Triumph Repair: replacing convertible top spitfire, roadster factory, moss motors

Question
QUESTION: What do I need to purchase besides the top to replace a torn vinyl top on a spitfire and how big a job is this?  The bows look ok.  Any recommendations for top and snap suppliers cheap?  I also want to do seat covers and carpet.

ANSWER: Hi Susan,
Over the years I have replaced a few tops on my own cars but we never did it in any of the dealerships I worked in because tops and seat cover replacement is a specialized job and mechanics don't usually do that kind of work so we always sent that work to an auto trim shop. The few I did of my own taught me why we sent them out to trim shops. Most tops are supplied without the front bow so it takes a little skill to attach it to the old front bow of the top frame. Some of the tops I purchased had instructions on how to do that but others did not. If you have never done one or watched one being put on, it would be money well spent to have a trim shop do it.

You can purchase the top and seat covers and carpets from most of the British parts suppliers and just have a trim shop do what you feel uncomfortable doing. Most of them have websites too.
Engel Imports, The Roadster Factory, Moss Motors, Victoria British and British Parts North West. Most can ship UPS in a couple of days to your door.

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QUESTION:
i realie it won't be easy but I plan on doing it myself anyway.  Any help from someone who knows would be great.

Answer
As I said Susan, I am no expert at installing tops and have never worked in a trim shop so the only thing I learned is as follows. This is what I did as I remember.

First I lay the top out in the sun on a hot day to warm the top up and have a large tube of Yellow 3M weather stripe adhesive. Attach the top at the rear and pull the front of the top over the front rail with the rail attached to the windshield and mark the very front of the top material with caulk as you pull the top tight. As I remember there is a rubber seal across the front of the inside of the front rail that needs to be pulled out and then I don't remember if the seal retainer is screwed in or pop riveted in. If it is riveted in you need to take a drill and drill out the pop rivets and remove the seal retainer and remove the old top material. After you have done all that mark the new top all the way across the front rail as you pull the new top as hard as you can. Then disconnect the front rail from the windshield and coat the area across the leading edge and where the seal retainer was with the 3M and fit the new material into the recess under the front rail aligning the caulk marks you made. Then quickly install the seal retainer and screw it down if it was screwed in or pop rivet it in if it were riveted in. then trim the excess top material off on the inside edge of the seal retainer with a sharp knife or box cutter. Then let is sit for a while so the 3M can dry and then attach the front rail to the windshield and latch it down. If you did it correctly the top will be tight and have no wrinkles. That is what I did but refused to do one for a customer and on one car I built as a show car I would not even try to do it so I took it to a trim shop and had it done correctly.
Good luck,
Howard