bocajr9

Hey well done on the window and thank you for the great blog. I have to show my window your going to die laughing. It bugs me so much. My window alreay broke it falls straight down. Not sure if your glue will work. What do you think? Let me take some pics and post them up.

drtyTshrt

I read this tip this weekend and just so happened to have some Loc Tight Super Glue for rubber and plastic. It contains the cynasticissaic (what ever that stuff is),comes with primer and the glue $3.50 at the Home depot. It has been glued for two days now without looking any worse for wear. I guess time will tell.

2000yellavert

happened to mine as well. the glass popped out on the window
did a different concept but the same glue.
need to make sure all surfaces are clean. i did unlatch the top. took the pressure off with a 12 inch stick to hold top up.
stuffed a pillow under the psuedo colapsed top, and started tracing the glue in. take your time... dry run this 2 times to see how the rubber from the top lays with the glass. its all about the glass being pushed up against a relaxed top.

Again, the key is the rhino glue.
this sting saved me hundreds if not over 1000 in repairs

fsuforever

Nice, I tried using several types of adhesives & none worked,I ended up buying a new skin online for 600.00 ,that's been 2 yrs ago,it will definatley save people money

TooMch

Well, I was happy to find this thread because it happened to my 2001 Vert. Actually thought I finally got a lucky break because the dealer was going to do a warranty replacement for me (nice to have friends!). Maybe they could offer that to me because the next day I got the call saying Sorry GM did away with the part number. They changed tops for 2002 and up and quit making the old top. Then they informed me that they couldn't warranty a repair for a non correct part number. I don't know about this part but that's what they're telling me,

OK, so my balloon got burst. I read so many good reports on Rhino Glue, that I set out to get some. I had a mechanic friend who was going to do the work for me and he had a suction cup device. Well, it basically worked. The window appears to be sealed but the cosmetic fit is ugly. It's wavy. Where the Canvas top meets the back of the window now looks like a duck tail. We tried re-gluing that section and adding a goofy/inventive clamping system but it only helped a little. Instead of one big duck tail, now I have several smaller ones. It does not look good to me at all.

I always seem to run into problems that no one else has. This is why I am so hesitant to try things myself. I'm never sure if I'm not following or understanding the instructions properly. I'm going to try a 3rd time. I'm surprised no one else has run into this. Another thing, after my latest attempt (I used the mallet method where previously my mechanic used only a rolled hand towel), I had trouble latching the passenger side. As I finally got enough pressure on it to latch I heard what sounded like velcro coming apart and I noticed more places where it wasn't sealed down tight.

From this description, does anyone have any suggestions or can you notice something I'm doing wrong?

c5BlackBeauty

Printing this one off for the future.

drtyTshrt

Well my Loc Tight glue did not hold so I bought the Rhino Glue. I got a good deal on it also. The kit came with a regular tube as well as a bigger tube and some tips for appiling precision amounts in precision spots.
I took the whole window out and roughed up the edges of the glass and the plastic strip on the canvass with a barrel sander installed in a dremil. cleaned well with acetone. Applied the Rhino Glue in This type of pattern /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\.held the window in place with the towel trick and let dry. Then I used the precision applicator tips and ran a bead around the outside of the glass a little bit at a time until all the gaps( which were minimal) were sealed and TA DA no wrinkels no leaks and it looks factory installed.I cut the straps holding the window inside and added some snaps to them just in case.
It has been over a month and 3/4 washe. Rhino Glue FTW.

onetime21

Well just updating everyone on my rear convertable window repair. I did use 3-M weld found at autozone that comes in a caulking type tube(under $20.00 repair). This coming November-2010 will make my repair a total of 2-years. Wola---I still have no leaks after many car washes, sun, rain. No seperation at all. This repair is totally awsome for the price. Only used 91% Alcohol and 3-M (black tar looking in a tube). If you don't want to waist your money on a new top this is the way to go.

Beer Me

Great advice from all who had to replace the window. I used some good window silicone on mine. Didn't use the dent pullers. I held the window in place with pillows, soup cans, anything I could find that would work. It has been a couple of months now, no problems, no leaks...yet...

2000yellavert

the rhino glue is the deal. finding any way to prop the window up into the top and the seals is key. window suction cups, dent puller what ever you can do to keep pressure on the glass to the seal is key with the glue
been many months now with pressure on the window from driving to washing as well as simply the up and down nature of the top in the Florida heat.

mcave

Thanks for the very useful suggestions/instructions. I used the Rhino glue and suction cups with success for my 00 rag top. MC

TooMch

Glad to hear everyone is having good luck. I can;t figure out what we did wrong to mine. Mine sealed where the window edge contacts the inside of the top but won't seal where the edge of the top contacts the window. The result is my top looks like it has a spoiler where the top meets the window. Is it possible to have the top pulled too tight and that is pulling it up from the window? I even tried cleaning the window and re-sealing it while applying some force down on it. It did not look like it was really working and when I closed the latch to secure the top I heard what sounded like velcro undoing and that part of the top had pulled loose again.

Any thoughts? Do I need to cut open the seal and start over?

mcave

I guess so? How close to the edge of the top did you apply the glue? I pulled mine back about 1/4-1/2" and then applied the glue.


MC

mtdoragary

I talked to two former Vette Techs today and they told me the only thing they've ever found that held up in the long run is 3M butyl tape, the kind used for installing windshields. On their advice, I bought a fifteen foot roll today for $18 and will be installing my glass tonight. The stuff in the tube sounds like the same thing, but I got the tape, so I'm going to use it.

mtdoragary

Went in easily. Propped it with rolled up towels and a sleeping bag.

TJefferson2020

Just completed this repair. Very easy. Used Rhino glue and that suction cup thing - also stuffed a moving blanket on the inside, had wife press from inside. I ran a bead of the glue along the edge when finished.

I noticed nobody masks off the window and top - I did just to be safe - not a drop of glue anywhere it shouldn't be.

Now it needs to set up overnight.

OP: thanks for posting your process. It works great.

mtdoragary

My 3M butyl tape repair is holding up well too. But the hot Florida summer will be the REAL test!

TooMch

OK, I have a lot of trouble following written instructions. I'm a lot better if I watch someone do it once. So somehow, I'm missing something.

Was your Rhino glue very thin and runny? If so, how did you get it to stay in place?

How did you use the suction cup? Did you tie it up to something up high?

Did you leave the top unlatched a bit?

I've had trouble with my attempt. It seems I did not get good glue vcoverage or something. Or perhaps I did not attach the top in the right place. It's odd that no one else has had this problem. Actually I had someone else (a mechanic friend) do this for me with these instructions printed out. My results are not satisfactory to me. its like I got the upper edge of the window to attach to the top but the edge of the top did not attach to the glass. I tried a second gluing. Putting glue where the edge of the top did not stick and then pressure against the top while the glue dried. It did not glue down consistently. And when I latched the top, there was a sound like velcro pulling apart and my top was unattached. Kind of like a duck tail.

Wondering how to proceed again. Does anyone thing it would be possible to break thru the glue that did stick and start all over again? I would try cleaning the glass real good first? Wondering how to do that to get the previous failied glue of? Then I'll try again myself, making sure I really follow the steps you all listed.

Thanks

vet2000

I tried this repair as shown in the photos with Rhino Glue. I raised the front by 10 inches and the rear by 2 inches. This put the fabrick exactly in place. I supported the glass with a pillow from the inside and usedthe glue. I weighted the fabric edge around the glass and if the glue holds it looks like a perfect repair.. Thanks for the post.

mtdoragary

I just did it with the 3M polyurethane and primer. But first I had to remove all the butyl tape I previously tried!