2000 Vert. back window
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 4,704
Likes: 239
From: Redondo Beach CA
I was well pleased with my results using the suggestions in the posted link.
I smart man would have stopped there. Yet, I continue.
I used a bunch of pillows and towels to jam the window in place, with an eye towards the tension of the results after the top is latched. The suction cup stuff is for the birds, adds cost and complication, plus you would have all that stuff in the way as you worked.
The main thing I think helped my success is cleaning. I used window cleaner on both sides of the glue path because it could be used as a wash and wouldn't damage anything, plus it evaporates quickly, a clean dry surface is key, and I was working blind. If you have ever tried re-glueing any failed super glue, you know it never works. I didn't want to have a failed result, returning to a clean dry cloth surface after it had been super glued would be tough.
I bought a bunch of cotton ear swabs and used four of five in a bunch as a small disposable brush, to agitate the dirt as I washed, and then moved on when the tips returned clean. I didn't have a lot of dirt, the task was simple, and the glass cleaner is good on oils and stuff plain H2O won't move. I used the cleaner generously , the stuff is cheap, and used about half of the mass of 100 swabs obtained from the dollar store.
I then applied glue , working in sections with a zig zag pattern. Because the glue sets up quickly, I just held it in place for a moment , the pillows and towels were pressing the glass from behind, so I held the fabric in place from the outside, in the finished position .
I used a slight tension in the top as I worked, I think it was back from the header about three inches or less, just enough so I could get the swabs in effectively , and had no excess tension , or any failure with full latched stretch after it dried.
I went with the mail order glue and the applicator tips, the long thin tube tip helped , since the job was sideways. Fresh glue is also key, not too many guys in my area are using the hobby store, so , even If I knew how to find an equivalent glue among the store stock ,( which Rhino says is not possible), it wouldn't be real fresh, which is important with these glues.
I think the old tops look better than the newer designs with a rubber surround. I asked a guy at a show with an original top about care and he said to always use a car duster before you fold it away. Probably good advice, has top was like new, but he did have some indications of the high spots from the support frames from all the brushing through the years, while my never brushed before folding was a solid black. Credit the previous owners for that.
In the old days you bought a new top every once in a while, because the rear window plastic would turn brown from the sun, and they were simple and cheap to replace. Only new tops had good visibility , everyone else used the side mirrors a lot . now they are like paint, a lifetime deal, with care.
I smart man would have stopped there. Yet, I continue.
I used a bunch of pillows and towels to jam the window in place, with an eye towards the tension of the results after the top is latched. The suction cup stuff is for the birds, adds cost and complication, plus you would have all that stuff in the way as you worked.
The main thing I think helped my success is cleaning. I used window cleaner on both sides of the glue path because it could be used as a wash and wouldn't damage anything, plus it evaporates quickly, a clean dry surface is key, and I was working blind. If you have ever tried re-glueing any failed super glue, you know it never works. I didn't want to have a failed result, returning to a clean dry cloth surface after it had been super glued would be tough.
I bought a bunch of cotton ear swabs and used four of five in a bunch as a small disposable brush, to agitate the dirt as I washed, and then moved on when the tips returned clean. I didn't have a lot of dirt, the task was simple, and the glass cleaner is good on oils and stuff plain H2O won't move. I used the cleaner generously , the stuff is cheap, and used about half of the mass of 100 swabs obtained from the dollar store.
I then applied glue , working in sections with a zig zag pattern. Because the glue sets up quickly, I just held it in place for a moment , the pillows and towels were pressing the glass from behind, so I held the fabric in place from the outside, in the finished position .
I used a slight tension in the top as I worked, I think it was back from the header about three inches or less, just enough so I could get the swabs in effectively , and had no excess tension , or any failure with full latched stretch after it dried.
I went with the mail order glue and the applicator tips, the long thin tube tip helped , since the job was sideways. Fresh glue is also key, not too many guys in my area are using the hobby store, so , even If I knew how to find an equivalent glue among the store stock ,( which Rhino says is not possible), it wouldn't be real fresh, which is important with these glues.
I think the old tops look better than the newer designs with a rubber surround. I asked a guy at a show with an original top about care and he said to always use a car duster before you fold it away. Probably good advice, has top was like new, but he did have some indications of the high spots from the support frames from all the brushing through the years, while my never brushed before folding was a solid black. Credit the previous owners for that.
In the old days you bought a new top every once in a while, because the rear window plastic would turn brown from the sun, and they were simple and cheap to replace. Only new tops had good visibility , everyone else used the side mirrors a lot . now they are like paint, a lifetime deal, with care.
