Contents
- Ford Escort cabriolet hood: Which is the best material?
- Differences between the Escort 1 and Escort 2 hood
- Headliner for the Ford cabriolet
- Upholstery padding & fabric for the Ford Escort soft-top
- Lateral and rear tensioning cables for the Ford cabrio
- Cover for the hood
- Seals for the rear window of the Ford cabrio
- Installation of the convertible roof
Ford Escort cabriolet hood: Which is the best material?
The Ford Escort hood is available in two different materials.
Soft top (Sonnenland fabric)
In our opinion, Sonnenland is the highest quality hood material and this is used by most original equipment manufacturers. The material in the Sonnenland hood has three layers and the middle rubber layermakes it waterproof.
Not only does the Sonnenland material look higher quality, it is also more durable than the more cheaper PVC/vinyl.
It is not necessary to impregnate the material. However, if the car is to be outside for longer periods, it may be a good idea to do so. The effect of impregnation is that the rainwater droplets simply run off.
PVC/vinyl hood
Originally, the Ford cabriolet was supplied with PVC material.
The black material that we supply is optically a 100% match of the original. It is possible that the quality / durability of the PVC top is no longer quite the same as 30 years ago as many plasticizers have been banned in the meantime.
Nevertheless, we can be happy that some companies still manufacture these goods to fit the convertible.
We also have some remaining stock of the original PVC material for the Ford. The color of this original item is red.
Differences between the Escort 1 and Escort 2 hood
The design of the cabriolet soft-top for the Escort I & II are very similar. The Escort 1 was manufactured from 1983 to 1991 and the Escort 2 from 1991 to 1998.
In both tops, the cutout for the window pane is not precut.
The rear window frame is fixed with belts and only later is the hole positioned exactly for the final position of the window. If we were to supply the roof with a precut space, there would be a genuine risk that it would not fit perfectly.
The eyelets on the rear edge of the hood for attachment of the hooks for the dust cover are stitched on.
The Escort 2 convertible roof is supplied with the original Ford fixing profiles.
Headliner for the Ford cabriolet
The original convertible headliner material is no longer manufactured but we have replica material in stock, which is a 1:1 optical match for the original Ford material. These is available in either black or white.
The lateral edges (right and left above the side windows and at the side on the B-pillar) are stitched and therefore much more durable than the original headliner. With the original component, this was only seam welded at the sides. In older cars, you can often see that this has resulted in tears at the edges.
The headliner has an optical function and replacement is only necessary if it is torn or badly soiled.
In most cases, it is not possible to repair it.
Upholstery padding & fabric for the Ford Escort soft-top
The soundproofing mat for the Ford cabrio is, like the original part, made of preformed rubberized fibers.
This provides sound absorption and also provides shape to the convertible roof.
The upholstery fabric/sheet, made of cotton, encloses the padding and is used to fix this to the frame. When refurbishing the cabrio roof, you should check the condition of the fabric and of the padding.
In many cases where the convertible top must be replaced due to aging, the upholstery padding has disintegrated. We also supply the padding and fabric as a set at a reduced price.
Lateral and rear tensioning cables for the Ford cabrio
The tensioning cables (right and left above the side windows) ensure that the convertible roof is pulled down and against the frame.
If these are damaged, there is no tension in the hood. The air current can thus penetrate beneath the top and the result is increased noise in the interior of the car.
The rear tensioning cable pulls the soft-top tightly to the body of the convertible. This feature is only present in the Escort 1 hood up to model year 1991. With Escort 2, there is a stitched profile at the rear for attaching the hood.
Cover for the hood
For both models, we can supply a dust cover in various materials and colors.
The cover ensures that the opened convertible roof is covered up and does not flatter in the wind. It also prevents the headliner from fading and getting dirty.
Seals for the rear window of the Ford cabrio
The rear window seal for the Ford Escort 1 is no longer available and must be reused.
For the Escort 2, we still some remaining stock of window seals.
Installation of the convertible roof
We will be happy to carry out installation of the hood for you in our in-house upholstering workshop. During the installation, we can provide you with a replacement vehicle free of charge.
If we cannot find a free date to suit or if it is too far for you to drive with your vehicle, we will be happy to recommend an upholsterer near you, who will install the top on your car. Since we supply directly to many upholsterers and assembly operations worldwide, we have a large network and we’re sure to find the right partner for your vehicle.
