Dodge Shadow & Sundance, 1990-93
Convertible Top and Convertible Top Parts
- Quality: Made to Dodge specs, 100% fit guarantee.
- Original Configuration: Two piece top, top section and window section. Original window was plastic. As original, plastic extrusion at rear bow. Top is marked for installation alignment.
- Original Factory Material: Chrysler Sailcloth Vinyl in black, quartz, buckskin, white.
- Alternate Materials: Haartz Stayfast Canvas
- Shop with confidence: 6 year manufacturer warranty.
- Note on Deck Seams: Tops were originally made with both 40" and 41" separation
between deck seams (the seams that run from front to back.) It is of no consequence which top gets installed
for any convertible in this series ! All our tops are made with 40 1/2" seam separation.
Important Information
Original Factory Color(s): Black, White, Buckskin, Dark Blue, Bordeaux, Quartz and Slate BlueIf you are having the work done in a "top shop" expect to be billed for approximately 8 hours of work.
Fabrics: These tops are available in either original Chrysler Sailcloth vinyl, or Haartz Stayfast canvas. The latter is the longer wearing and features an elegant canvas outer layer. The vinyl, less expensive, is easier to keep clean.
The window is zippered as in the original top.
Hold down cables: These are installed in the side pockets of the top and hold the top to the top frame at the sides. More on this is in the install link below. New cables are recommended with each top.
Tack strips: Tack strips are embedded in the front and rear top bows and receive the tacks or staples that fasten the top. Tack strips usually last through two tops. Replacement strips are available.
Pads: Pads install under the top, front to rear, along the sides. They are a special webbing that "builds out" the top. Pads usually last through two tops. They are also available here, at "accessories." Our pads are specifically tailored for Shadows.
Boots: The boot should be flexible enough to accept the top without stress. Modern boot vinyls allow this without a long break in period as required by boots which are made of topping fabrics. We offer two boots: the original factory gray boot and the more popular aftermarket replacement in any color.
Package Specials: To avoid confusion we have listed the most popular packages. The packages contain all that is usually required for a thorough top restoration job. If you want to compose a package with other fabrics, etc. please email us at the email link at the bottom of this page. Our packages include installation instructions from the original Dodge shop manual and feature step by step installation instructions for this particular top.
Do-It-Yourself Installation: Classic two part tops are frequently installed by our customers, even first time installers. You would use either a staple gun (with stainless steel staples) or else a tack hammer and copper tacks. Contact cement work is also done to mate top fabric with a couple of frame sections. There is no sewing required. We do our best to handle questions at techsupport@mtmfg.com .
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
Parts in this category (Dodge Shadow & Sundance) fit cars for years: 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993.