# Oh Really, Your Beetle Needs a New Convertable Top eh?



## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

A few days ago I went down to my favorite Mexican food take out joint and was happily waiting for order number 111. I returned back to the wife's 07 3x White NB Vert and noticed that the headliner was hanging low around the back window on the way home. I got home and walked around to the back of the car and (insert harsh sentence enhancing words here)!!!!! I realized that opting not to stop at the police station before lunch to drop off a ziplock sandwich bag full of old prescription pills was a big mistake. We had just cleaned out the medicine cabinet of 15+ years of old prescriptions as we got a flyer we could take all the old scripts to the police station and drop them off instead of flushing them to the ocean.

Some homeless tweeker apparently saw the baggie full of pills and went ape$hip with his knife and cut the roof open above the door. Apparently his arms were not long enough to get to the baggie. The doors do not unlock without the alarm off so he decided to try and cut the fricking back window out. Because of that I now know that the window is attached at two ball joint mounts at both sides. 

The schlick, little squirmy $hit tilted the window enough to climb in and out in less than 10 minutes to get the frick'g bag of expired odd ball prescriptions that were out of their original containers. After I settled down, I laughed. The poor dude had a bunch of pills from the kids old hospital stays like antibiotics, stool softeners and all the stuff that would make one feel absolutely horrible if snorted or ingested in large quantities. 

Here's the real shocker. I called AAA and put the claim in. I avoided all the pressure they put on to simply meet them at their preferred shop and have a loaner car waiting. I called a buddy at the dealer who states they farm out all the convertible top replacements to a body shop down the street (huh?). He also stated that an oem vert top replacement is $3K!!! I just had a sinking feeling that they were going to try and total the car. My buddy told me not to get the oem top and referred me to ....

https://www.topsonline.com/model/Co..._Volkswagen_New_Beetle_And_Beetle_Cabrio.html


Apparently the beetle vert's in particular have a known issue with the glass separating from the canvas top and it's a "sorry you're SOL if you think VW will warranty that". He recommended the online place that sells a product with identical German made canvas (A5) and the windows are bonded in such a way that they carry a lifetime warranty from separating. Like anything VAG, it's 50-75% less if VW doesn't put their logo on the part. These tops are $1,135.00 shipped. After getting off the phone with the online supplier I used their preferred installer directory and it led me to the shop I had just used to restore the seats in my Corrado. Winner winner chicken dinner! I called them and in a day the top is ordered and will be replaced with a new headliner and pad for the low, low price of $5,697.75. No muss of fuss from AAA on using the aftermarket parts.

Keep you're vert beetle parked in eye shot of where you're at or roll the top down so some fuching dumb $hit doesn't lay waste to you're top while you're away from the car. These tops are unfricking believably expensive to replace.


----------



## markieb (Jul 27, 2007)

so you are saying that the shop charged over $3500 for the install???


----------



## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

Parts & labor 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

When the shop purchased the aftermarket A5 Top, aftermarket headliner and pad they were sent a very low quality headliner that was made from what I can tells matches ...

*Woven 58'' 68'' 100% Polyester Georgette, Chiffon, Wool Peach Formal Black Korean Black Jet Black Abaya Fabric Material Textile* that's listed on the Alibaba site in China. It was not wide enough to cover the both sides of the car and looked horrible.

I told the shop I'd think about it for a few weeks and then took the car back. They were able to get the supplier to give them a full refund for parts and labor. The Insurance then paid for a new oem headliner. The verdict is out on the pad for the top. It looks too thin and allows too much protrusion some of the sharper contours of the top.

The A5 canvas top is the bomb. It's the subpar pad and headliner fabric (below) that I've got to warn everyone to stay away from.


----------



## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

Fast forward from October 2017 just short of five years. The German A5 Sonnenland Cloth top that AAA paid to install had its lifetime guarantee rear glass window fail. It looked a little droopy in the last month or so. When I lowered the top for a drive and raised it back up, it gave out at the top. This was the "new" lifetime guaranteed bonding method offered on the Non-Factory replacement tops like the 2012+ Vert's have.

