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Adjusting windows to convertible top

crause

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
Messages
266
Location
Louisiana
Corvette
75 Convertible-steel blue / 2000 lt. pewter conv.
Does anyone know how you adjust the window to top gap on a 75 convertible. I just had a new soft top put on and there is a gap at the top rear of the window. Water will blow in the crack so I need to adjust this. I did not put in new rubber seals around the top but the gap is too big to fill with rubber anyway. The door shuts easy so I don't think it is out of align. The rubber seals on the top look like they are in good shape.

Thanks,
Andy
 
You MIGHT be able to adjust the window up. Get your service manual or AIM. It will go through window adjustment procedures. It's way to complicated to go through here.

You or your installer should have adjusted the convertible top frame to fit the window before the new top was installed.

You can "shim" the weatherstrip downward using black vinyl strips. That can help somewhat.

If you can't close the gap by adjusting the window, moving the top frame can close the gap, BUT you'll end up with creases and wrinkles in your new top. Chuck
 
You'll have to take the door panel off to get to all the adjustment bolts. It's hard to explain here but an assembly manual may give you all the info on what to do to make the adjustments. If you just need to bring the back of the window up, you can first try adjusting the rear upper stop by loosening the bolt and moving it upward.

Greg
 
OK, there are about 3-4 ways to tackle this problem....ONE...IF you have a hardtop you need to fit the windows to the hardtop and never move them again....

if you don't you have some more freedom....you can use the fudge factor to your advantage...in that adjusting the top height and fore/aft position on the lower inner two bolts behind the seats, along with the top/retainer requirements in the rear bow...you can then play around untill it's more or less 'OK'.....

now here is MY experience....you can play around all you freaking want,,...and use most any weatherstrip you want....IMO...the break between the two top of window sections in that weatherstripping, means water comes in at speed in the rain....

if you look at the aerodynamics of the water on the side windows, it flows UP in a line across the window untill it's over the top and in the car.....I have been playing on and off for a LONG time with the aero affects of that problem....and have made a very few small steps to attempt at solving it....without a whole lot of success.....

but don't worry, GM has the same problem with the C4, anyway on my '87 it did the same damn thing....I feel there is no reliable way to join two weatherstrips in a folding convertible top...over top of that side window, and have them seal weathertite...it just AINT a GONNA HAPPEN.....but yet, when on a traffic light, the leaking stops...i'ts a speed/wind related problem...aero dynamics....

so have fun.....Mind you, I have been playing on and off with this since '95 when I bought the car....mostly off of course, as I fergit to remember of the problem, untill the next rain storm....

GENE
 
Thanks Gene,

you hit the nail on the head. It sounds like you have had a lot of experience with this problem. I will try some of the suggestions I have gotten here and see what I can come up with. I don't plan on driving in the rain but we don't always have control of what happens when out for a ride.

Andy
 
well, let me throw in my 2 cents worth. If you didn't have a gap with the old soft top, but now you do with the new soft top, the new top probably isn't adjusted "just so." My first step would be to see how the new soft top could be adjusted to fit the window better. If you had the same problem before, adjusting the angular orientation of the window isn't too tough, but you do have to take the door panel off to get to the adjustment screws, which can be a major PITA unto itself. As has already been mentioned, there are several adjustments inside the door panel. I have electric windows, and the general orientation of the window (the relative horizontal position of the top edge of the window) is governed by two screws that hold the motor in place. Mine on the driver side had a similar problem to yours -- droop at the back edge -- so I loosened the motor adjustment screws, twisted the motor until I got the proper alignment, then tightened them. This won't adjust up/down "distance" per se, but the other suggestions offered (shimming, etc) would help in that regard. Don't know if this helps at all, but thought I'd chip in.....
 

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