Anyone have any ideas on an adhesive/glue to use to tack the lower part of the ragtop down to the rear window glass? Will try to post some pictures of what I mean sometime.
What a coincidence! I just noticed mine was coming off the other day! I agree, it looks like there is just some kind of adheasive that holds in on the glass.
Ok, I called a couple of places about this problem and it sounds like the window and lower top portion come as one piece from the manufacturer. The cost to replace it is $550. Has anyone else had to do this? Is this a fair price?
I wonder if I can buy some kind of adhesive and reseal it? Has anybody ever tried this?
If you decide to replace your rear window you may want to consider doing the top as well. The top and rear window together part/labor should be about 1k for a fox body. How bad is it coming off? Can you post a pic? If the rest of your top is fine you could also just live with it and wait until a top is needed. How many miles are on your car? They are only original once. Good luck and I know how minor blemishes can drive a person crazy on a car. Take a read around this site for a different perspective.... http://www.survivorcollectorcar.com
When mine did that I went to the auto parts store and got some very good 3M double back tape that is used some times to hold emblems on.
Took mine completely loose, cleaned both surfaces with alcohol and put the tape on the vinyl and then carefully attached it to the glass. Don't know how long it will last but hasn't come loose yet after 2 years . The top is about ready to be replaced but it has gotten me by and keeps the water out when washing it. No one has noticed.
Jerry
Thanks for all of the responses. It has peeled off about 2/3 of the way across the lower window.
The top was replaced about 9 years ago by another owner and it is in great condition so that seems like a real waste of money to replace the whole thing.
The car has 64,000 original miles on it and the rear window is the original Carlite one. I'd like to preserve it if possible.
I think I'll try the trim adhesive approach noted by jburn57. That is the kind of fix I was looking for. I will take before and after pictures and post them
On a side note, the survivor car link posted by noac is very interesting. I used to live in central IL and I had never hear of this show.
If it is just the glass portion, you can zipper it out and replace it with one from Texas Mustang Parts for around $200. That's what I did when mine had a meltdown years ago. My original top is still on the car, 17 years later, and is still in good shape after baking in the Louisiana sun for 13 of those years. Only minor cracking on the edges.
If you are going to try this, here is what I used. It is the most common one you can find at most Parts Stores, bought mine at O'Reily's. I think I paid $15 - $16 for a roll. I probably have enough left to do this a couple more time.
Did a 400 plus trip yesterday with the top up, had to have A/C on.
Took a 1st place trophy in a points judged Mustang show, had to have the top up for judging and no one noticed.
Jerry
3Mâ„¢ Automotive Acrylic Plus Attachment Tape, Partt# 06384, Black, 1/2 in x 5 yds, 45 mil,
Here's some more info on it.
3Mâ„¢ Automotive Acrylic Plus Attachment Tape 06384 uses automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) approved acrylic foam core and adhesive technology. 3M Acrylic Plus Tapes part numbers 06382, 06383, 06384, and 06386 are stronger, higher performing, high stress handling products than other automotive attachment tpaes. These tapes offer more robust performance to a wide variety of automotive substrates. Typical applications include body side moldings, claddings, rock panel trim, wheel flares, bumper trim and other exterior and interior automotive trim components.
Boy it has been a little while since I started this project. I was doing so much top down driving with my feature that I basically didn't care if the top was peeling off of the rear window.
I did finally get this fixed though. I have to give jburn57 a lot of credit. His suggested fix was spot on. I used the black 3M tape and you can't tell that it's even there. When I was peeling the top off of the rest of the rear window, I did run into a section of the top that had previously been repaired with some kind of adhesive. It wasn't budging and was afraid to try pulling on it too much. So, I used some of my window weather seal adhesive (also made by 3M, available at any local Advanced Auto) to kind of form a seal between the tape and the old repair work.
It turned out great and you can't even tell that it has been repaired.
Sorry, as the OP I kind lost track of this thread and didn't see some of the good replies.
I'm going to try the 3m solution as well. I did have a rear quarter window motor repaired this summer and somewhere in that I talked with someone about it---I think the advice I got was that the vinyl convertible tops shrink through the years (I don't think the previous owners of ours conditioned it all that much), and that shrinkage (ode to George Costanza) caused the top to "pull away" from its original adhesive and pull away from the glass. So.....eventually, a new top may be in order.
Fortunately, it's not too bothersome at the moment, and the car is garaged, covered, and gets a wash once or twice/year. It's now put away for the winter (although it did hit 70's today!), so will have to get to in the spring.
Comments
I wonder if I can buy some kind of adhesive and reseal it? Has anybody ever tried this?
http://www.survivorcollectorcar.com
Took mine completely loose, cleaned both surfaces with alcohol and put the tape on the vinyl and then carefully attached it to the glass. Don't know how long it will last but hasn't come loose yet after 2 years
Jerry
The top was replaced about 9 years ago by another owner and it is in great condition so that seems like a real waste of money to replace the whole thing.
The car has 64,000 original miles on it and the rear window is the original Carlite one. I'd like to preserve it if possible.
I think I'll try the trim adhesive approach noted by jburn57. That is the kind of fix I was looking for. I will take before and after pictures and post them
On a side note, the survivor car link posted by noac is very interesting. I used to live in central IL and I had never hear of this show.
Did a 400 plus trip yesterday with the top up, had to have A/C on.
Took a 1st place trophy in a points judged Mustang show, had to have the top up for judging and no one noticed.
Jerry
3Mâ„¢ Automotive Acrylic Plus Attachment Tape, Partt# 06384, Black, 1/2 in x 5 yds, 45 mil,
Here's some more info on it.
3Mâ„¢ Automotive Acrylic Plus Attachment Tape 06384 uses automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) approved acrylic foam core and adhesive technology. 3M Acrylic Plus Tapes part numbers 06382, 06383, 06384, and 06386 are stronger, higher performing, high stress handling products than other automotive attachment tpaes. These tapes offer more robust performance to a wide variety of automotive substrates. Typical applications include body side moldings, claddings, rock panel trim, wheel flares, bumper trim and other exterior and interior automotive trim components.
I did finally get this fixed though. I have to give jburn57 a lot of credit. His suggested fix was spot on. I used the black 3M tape and you can't tell that it's even there. When I was peeling the top off of the rest of the rear window, I did run into a section of the top that had previously been repaired with some kind of adhesive. It wasn't budging and was afraid to try pulling on it too much. So, I used some of my window weather seal adhesive (also made by 3M, available at any local Advanced Auto) to kind of form a seal between the tape and the old repair work.
It turned out great and you can't even tell that it has been repaired.
I'm going to try the 3m solution as well. I did have a rear quarter window motor repaired this summer and somewhere in that I talked with someone about it---I think the advice I got was that the vinyl convertible tops shrink through the years (I don't think the previous owners of ours conditioned it all that much), and that shrinkage (ode to George Costanza) caused the top to "pull away" from its original adhesive and pull away from the glass. So.....eventually, a new top may be in order.
Fortunately, it's not too bothersome at the moment, and the car is garaged, covered, and gets a wash once or twice/year. It's now put away for the winter (although it did hit 70's today!), so will have to get to in the spring.