My 1982 Corvette T-Tops are shattered, have been ever since I got the car and I would like to replace them. Do I send them out to get rebuilt or do I simply buy new ones. I am not up to speed with experience when it comes to a late C3. Shipping and receiving seems to be tricky. If you have had good luck with a replacement or repair let me know on how it went. Advice much appreciated and thanks in advance.


P.S. My T-Tops have the vin number etched into the glass, is this a normal occurrence?

 

Mirrored glass T-Tops (or smoked if yours is a CE) were reintroduced a few years ago by a couple of suppliers which are easily researched. They are expensive but reportedly nicely done/authentic. There are also acrylic versions so you have more affordable options still available.

The VIN etching was an aftermarket modification, not factory.

How exactly did both T-Tops get shattered?

 

Lakeside49
I got the car in pretty rough shape last summer the T-Tops were damaged then. Thanks for the input, good to know that the T-Tops weren't etched with the vin number from the factory. The T-Tops are mirrored with dark glass and would like to know if these are factory.

 

FWIW: Back in the day, etching glass was a theft deterrent working from the assumption a thief would be less likely to steal a car knowing he/she would have to replace all the glass and/or not be able to sell etched glass as parts.

 

Most '82's had the painted T-Tops. consider yours (mirrored) a nice upgrade.

 

You have a few choices, for repairing or replacing your glass tops.

You can buy a pair of tops outright, you can buy a set and send your damaged ones back for a core charge/refund, or you can send yours in to have them restored. Buying a set and sending your cores back, is probably the quickest and most cost effective option. There's no real reason to keep your cores, and since all 78-82 CC1 tops used the same frame, there's no reason to wait to have yours restored.

Tops are available two ways, with tempered glass, or with acrylic lenses. The tempered glass is what GM used, and is available in the stock gray mirrored finish, or with black tinted glass. The acrylic is a cheaper aftermarket alternative, comes in gray, bronze or blue, and is less likely to shatter but more easily scratched. Neither type of top, is actually new, as they both use original GM frames and restore them using new parts where necessary.

The glass tops are made by Melrose, and available through most Corvette vendors, while the acrylic ones come from Thompson Astro Tops, and can be bought direct or some Corvette vendors.

Actually, most 82's came with the optional CC1 Glass Roof Panels. Of the 18,000 82's built, almost 15,000 were ordered with the CC1 tops, and all 6,700 Collector Editions also came with glass tops.

From the time glass tops first became available in May 78, they were a very popular option. A little less than a third of all 79's came with them, almost half of all 80's got them, and over 70% of 81's were ordered with glass tops.

 

I will add this. If you get new tops....just be aware that when you go and install them that the weatherstripping is more than likely NOT like what was on your top originally. Your top originally had LATEX weatherstripping which are very soft like a marshmallow.

SO...when you install and get them adjusted....you want to make sure that you have the top and weatherstripping installed correctly so the weatherstripping will take shape as it needs to. Because it is VERY SAY to have eh weatherstripping in eh center where you set the guide pins...the weatherstripping can roll back and not seat FLAT against the stainless trim.

Take the time to visually verify that the weatherstrip is going in correctly....because if you put them in WRONG...it is about impossible to correct the damage to the weatherstripping once it takes the incorrect shape. And every time you take the T-tops out...make sure that the weatherstripping is set correctly. In time...and I do not know how long it may take...the weatherstrip will take SHAPE and not need to be checked.

DO NOT ask me how I KNOW THIS.

DUB

 

Thank you for all of your replies.

 

Not sure where you are located but my 80 was the same I dropped one of them and the other had a crack I got a new set in Carlilse vette show new in the box , but they were acrylic , much lighter in weight and they look very good , they take your old ones for a small credit , if you go thast route have a look at the hardware ,I was not happy with the used hardware on the new "glass" so I made them installed my hardware on them , Ron

 

I purchased a set of mirrored glass T-Tops from Zip Corvette. I will be dry fitting and installing them this weekend and will be following DUB's advice.

 

I bought a set of Galaxy Glass T-Tops for mine.

http://www.melrosecorvette.com/lof-t...rvette-t-tops/