Mereness

I have glass T-tops on my 78 vette. If you look at them from the back of the car you can see that they flare out past where the body of the car is. Is this typical? Is it possible that I have the wrong year tops on my car? Or do I need to purchase some sort of shim kit to adjust these?

Thanks!

hunt4cleanair

It is typical. There is a date code on the glass, outbound rear corner...it is a two-letter alpha code like YJ, GJ. First letter is month, second is the year...J = 78.

There are shims that were used to snug the tabs that tuck into the center T panel

DUB

And depending on the density of the weatherstripping....trying to adjust the tops further inwards...may not be able to occur.

AND...without you posting a photo....it is hard to say for certain if they can be adjusted or normal. Because 'flare out' is subjective.

And if you post a photo....measure the space BETWEEN the tops so we know far apart they are in the center where they 'meet'....and let us know what that measurement is. AND that is assuming that the garnish trim molding around the top are seated correctly.

DUB

Dodosmike

My car is in storage but iirc with my glass m1131 tops there is about 3/8 of an inch in the Center and yes they flare at the back. WAY easy to crack them. Just get them snug in the middle and requiring the slightest pressure downwards at the back so they seal up then close the latch, then call it good.

Last thing you want is to put them where the Manila or AIM says they need to be latch them them shut and have one crack at the first bump you hit.

My $.02

Dodosmike

Mereness

Here are my pictures. It does say DOT I8. Would this the correct tops for a 78?

Mereness

I just read on another thread that PPG (which mine are) only sold aftermarket tops. Can anyone confirm? This ay be why mine don't seem to fit correctly.

donnie1956

Weren't the glass T tops available on 79 and later?

hunt4cleanair

Those are replacements. Yours were made by PPG Solarcool. The codes just mean they had to meet federal standards for glass consistent with OEM

DUB

THANKS for the photo's. I do not think I would mess with them. They look fairly good.

DUB

Dodosmike

look ok to me as well.

Dodosmike

Mereness

Thanks dodosmike and dub. I respect your opinion. I think I will leave them as is. I was trying to figure if it came with the glass T-tops from the factory. I guess I can either hunt for the build sheet or order an invoice.

Dodosmike

See post 8. Tops are aftermarket replacements.