Volkswagen Cabrio & Golf, Late 2001-2002

Convertible Top and Convertible Top Parts

These Cabrios are descended from the Rabbits, Cabriolets and earlier Cabrios manufactured since 1979 and modified as the years went by. Volkswagen made changes in order to "upscale" these convertibles (and their sedan cousins.) In particular they offered a canvas fabric for its dealer convertible top for 2001 and 2002, in addition to vinyl tops.

Original Topping: The dealer tops were often made of Sonnendeck (Twillfast) Canvas. This is a very durable and beautiful fabric. It has a woven inner cloth and a fabrication that makes it extremely durable. For many owners, especially those considering self-installation, putting on a Cabrio Vinyl top might be more cost effective. (The labor cost of installation incurred a little faster than with canvas is not a factor when self installing.) We offer these tops in Sonnendeck Canvas and in Cabrio vinyl.

Original Colors: The dealer canvas tops were either black, green, or dark blue (with rare exceptions.) Vinyl tops were black, beige, gray and white. (We are offering the 'Cabrio Pigskin grain" vinyl. Twill VW vinyl is not available in the aftermarket at this writing.) We will be happy to provide a Sonnendeck Canvas top, or a Cabrio vinyl top, in any of the colors shown. Please review the scanned swatches via the above links and jot down your color choice. You may specify it in the checkout message box.

Our Manufacturer: We are pleased to be a Germanex dealer. This manufacturer specializes in German convertible tops. The tops are manufactured as original, from original patterns, with correct detailing and structural aspects throughout.

Premature Window Damage: Some owners are experiencing unhappy shattering of the rear window during normal operation of the top. This is probably due to a combination of the tight design in conjunction with normal vibration wear. This 'street experience' has led us to develop a plastic rear window version for this top. The dealer replacement top has a defroster rear window installed in the top, as original. The plastic rear window top uses a 40 guage polyvinyl rear window instead. The plastic rear window does eliminate the danger of rear window shatter.

Hold Down Cables: Installation of the new top requires the insertion of VW cables through the side cable hems of the top. The cable ends attach to the framework and tie down the top fore and aft. If your top has not frequently been raised and lowered, it may be feasible to re-use the existing cables, removing them from the old top and installing in the new one. New cables are listed as accessories, below.

Headliner: The headliner (inner roof lining) may be lowered and re-used in a top restoration job. However, if your headliner requires replacing, we do offer the beige cloth headliner. It is listed with accessories below. If you wish to change the color of your headliner, please inquire as we can have your headliner custom made in other cloth colors.

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.