Volkswagen Cabrio & Golf III, 1995-Early 2001

Convertible Top and Convertible Top Parts

Can I install my top?: Confident using an air-driven staple gun? Comfortable with contact cement? Then we believe you can install your own Cabrio top and save hundreds of dollars on labor costs! To install the Cabrio top, follow Volkswagen's specifications: Retain the glass rear window and hardware from the old top and transfer them into the new installation. Our 16-page 1995-2000 Cabrio Convertible Top Installation Manual can help. It's included in our Cabrio convertible top packages, order it here.

How do I choose a Cabrio top?: Volkswagen made changes to its convertibles in 1995. After 1995, the VW convertible may be referred to as a "Cabrio" or a "Golf III." The original Cabrio convertible top was the same Cabrio Vinyl as in the earlier VW tops.

Although similar to earlier Cabriolet tops, the newer Cabrio top has a slightly different geometry. The deck is wider and the front edge is stiffened with a plastic reinforcement. We offer four Cabrio convertible tops in four different convertible top fabrics. Here's what you need to know about our Cabrio convertible tops:

Luxury Top: Made of Stayfast Canvas, this custom VW Cabrio top has our highest wear rating. It also looks the most elegant of all VW Cabrio tops. The Haartz Stayfast Canvas is our highest quality Volkswagen Cabrio convertible top, and of course, it's guaranteed to fit. Want to buy our luxury Haartz Stayfast Canvas top? Click here.

Premium Top: Germanex makes a dealer replacement top in Cabrio Vinyl, which we refer to as our premium top. This Cabrio Vinyl top features the original heat-sealed seams, the front plastic stiffener and all other original detailing. No compromising steps are taken to reduce the market price of this premium top. Want to buy our premium Cabrio top? Click here.

Modified Top: Looking to save money? Consider our modified top, which is a Cabrio Vinyl top that comes with a plastic rear window sewn in. The top is intended primarily for restorers who have broken rear window frames or rotted rear window hardware, which they don't want to replace. These tops are custom-made to original geometry, but with the plastic rear window. They can therefore be installed without the original rear window framework and afterward the glass rear window is no longer part of the car. Want to buy the Modified Cabrio Top? Click here.

Buying Headliners You can re-use your old headliner on your new top if it's not deteriorated. Need a new one? Our Headliners are offered in original colors. The headliner is not included with the top; it is a separate part. Interested in a Cabrio headliner? Click here.

Hold Down Cables: We recommend replacing your hold down cables if the old ones are suspect. The hold down cables are listed with "Installation Supplies" and they are also available in our Cabrio convertible top packages. Cables are threaded through the cable pockets along the inner side edges of the top and they hold the top to the side frame and tension the top. Need new hold down cables? Click here.

Boots: We recommend that "boot vinyl" be the fabric of choice for replacement boots. Top fabrics such as pinpoint do not have the flexibility inherent in modern boot vinyl. Our Cabrio boots are offered in original black boot vinyl or white boot vinyl. This is a modern leather grained vinyl with a slight elasticity. The vinyl is the proper choice for modern convertible top boots. Ready to buy Cabrio boots? Click here

CONVERTIBLE TOP FABRICS
Almost all manufacturers use Haartz fabrics. They may specify "heaviest weight" or "original replacement" in ways that seem reassuring. But they do not really tell the whole story. Please bear in mind that two things dominate, by far, the quality issue: (a) the manufacturing quality control in the factory that makes the top and (b) the care and thoroughness of the installation. There is a trade-off in weight: heavier is better for resisting tear through, but lighter is better for flexibility and abrasion from within that may arise from movement. Almost all our tops are a flexible medium density (36 oz.) fabric. Heavier is not better in most cases. Where it is, because of the top design, we will say so and the top will be made of the heavier vinyl.

