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T-tops are a fire hazard!!!!!

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Old 06-05-2005, 10:04 PM
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T-tops are a fire hazard!!!!!

I nearly had a devastating disaster strike down on my car. I'm not quite sure how to appropriately put my t-tops in their bag, so I put one in the trunk reservoir and the other, upside down in the back seat. BIG MISTAKE!!!!After taking a shower and returning to my car, I smelt somethign burning, and low and behold my headliner was on fie. The beating sun must of refracted on the glass in the back seat and much like a magnifying glass, the rays condensed into a "death beam". Neadless to say, my headliner looks like a bunch of melted plastic. Beware where the glass lies...
Old 06-05-2005, 10:10 PM
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I hate death beams.
Old 06-05-2005, 10:16 PM
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Wow!
Old 06-05-2005, 10:24 PM
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holy.....does this happen often? i always put my t-tops inmy backseat, therefore it should be reflecting double the light. That scares me alot. No more putting them in my backseat
Old 06-05-2005, 10:39 PM
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thats hardcore
Old 06-05-2005, 10:48 PM
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can you post some pictures? i want to see this .
Old 06-05-2005, 10:57 PM
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I had a similar experience. I found a spare set of C&C t-tops at the local pick-a-part. I cleaned and disassembled one. I went in for luchch and set the second one on a spare tire upside down. About 10 minutes later I remembered I had water running in the back yard. As I went by the patio out of the corner of my eye I spotted something. The t-top had reflected a concentrated a beam of sunlight about 4" in diameter which was focused on the edge of my wooden shake roof and was SMOLDERING! I quickly turned the t-top over and got it out of the sun. Put water on the roof. I had a chared circle. I'm just glad I caught it before I burned down my house.

To answer your question, you store the t-tops right side up in their bag with the cloth separating them.

Lon
Old 06-06-2005, 01:48 AM
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Now that is one piece of thirdgen knowledge I never saw coming. Glad your car survived.
Old 06-06-2005, 08:37 AM
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Originally posted by Abubaca
I hate death beams.

yea, me too.


Old 06-06-2005, 08:57 AM
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Just got glass ttops.
I am gonna have to go try this.
Looks like the Camaro has a secret weapon.
Old 06-06-2005, 10:17 AM
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I'll have pics up later. BTW does anyone have a pic of of how the glass should be stored in the bag. I can never seem to fit them in right
Old 06-06-2005, 10:35 AM
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Re: T-tops are a fire hazard!!!!!

Wow thats crazy, sorry about your car!

Originally posted by Joehrdcor
the rays condensed into a "death beam".
Old 06-06-2005, 10:39 AM
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Originally posted by Joehrdcor
I'll have pics up later. BTW does anyone have a pic of of how the glass should be stored in the bag. I can never seem to fit them in right
Yeah same here. The rubber trim always gets damaged when I put them in.
Old 06-06-2005, 10:44 AM
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Wow! It's a good thing you guys saw that - especially you, Lon! Roof fires are not FUN!

As for the storing question, I put the first one in with the outside of the glass down and the think latching part towards the back of the bag. Then I put the felt divider over that one, and put the other T-top in with the outside glass facing up and the thick latch part towards the rear of the car. That way the two thicker parts are at opposite ends of the bag. Works fine for me.....
Old 06-06-2005, 11:24 AM
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heres the pic. It could've been worse
Attached Thumbnails T-tops are a fire hazard!!!!!-img_0089.jpg  
Old 06-06-2005, 11:28 AM
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WOW!!!

That's darn right scary!

[memo to self, never put T-tops in back seat....}
Old 06-06-2005, 11:36 AM
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Thanks for the heads-up! If I ever get a T-top I'll remember this.

Are you sure the Firebird behind your interior light didn't just decide to belch? Is that emblem standard or did you add it yourself?


Cheers,
Mark.
Old 06-06-2005, 11:44 AM
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i always throw mine in the storage compartment in the back, never had them in there with the reflective side facing out... i guess with the shape of the tops it would really concentrate the light...
i was just watching mythbusters the other night and they couldnt start a fire with like 300+ mirrors, but a ttop can... that is a pretty cool weapon, haha
glad your car is intact :P
Old 06-06-2005, 12:24 PM
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Originally posted by Abubaca
I hate death beams.
rofl awesome.
Old 06-06-2005, 01:14 PM
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For all of us who have T-Tops, now we all can enjoy Burnt r i c e
Old 06-06-2005, 03:26 PM
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that makeshift firebird behind it is actually covering another damged area.
Old 06-06-2005, 03:37 PM
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Wowzers! That was close! Maybe the Camaro bags are bigger but I just slide in the first top (outside facing up) with the lever section at the open end of the bag and then slide in the second one the same way with the divider inbetween then closer it up. My bag is bigger on the open end then the other end and doesn't seem to be any problem.
Old 06-06-2005, 03:51 PM
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Sheesh, thats crazy! I never used my T-top bag before...in fact, i sold it! I always just lay them down in the backseat with something between them to stop them from hitting eachother. I rarely have them there for more than like...twenty minutes at a time, but hell...thats scary!
Old 06-06-2005, 10:04 PM
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damn dude.. I mean Damn!... bet a CSI would never catch that one!
Old 06-07-2005, 12:06 AM
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Thats like when I burned my GI Joes with a magnifiying glass when I was a kid
Old 06-07-2005, 12:38 AM
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Or tiny innocent ants on the driveway... "You'll never get that crumb back to your queen, ant army!!"