Fortunately, I washed it after the drive and caught it just when I started washing off the top with the hose. The shop that installed it got back to me in 45 minutes and stated that the company no longer provides a lifetime guarantee on the window glass, it's only 5 years now. 

Luckily, I was also within the five-year window so I'll be getting a new top without cost. AAA is trying to get out of their obligation for the labor cost by stating that the shop was not a preferred shop so I'm stuck with the cost. HA! They referred me to that shop since the selling dealer refused to do the work.

This should be as easy as "Hello, AAA? Can you please show me the paperwork I signed stating that I agreed to have the repair done at shop you did not authorize?" Man AAA has gotten really slimy over the last two decades.


----------



## billymade (Jan 29, 2008)

Did you get things fixed and resolved? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

Hey billymade, thanks for checking in. There is a nationwide shortage on supplies (A5 canvas). I had the option to pick another color / fabric but the wife & daughter wouldn’t hear of it. So, we wait. Ironically I just checked with the upholstery shop this morning to see if they had status yet.

It will take a while longer but it’s for the best. The A5 fabric is the best for acoustics apparently. Owners who’ve gone from vinyl or lesser fabrics have commented on how much quieter the A5 is.

The NB Vert is already noisy inside. I’d hate to have regrets with a top of lesser quality and acoustic issues. I picked up a new pillow for when we have to stuff passengers in back. We use the rear seat like a couch.











Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## billymade (Jan 29, 2008)

Supply chain and manufacturing is definitely a ongoing issue at this time; I've been having problems, finding parts, things as basic as cooling hoses.


----------



## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

Ohh Kee Doh Kee ... Robbins Auto Tops Stood by their lifetime (window bond) warranty after five years of use. It took almost two weeks to have them tool up a batch, but they came through during the supply shortage. Robbins was sold recently. The new owners didn't have to BUT DID stand behind all the tops sold with a lifetime guarantee on the window bond. 

That's a huge statement to make about a $1.4K highline convertible top that exceed the quality of VW's original design. Roberto's Auto Upholstery in Costa Mesa, CA did the job, *again*. They practically installed the top for a loss at $850. Raul is the man that runs the shop. He may be moving to another location after taking the shop over for his uncle several decades ago. He was also helping out several other NB Vert owners who had purchased the same top and had it installed at other locations. He researched their warranty info and got them covered too. 

I had part of the strings or headliner retraction mechanism break. Raul repaired that too. If you see your headliner not tucking in when the top goes down. Don't procrastinate on having it repaired. It will eventually self destruct the entire headliner and pull it off the roof turning your $100 repair into a 4-$500 repair.

Here's the new fix that Robbins engineered to keep the bond on the rear window glass. It's now sandwiched in between fabric on both sides of the glass for extra adhesion. One thing about this top compared to the one installed 5 years ago. It is quiet inside the cabin. Eerily quiet. I don't know what the difference is but I like it and the 07 NB Vert 3x White looks better than ever after 9 years of ownership.


----------



## billymade (Jan 29, 2008)

Thats wonderful news; always great, when a company stands behind their product! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## laurajhowe511 (9 mo ago)

Hello... I am glad they took care of the car finally. I purchased my 2013 VW Beetle Convertible in Nov 2021. The noise inside is almost unbearable. Did you find that your top also vibrates when the wind conditions are right? I am wondering if I should replace the top? Thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Laura


----------



## 3M_TA3 (Nov 6, 2021)

@petethepug can you confirm which brand replacement top this is? We still need one for our 2007. I may get brave and do the install myself that way I only have myself to blame. That install video on the youtube makes it look easy.


----------



## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

Sorry to hear the top is noisy and vibrating. That’s not the norm. Find a suitable top shop and take them for a spin. VW has always made the best convertible tops. By chance does your top feel anything other than soft black canvas?

You may have wind leaks from misaligned door or roof seals too. An expert can nail it with a test drive.

A5 fabric from Robinns is what I’ve used twice. It’s important you use a factory headliner and insulation on the Robinns top or you will have fitment and sound issues. Make sure on the 06 all your string and mechanical do dads are fully functional inside by the back windows. Order them ASAP as a lot of parts are going NLA.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------

