Chrysler Sebring
Image courtesy Flickr/Denis Dore Photography
At first glance, the Chrysler Sebring may seem to be a thoroughly middle-of-the-road car. People get excited about the flashy convertibles, the Mazda Miatas and Ford Mustangs. But a surprising number of Sebrings have been sold over the years.
What’s the Sebring’s secret? Put simply, a lot of people want a convertible, but they don’t necessarily want to pay top dollar for a sports car like the Mustang or a BMW convertible. The Sebring is a convertible for the rest of us, so to speak.
This is no doubt why the producers of The Office chose it as the favorite car of everyman Michael Scott. (When Michael was being wooed back into the fold, one of the few demands he made of Dunder Mifflin was that they provide him with a Sebring convertible to replace the one he had traded in the season before.)
As a sensible, reliable car, we sell a lot of replacement convertible tops. After all, keeping the car that you already own can save you over $30,000 over the course of your lifetime, versus trading it in for a newer model! It makes economic sense to replace your convertible’s top, if the top is showing wear and tear from years of service.
If you need a new Sebring convertible top, check out our selections today! Got a question? Just ask!
The original Chrysler Sebring was introduced in 1995 as a new midsize coupe in Chrysler’s line-up. The convertible and the standard Sebrings were only distantly related – the standard Sebring was closely related to the Mitsubishi Galant, whereas the convertible launched in 1996, and was built on Chrysler’s own platform. To quote, Edmunds, the Chrysler Sebring convertible “brought class, dignity and a bit of luxury to this otherwise whimsical segment.”
The second generation Chrysler Sebring was produced from 2001-2006, and again used separate platforms for each body style. The second generation convertible Sebring was redesigned, and shared most of its sheet metal with the sedan.
The third generation of Chrysler Sebrings was launched in 2007. Initially, Chrysler did not produce a convertible Sebring during these years, instead carrying forward the 2006 Sebring convertible through 2008. The 2008 convertible was for the first time available in an optional hardtop, in addition to the standard cloth and vinyl tops which had been offered since the early years.
We offer replacement convertible soft tops for all three generations of Chrysler Sebrings: 1996-2000 (which came with a two-piece style top, meaning that you can buy a top and window, or just buy only the top or only the window as needed), 2001-2006 (ditto), and 2007-2010 (in this model, the glass window stays on the car and attaches to the new convertible top).
Photo credit Flickr/Automotive Rhythms
We have a lot of different options for the canvas material that we use for canvas replacement convertible tops. Regardless of which canvas top is original equipment for your car, you can choose any of the following canvas products for your replacement canvas convertible top. This is a common industry practice, and will not sacrifice the quality or the look.
Stayfast Canvas
This is a special canvas fabric designed specifically for convertible tops. It looks something like tent material, and is a three-ply composite material with an acrylic weave outer layer, a rubber inner layer, and a cotton drill inner lining.
Stayfast canvas is original equipment for the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Viper, Plymouth Prowler, Pontiac Firebird, Alfa Romeo Spider, Lotus Elite, Rover MGF, Peugeot 306, RR Bentley Azure, Toyota Celica, and Mazda Miata.
Stayfast canvas is also often used as a replacement material for European cars, as a less-expensive alternative to the original German or Sonnendeck canvas.
Sonnendeck, a.k.a. Twillfast II Canvas
Sonnendeck is similar to Stayfast canvas, but with a textured backing in either black or tan.
Sonnendeck is original equipment on the Aston Martin DB7, Audi Cabriolet, Jaguar XK8, BMW Z3 Roadster, Chevy Corvette from 1998 on, BMW 3 Series Cabriolet (E36), Opel Astra, and the VW Golf III.
Twillfast, a.k.a. Twillfast JX
This is the Sonnedeck/Twillfast II canvas, but with a gray backing. It is original equipment on the Chrysler Sebring JXI.
Original German Canvas, a.k.a. Sonnenland or A5
This is the original German canvas, made with a twill weave outer fabric, a rubber inner layer, and a dobby weave lining fabric. It is original equipment on the VW new Beetle Convertible, Mercedes, Porsche, Saab 9-3, and Volvo C-70.
Photo credit: Flickr/H4NUM4N
Q&A: What’s the difference between pinpoint and sailcloth vinyl?
Both pinpoint vinyl and sailcloth vinyl are commonly used in replacement convertible car tops. Both kinds look like grained plastic, but pinpoint vinyl has a pattern of small dimples, whereas sailcloth vinyl has a broader texture of bumps that look a little more like woven fabric.
Pinpoint vinyl was commonly used for convertible car tops in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It’s a two-ply composite which has an outer layer of PVC plastic, and an inner layer of dyed 100% cotton sateen.
Sailcloth vinyl is original equipment on the Ford Mustang convertible and Chrysler Sebring convertible. It also has an outer layer of PVC plastic, but it has an inner layer of gray blended poly/cotton drill fabric.
If your car originally had a vinyl top (either pinpoint vinyl or sailcloth vinyl), you can replace it with either another vinyl top, or with a canvas top. Both canvas and vinyl tops wear out at about the same rate. It is common practice to replace tops made of one material with tops made of another material. The quality and the looks will remain top-notch, as with any of our replacement convertible tops!