• Sonnenland® is a German-made 3-ply topping made up of an acrylic twill-weave facing, a rubber inner-layer, and a polyester "dobby backing." The dobby backing is a knit-like weave original to many high-end foreign cars. Customers who value originality over cost often pay top dollar for Sonnenland, just to have that authentic "dobby backing," seen only when you look up at the roof of your convertible top from inside your car. Sonnenland canvas is a top-of-the-line material original to various Audi, BMW, and Jaguar convertibles, among others. Sonnenland Canvas can vary in terms of surface weave and/or weight for acoustic performance, but all Sonnenland Canvas promises elegance and long-lasting durability.
• Twillfast®, also called Sonnendeck Canvas, is an American-made canvas - a cost-effective substitute for Sonnenland. Twillfast is usually a 3-ply topping (though some versions are 5-ply) with Polyester and/or Polyester/cotton backings. This material, original to certain Camaro, BMW, Mustang, and VW Beetle convertibles, among others, varies in terms of surface weave and/or weight for acoustic performance. Twillfast Canvas is identical to Sonnenland Canvas - elegant and durable - only it's less expensive. This is a top-notch convertible top material, one we often recommend to savvy customers who like a good buy and a quality product.
• Stayfast Canvas is an elegant, durable canvas original to cars like the Mazda Miata and the Nissan 370Z. Stayfast is commonly used in replacement convertible tops. Stayfast canvas has an acrylic square weave facing, a rubber inner-layer, and a cotton backing. As with other canvases, the rubber core gives the fabric long-lasting durability. Stayfast canvas is a sleek, beautiful canvas, usually less expensive than Twillfast, but it does not have the dobby backing offered in Sonnenland and Twillfast (Sonnendeck). Stayfast is a popular upgrade to vinyl convertible tops, and as with any canvas, is richer looking and has a higher wear rating than convertible tops made of vinyl.
• Haartz Pinpoint Vinyl is the most popular fabric. This vinyl design is original to most American cars from the fifties to the nineties. Pinpoint refers to the little dots or pips that you see if you look closely at the vinyl surface. European cars, such as the old Beetles and others also used pinpoint vinyl as the topping fabric.
• Chrysler Sailcloth is featured on many late LeBarons, Sebrings, certain Mustangs and other cars. It is structurally (wear quality) equivalent to the Haartz Pinpoint but has a different surface grain. The grain was designed to imitate the look of canvas. As you can see from the scan of this fabric, it is an exceptionally rich looking material. It is sometimes chosen for replacing convertible tops that originally featured pinpoint vinyl.
• Cabrio Grain is also structurally equivalent to the pinpoint. It has a pigskin outer grain vinyl as original to Volkswagen Cabriolets from 1984 onward and to Mazda Miatas and Mercury Capris.
• A5S German Canvas (Robbins) The 100% Acrylic Twill Weave Surface Cloth receives a special flame singing treatment to remove the fabric knap; and is laminated to Black 100% Polyester Dobby backing.
  
  This is the original topping for Porsche Boxster and Cabrio convertible tops. 59 inches (150 cm) wide, made in Germany.
• British Bison Vinyl is the most popular British roadster convertible top material. It is American made Haartz leather grain vinyl and is an imitation of the British Everflex vinyl top fabric. The British Bison Vinyl convertible top fabric is often referred to as 'crush grain.'
• British Everflex Vinyl We are now pleased to offer British Everflex Vinyl for classic English tops. This is the original material used on British convertibles including Jaguar, Rolls Royce and many others. Imported from England, British Everflex vinyl is a supple vinyl with a rich appearance and is more durable than other vinyls. A good, less expensive alternative is Colonial grain vinyl. Colonial has the same texture but is less durable.
• HV Denim (also called Twill Weave Vinyl) is heavy duty sport material composed of a distinctive twill grain PVC outer layer and a polyester/cotton blend inside lining fabric.
• Trilogy Acoustic Vinyl A heavyweight vinyl that is often used on SUVs like Jeep, because the two-ply composite has the capacity to reduce noise by about 20 percent compared to standard vinyls like Sailcloth. The vinyl material is durable, promises long-lasting wear-and-tear, and resembles the sleek twill cloth commonly found on luxury convertible cars.
• Haartz Twillfast RPC This American-made canvas has a twill weave pattern and resembles German-made Sonnenland canvas. It is a great all-purpose canvas and, according to Haartz, is used on 99 percent of convertibles. It is stronger and more durable than Stayfast Canvas and offers more sound protection. Haartz rates Twillfast RPC as a mid-level acoustic product, compared to the low-level sound reduction offered on other top materials like Stayfast

Warranties outlined here are only applicable for products installed by a professional trim shop or professional upholstery shop. For Convertible Tops, and related products, the manufacturer will void the warranty for any product that is not professionally installed; manufacturer defects are covered by the warranty in such cases. The manufacturer is not responsible for damage due to improper installation.