C3 Convertibles - Deck lid protector question...
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
Re: C3 Convertibles - Deck lid protector question... (John D.)
To get buy with go to a plumbing supply store and get some pipe insulation.
We call it armaflex. Black about 1 1/2" diameter to go over copper piping. Sized for copper pipe 5/8 I.D. or 7/8 Id. Comes in I think 5 foot long may be six feet can't remember.
This is very flexible and will form to contour of top.
May not look the best but should protect deck.
We call it armaflex. Black about 1 1/2" diameter to go over copper piping. Sized for copper pipe 5/8 I.D. or 7/8 Id. Comes in I think 5 foot long may be six feet can't remember.
This is very flexible and will form to contour of top.
May not look the best but should protect deck.
Now I will have to decide what I'm going to do.... There will be a short term solution for this weekend. The long term solution will probably be what Juliet suggested. Getting the vinyl and cutting it to the right dimensions... I might even cover the complete deck with transparent vinyl...
:cheers:
Olivier
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Re: C3 Convertibles - Deck lid protector question... (GrandSportC3)
anything not glued down in the way of vinyl blows off in the freeway wind...believe me....
any pipe wrap in that position is same as the weatherstrip...it gets dirt and road grit under it, and it vibrated/wears itself into the paint.....
ever notice the c4 with the vinylised wear strip/part of hatch that the top rest against.??? so it don't do what your cars do...wear the pattern into the paint....I can assure you I have tried most every trick in the book on that back when I had my hardtop, and the ONLY thing what worked was that aluminum tape from a/c work....not duct tape, but METAL tape....looks ugly withhardtop off, but that' the breaks....
NOW for the soft top...I just adjust the latch bolts down a bit, allowin the top rear bow to ride higher, keeping majority of pressure off the deck....
limits the damage somewhat...still leaves a mark though...
GENE :D
any pipe wrap in that position is same as the weatherstrip...it gets dirt and road grit under it, and it vibrated/wears itself into the paint.....
ever notice the c4 with the vinylised wear strip/part of hatch that the top rest against.??? so it don't do what your cars do...wear the pattern into the paint....I can assure you I have tried most every trick in the book on that back when I had my hardtop, and the ONLY thing what worked was that aluminum tape from a/c work....not duct tape, but METAL tape....looks ugly withhardtop off, but that' the breaks....
NOW for the soft top...I just adjust the latch bolts down a bit, allowin the top rear bow to ride higher, keeping majority of pressure off the deck....
limits the damage somewhat...still leaves a mark though...
GENE :D
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
Re: C3 Convertibles - Deck lid protector question... (mrvette)
anything not glued down in the way of vinyl blows off in the freeway wind...believe me....
any pipe wrap in that position is same as the weatherstrip...it gets dirt and road grit under it, and it vibrated/wears itself into the paint.....
ever notice the c4 with the vinylised wear strip/part of hatch that the top rest against.??? so it don't do what your cars do...wear the pattern into the paint....I can assure you I have tried most every trick in the book on that back when I had my hardtop, and the ONLY thing what worked was that aluminum tape from a/c work....not duct tape, but METAL tape....looks ugly withhardtop off, but that' the breaks....
NOW for the soft top...I just adjust the latch bolts down a bit, allowin the top rear bow to ride higher, keeping majority of pressure off the deck....
limits the damage somewhat...still leaves a mark though...
GENE :D
any pipe wrap in that position is same as the weatherstrip...it gets dirt and road grit under it, and it vibrated/wears itself into the paint.....
ever notice the c4 with the vinylised wear strip/part of hatch that the top rest against.??? so it don't do what your cars do...wear the pattern into the paint....I can assure you I have tried most every trick in the book on that back when I had my hardtop, and the ONLY thing what worked was that aluminum tape from a/c work....not duct tape, but METAL tape....looks ugly withhardtop off, but that' the breaks....
NOW for the soft top...I just adjust the latch bolts down a bit, allowin the top rear bow to ride higher, keeping majority of pressure off the deck....
limits the damage somewhat...still leaves a mark though...
GENE :D
:cheers:
Olivier
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Re: C3 Convertibles - Deck lid protector question... (GrandSportC3)
GS, I dunno what you were doing or the specific install, but in 100 miles, with hardtop on, mine came off in the wind...worked it's way back and flagged in the wind....found at a gas stop...I was doing about 65-80 mph...depending...
maybe I"m just unlucky there, but well that tape is at Home Despot, and the cut vinyl cling is on order somewhere...
GENE
maybe I"m just unlucky there, but well that tape is at Home Despot, and the cut vinyl cling is on order somewhere...
GENE
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
Re: C3 Convertibles - Deck lid protector question... (mrvette)
I found a temporary solution for the problem with the hardtop. I didn't find any transparent vinyl - so I got some Camper-Top-sealing tape which is a foam tape with adhesive on one side. The adhesive doesn't seem to be very aggressive and should come right off when removing. I put this tape on the deck where the hardtop mounts... Will see if it will survive the trip but I think that it should be ok!
:cheers:
Olivier
P.S. For the long term- I'm still looking for some transparent vinly...
:cheers:
Olivier
P.S. For the long term- I'm still looking for some transparent vinly...
