Solid T-tops, now what

GT6Steve

GT6Steve

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
751
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Greetings Amigos,

I just bought a set of solid T-Tops for summer in Vegas as the smoke glass T-Tops were a bit difficult in the Mojave. I've searched the site and noted the efforts to eliminate the factory headliners.

That said, what's the dealwith the silly assed velcro like substitute the factory used? CAN i RESTORE THEM OR BUY NEW ONES? Damned caps lock!

Anyway, the tops I bought came with "the rare Ivory" liner which are in decent shape. Can I pack them with insulation and reuse them somehow? I'm even thinking toss out the sticky bits and just put screws thru to the towers.

OR, is this Ivory color really rare and does someone need them for some special car? I'd hate to drill them if they're special to someone....
 
You can buy industrial strength velcro strips about 2 1/2 wide. This should easily hold in your T-Tops.

But they can't hold in my repro T-Tops. The curvature of the repro tops is just too different that the fiberglass Tops. Someday, I'll take a hot air gun and try to lessen the curvature of the repro liners. Oh, BTW other than they don't fit, the repro panels are really beautiful.
 
So the factory stuff is worth saving? Why are the original Velcro like plastic bits not working? What goes wrong with them?

I've read of glues not working and gutting the tops but there's never any insulation offered up after. I need insulation in the Mojave and can see it packed in behinfd the factory headliners if they can be properly retained.

Assuming the factory tabs are available from the usual suspects, what is the failure mode?
 
Gonna keep them cuz I luv em but I wanna make these solid ones good for the summer. They definately need insulation, the stock liners are in good shape if I can make them stick. I CAN make them stick but is this Ivory color really special or can I paint it blue? Or trade for blue if it is something rare and special.....
 
Don't know about the Ivory color.

I've forgotten where I saw them but a couple of years ago, at least one of the vendors had the little plastic "velcro" retainers. At the time, I was mostly doing business with Rick's, Paragon, and Willcox but it could have been one of the others.

My liners are warped and the inside rear corners of each would not stayed attached. I tried industrial velcro. No go. I tried laying the liners (black) out in the hot summer sun for hours clamped to a jig to bend them back in shape. No go. While digging through a box of parts the previous owner gave me, I found a couple of new retainers. Put them on expecting they would hold better than the old ones. No go. I finally gave up and used some interior screws on all 4 inside corners as you suggested. Finally. It's not original but it looks fine and it works.

DC
 
I wouldn't think of it as bad news, more like another option. As far as the fiberglass ones are concerned, look into Reflectix, available at the big box building supply stores. It is thin stuff and is supposedly 90% efficient at insulating.
 
I took off my liners, and grinded the mounting flanges flat. Then I sprayed it with black epoxy. I'm tall. I can only imagine how BigBird fits in one of these
 
i just had that clear tint film that rejects heat installed on my glass tops and there is a big difference, really big difference. the guy that installed it had a tough time due to the curve of the top, i also had the windshield done. i need to fix my a/c next but tinting everything went from both windows down to the drivers window half way down. i guess the downside of doing the windshield would be if you have state inspection and they put a sticker on it. but i agree on the fiberglass tops being hotter .
 
97 z28 I bought has like those velcro like gripping things that say 69-75 vette vert hard tops had. That is what holds my t-top headliners on. So they are still available from GM
 
i just had a clear heat reflecting film put on my glass tops and it helped a bunch. i need the glass tops for headroom. i did the windshield too.you can't imagine how well it works in Florida
 
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