Orni,
The most difficult parts to removing the top cloth, and either replacing it with a new top material, or putting the old one on, after a repair to the convertible top mechanism? ............
I'd say its trying to follow the steps outlined in the factory service manual. They use drawings rather than photos in the manual, which are so hard to orientate which direction the drawing is showing and just exactly where on the mechanism this drawing is supposed to show. Sure they have a Big arrow pointing to the front of the car, but even then its confusing as to which side of the car are they showing you, in some of the diagrams.
Add to that, drilling out those pop rivets, unless you've done that before on some device or another, a first timer is going to be scratching their heads as to how its to be done.
Removing those side cables from the old top material, in order to put them in the new top, and how to route them through it??? Again really a puzzler until you've done it a time or two. Maybe (if you're reusing the same top material) you should attach a cord to the cable before pulling it out, and then leave the cable in the top, so when you install the cable again you can attach the cable to the cord, and use the cord to pull the cable back into place (the process used when replacing turn signal wiring harnesses through the internals of a steering column).
I guess what I'm trying to get across is that the entire process requires a great deal of looking back and forth at the actual top and the RF pdf section of the service manual, and being certain as to how to proceed with just that one step ... and then getting it right .... before you commit and actually do it.
It isn't hard work, its just very confusing and fussy, and requires someone with a lot of patience and detail. Tackling a top replacement , one this intricate, and getting a professional looking result without doing any damage to the material, is going to take some expertise.
Anyone can do a brake job watching a few YouTube videos, but not everyone is cut out to replace a 370Z top.
That said ... there is a very good top replacement video on YouTube on a 350Z roadster, about 25 minutes long. While some of the procedures are the same, the 370Z has even more twists in store. It'd sure would be a good place to start before tackling the 370Z.
Gene
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