There has been a lot of discussion on this, but I cant seem to find the old discussions in the forum.

In a nut shell. Don't waste your time installing tops you don't supply. Your reputation is at risk if you do!! You can tell the customer all day that you cant guarantee the top, or the fit, but at the end of the day if something goes wrong with an inferior product your name is still attached to it. The customer is not going to tell people that they bought a bad top, they will say that you did a bad job installing it!! Its much better to chase away a penny pinching customer than to let them ruin your reputation.

The only top I will accept from a customer is an Al Knoch Vette top.

I don't remember who I stole this line from (probably from the previous forum before the update) but I've been using it for several years now.

You don't take your own ground beef into McDonald's and ask them to make you a burger. Why would you think its okay to bring your own materials into my shop!

There is a lot more to a convertible top installation than the customer supplying a top. You must first inspect the car and determine what problems exist with the frame before you even accept the project. If the customer wants to save money, they should not buy their own products.

I believe in Electron Tops and their customer service. I have tried all the others and i can state that Electron Tops fit the best for most cars. The exception is the Corvette. Hands down Al Knoch Tops are the only top I would install on a Corvette.

I will only install customer supplied tops that we are familiar with. I charge my shop labor rate times the book hours according to the brands labor guide and adjust as I see fit. You can also make a convertible top installation labor rate at your shop for this service. As far as warranties I tell the customer that my labor is a year but anything with the top failing will be subject to my labor charges and they have to make all contacts with their supplier.

You also have to take into consideration that half way thru the installation there may be a problem with the top that prevents you from finishing the installation. Its rare, but has happened. Then you have to charge the customer for hours spent on a job that can't even be finished.