Old 06-07-2005, 02:50 AM
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Originally posted by Melly's Z28
Wowzers! That was close! Maybe the Camaro bags are bigger but I just slide in the first top (outside facing up) with the lever section at the open end of the bag and then slide in the second one the same way with the divider inbetween then closer it up. My bag is bigger on the open end then the other end and doesn't seem to be any problem.
I put mine in the same way you just have to manuever them in there while working the zippers around.
Old 06-07-2005, 07:04 PM
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Mine I guess is from the age of velcro All ya do is flip the flap and done.
Old 06-07-2005, 10:45 PM
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hehe, pretty scary to see those things catch on fire... good thing i don't have a headliner... or carpet for that matter... lol
Old 06-08-2005, 01:48 AM
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After reading this thread I grabbed my t-top and aimed the beam at my brothers leg for about 10 seconds, and he was like damn man, that is really ****ing hot.
Old 06-08-2005, 02:26 AM
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Originally posted by spearson
After reading this thread I grabbed my t-top and aimed the beam at my brothers leg for about 10 seconds, and he was like damn man, that is really ****ing hot.
Old 06-08-2005, 03:56 PM
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I'll get some pics of mine, the bag easily closes
Old 06-08-2005, 04:04 PM
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This one shows the passenger T-top on top of the driver's T-top. The drivers T-top has the weatherstripping facing you, the opposite of this.
Attached Thumbnails T-tops are a fire hazard!!!!!-picture.jpg  
Old 06-08-2005, 04:05 PM
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This is the funniest/scariest damn thread on TGO in a long time!

Originally posted by spearson
After reading this thread I grabbed my t-top and aimed the beam at my brothers leg for about 10 seconds, and he was like damn man, that is really ****ing hot.
BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Originally posted by Abubaca
I hate death beams.
Old 06-08-2005, 04:08 PM
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Originally posted by dr1
...i was just watching mythbusters the other night and they couldnt start a fire with like 300+ mirrors, but a ttop can...
300 flat mirrors won't, but 300 concave mirrors will. 300 t-tops will decimate a small neighborhood.
Old 06-08-2005, 08:36 PM
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I think we have finally found the hidden weapons of mass destuction.
Old 06-08-2005, 08:50 PM
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Some unbelievable stuff!!! The underside is so shiny and concave, it really does make sense though. It's really like a telecsope mirror - point one of those at the sun and they can sometimes crack, not to mention fry retinas and anything else in the path. It's one thing to point the beam at a persons leg - DO NOT point it at your eyes - just a little disclaimer.......

Know how you used to fry ants with a magnifying glass as a kid? Well, looks like you could turn a cow into a smoke cloud just with a T-top!!!

Joehrdcor - Bummer about your headiner but, un the up-shot, from the looks of it, could have been MUCH worse!!!

Crazy stuff.......
Old 06-08-2005, 11:55 PM
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I finally got those darn tops in the bag. I had to swerve them in just right. No more popping them out to backseat. Bodybags from now on. definately.
Old 06-13-2005, 11:20 AM
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holy **** i never even thought of that. i used to have the t-tops in the back seat of my Z28 all the time! anyone ever burn their damn hands on t-tops while taking them off? i did that when i first got mine. not very good(i keep a shirt in the car just so i can use it as a mitten).

as for t-top storage, in my Iroc(got rid of the Z28), since that one actually has a t-top bag, i just put the bag in the rear hatch and both t-tops with it in the hole space. they don't knock around and fit snugly(though they don't fit all the way in the hole you gotta set them crooked). that works for me.

sucks about your headliner(and the dude with the burnt roof). not good at all. we need like 15 t-tops and point the death rays at a couple of hondas.
Old 06-13-2005, 02:53 PM
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Originally posted by Slinkoguy
I think we have finally found the hidden weapons of mass destuction.


bwahaha!
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