Convertible Top Glass Lamination Repair?

TexasViper35

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Has the subject of the rear glass coming unglued from the canvas top along the edges ever come up on the forums? The top comes from the factory with the glass “heat laminated” to the canvas top, I am told, but I can’t seem to locate a company that can redo that. There are upholstery shops that say they can use glue. Anyone have any knowledge to share on the subject? Thank you!
 

MoparMap

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I had the same problem on my 04 in one of the lower corners. I took it around to some shops as well and most just told me it would have to be a new top. Figuring I had nothing to lose I bought some super glue and just did it myself. More specifically I bought some JB Weld "SuperWeld" (https://www.jbweld.com/product/superweld), though I think it's just your average super glue. It's been holding fine for the past couple of years now. I had a similar issue on the inside where there is a piece of material bonded to the top that is also bonded to the rear of the metal panel that makes up the front portion of the roof. I haven't had as much luck with that one. At speed it tends to pull up just a bit, which I don't think the glue likes. It's also just really hard to get to easily, so I'm not sure I'm getting enough glue in the right places.
 
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TexasViper35

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Yes, the Super Glue route is all that I found on the Internet. This is far more common on Jaguars it seems, their owners were using 3M WindowWeld with clamps securing it as it set overnight. But it didn’t always last very long so one guy tried Rhino Glue (super glue) and that (like JB Weld I’m sure) seems to work very well. I have Rhino Glue (Amazon only), I’m just a bit nervous about using it without talking to others; so Thank You for your valuable input from experience.

The part about the fabric strip inside the car, just aft the seats, it’s come undone on my car too. I didn’t think it was critical but since I am looking closely at my rear window and top these days I think it actually is very critical. I think it stretches the top to allow it to sufficiently cover the top edge of the glass. Mine seems to be pulled away, it’s difficult to notice but it’s there. I’ll have to open the top and look closer at how that all works together.
 

MoparMap

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Yeah, if I pulled the whole top off I think I could fix that joint better. My best guess from looking at it is that it helps hold the top down and keep it from ballooning up like you see on so many convertibles going down the highway. You can put your fingers up in that gap on mine while driving down the highway, but it's not that bad. The glue has helped some, but it's just near impossible to pull the top up high enough to get the glue in and then set it back down. I knew it was a temporary solution at best, but when the alternative was something like $700 for a top I figured it was worth a shot. I've been really happy with the glass fix though. I had picked the superglue because it said it worked on glass and fabric. I think the Jag tops are actually vinyl instead of the fabric that the Vipers are, but I could be wrong. I could see it needing a different type of glue. There's a nice chart somewhere on the internet that can tell you what material the factory top is. I want to say the Viper was a Hartz brand something or other. It's something like 3 or 4 materials layered together. There's an outside canvas shell, and inner rubber type liner, then the inside canvas/fabric. I think the heat sealing that happens at the factory more or less melts the rubber liner on the inside and causes it to bond through the inside canvas layer.
 

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