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I'm doing a bit of refurb on my 72 T-Top area. First time doing any work like this but as some of the parts are still in good nick wish to salvage what is good. Anyhoo, the T-Top guides attached to the body depot seem to align in the recess that I assume is where they should be, see pics? The drivers side is pretty close but the passenger side is way off. It appears that it has been siliconed in its current location. Are those recesses factory accurate position for the guides? Can I move the location holes for the bolts or do I have to fill and redrill new holes? Haven't taken them off yet but do the bolts have nuts on the inside of the fibreglass body that can be repositioned?
If i remember correctly, there is a threaded mounting plate behind the fiberglass. they are designed for adjustment(oversized holes in the body, so the tops can be adjusted flush with the body and the seals with the glass.
maybe the pass side top has to be really low and thats what caused that weird angle.
You should be able to loosen the 2 screws and slide it around, you might have to remove/loosen the triangle bolt too(i forget if its holding the plate as well) this is to adjust panel gap there.
Id be careful if you have a resprayed car/jambs as this part may have been masked off and will leave a painted edge.
Thanks Craig, the diagram is really useful. It appears somewhere in its history an owner black siliconed the guide plate to the fibreglass as well. I'm assuming this wasn't from the factory, and may have been a away of stopping moisture from getting inside the fibreglass, or just laziness depending if there is a tapping plate or retainer there? I guess i'll find out when I take them off.
theres a good size chunk of steel with three tapped holes , captured in a cage(retainer) that's rivetted to the glass . Unless corrosion is a problem it cant fall away .
Here are pictures of the old threaded plates and retainers removed from my 76. Long story but previous owner enlarged the holes so much they had to be replaced. I ended up making my own. Be advised the rivets that secure the retainer are under the roof fiberglass panel, there is no access to the flush head. You cannot drill them out. I ground down the bucked end of the rivets and unfortunately have to use adhesive to get back into place. Good luck. Original Fabricated
i took them offf this morning, and the retainers are still there. Just there was a hole lot of black silicon hoop on the back of the plate, maybe they were trying to keep it waterproof??
anyway, scraped it off and rubbed down with turps to get the residual cleaned up. Put it back on and resligned the plates and adjusted the tops. Now everything sits symmetrical And looks good
Next will be the stainless T section, and the chromed arms on either side. And a patch and respray of that T-top area
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T-TOP guides
