No wrinkles and folds up and down nicely in cold weather. Burgundy on silver View attachment 74451
I replaced the top on my '03 Spyder 3 years ago with a Robbins sail cloth cover. The instructions were fairly straight forward and I've been told that it looks like it was professionally installed.
Has anyone had trouble with Sierra Tops back window falling completely out. I have the best upgraded version they sell and it fell out in less than a 2 years. They aren't returning calls.
Sadly…don’t waste your time calling for warranty. Sierras warranty for glass bond is only 1 year, and that’s if you had it installed by a certified installer. If you installed it yourself, you get zero warranty. (Same as Robbins). Buy a set of plastic suction cup clamps, and a tube of 3m Window Weld and glue it back in place.
PS, does the car live in Nevada or Texas?
In in south Fl.
When I bought it it was a five year warranty and guaranteed to fit or they'll replace free and cover the install fee. This was why I bought through them. Guess that has changed.
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