Hey everyone, Been lurking here for a while and just recently started fixing up my '91 Z-28 305. It's great to see such an active community... look forward to hearing back! Anyway... As I'm sure most of you with T-Tops know... not all the pieces of the weatherstipping last forever. On mine... the seals between the opening and the t-top are all in relatively good shape (car was garaged and/or covered since purchased) with minimal whistling and no leaks. My tops are the lexan Fisher type tops. However... the piece that's attached to the t-top glass and hangs down over the outside of the glass in the door (when the door is closed) is slowly tearing from the wear and tear it gets when the door is opened and closed. I have a couple questions... What is this piece called and where, if anywhere, can you buy it. All the weatherstripping I can find on-line is either a complete kit for the entire opening's worth of weatherstripping, or has a picture that makes it so hard to tell if its the right piece or not. I can't find any diagrams detailing which piece this is... so I'm hoping you guys might know! I have tried searching the boards... but can't seem to find any concrete references to this. Am I having trouble finding it because it can't be replaced. It appears glued to the glass/lexan top (I haven't taken the top apart to see how else it might be secured) Also... is it normal for this piece to get bent in with the glass when the door is shut? Often mine will get pinched between the glass and the interior weatherstip and then "pop" out a few seconds later. The only way I see to avoid it would be to always leave the windows open a crack... but obviously that's not the best idea! Anyway... hope you can help! Thanks!

It sounds like you're referring to the drip rail. I don't have them available separately,however we may reproduce them for you guys at some point.

Here's what we do have though if you need any sweeps or anything.

Camaro Weatherstrip

a few years back i replaced them on my 89 for all the same reasons . i think they are called drip edge molding . anyway i got new/replacement ones from ecklers . the replacements were a hard rubber/plastic , pretty good instructions . had to trim some injection molding nubs but all went very well . follow instructions , you will be happy . good luck .

Hey,

1ATony... that would sound like the right thing. Are you saying you have them as part of some other packaged set??? Too bad no one (and I mean no one) appears to sell them individually. Either that, or they're still hidden behind some unknown part name or number that I've yet to decipher. That said, I did find this... T-top passenger side outer deflector/weatherstrip from Year One... but without a pic it's hard to be sure. Not only that but if I take the part # literally (F181RH), it's only for the passenger side. And like everything in a car... it's the drivers side that goes first.

Uncle Tom,

I looked on Ecklers but couldn't find a part similar to what you describe. Do you happen to have the part #?

Also... just in case anyone was wondering which part I'm talking about on the top... I've included pics of the part (still attached to the t-top) and showing the torn section. Does anyone have it as part of the whole weatherstripping set? It's impossible to even find mention of it as a part of a whole replacement set.

So,

Got bored after my last post and decided the best way to know exactly what I'm looking for was to take it apart and have a look. So... what I found was the below piece after I removed the other moldings and trim.

As you can see... it's a rather simple part. It appears made out of plastic (though it could be dense rubber, I'm not sure) with four holes that attach it to the mechanical frame of the lock mechanism. It's sandwiched between that and the frame piece that holds the rubber window seal molding/weatherstrip. It's stamped with a few numbers on the back including: 10165499, 827, and Z0264 along with a few letter combos including: E\P, TEO, and LH (left hand side). It also has a calendar lay-out that is likely marking the manufacture date (5/91).

Aside from the screws, there appears to be a strip of double sided thin-foam tape holding it to the glass/lexan.

You can see from the pics that one side (the front/leading edge along the bottom edge (the part closest to the glass)) is slightly rounded and is also curved in towards the glass.

Anyway... that's what I got... now to see if anyone has another. I guess I could always hunt for used t-tops with the piece intact... but that seems like a fools errand since likely the piece will be worn in much the same way or well on its way to failure.

Please help!

Hmm... I'm getting there... at least if anything this post will contain all the names by which this part might go by such that future googler's will find what they're looking for easier than I have.

So, I found my way to the GM Parts web site. I had to go into the "GM Alternate Catalog". Select 1991, Chevy, Camaro... and then went under Roof->Glass and Hardware->Weatherstrip. Once there... there was a button under the 3 parts listed for "View Illustration". Looking at the illustration, it appears that the piece in question may be what's labeled as a "Seal Strip" (one for the right and one for the left).

I've got an e-mail in to them to try and verify!

So... Found out that the parts are discontinued (which I have now found in other threads on the board after searching for "Seal Strip"). Now that I had the correct name for the part I was finding all sorts of other information.

For instance, You can find the Passenger side @ Hawks third gen parts... but unfortunately they don't have the Drivers side. They do sell the Seal Strip in their aftermarket weatherstrip kit as a pair, but they don't sell an aftermarket pair without the other weather strips. This makes what would be about $60 for the pair into a $250+ purchase.

It also appears that there were two iterations of this part. The first was rubber, and was replaced in '92 by an all plastic part. Search for "Seal Strip" and you'll find other threads that mention this and the new part #'s (which are also discontinued)

The hunt continues!

could they be these? i found those at ecklerscamaro.com as posted above. part # 713075.

You are correct... that is the part. But as you found... and my subsequent search of their site found... they only have the RH passenger side. No one appears to have the more likely worn drivers side. Thanks for the info though!

I have a new original rubber & plastic GM one. That's what my poll was about.I was trying to get a feel for what you guys would rather have the original rubber,or later plastic version.

T

Side roof panel (t-top) weatherstrip.

GM part# 10165500. Same for both sides.

About $65 each. Still available from the GM Warehouses.

#29 in the illustration.

Actually... in the illustration, 29 is the rubber that seals the top to the glass, 30 is the metal retainer (the piece 29 fits into to hold it in place). This is not the same as the seal strip/drip rail.

The part # is unique for both sides because the part actually has a curved bump that has to face the outside on the leading edge (closer to the windshield) and thus cannot be flipped around to fit on either side of the car.

I see you're listed as a parts rep... can you keep digging to see what else you can find? Thanks!

alleneyre-WOW-thanks for doing all this digging!! Mine are in decent shape but after reading this maybe it's time to get them b4 they're gone!!

1A Tony-- do you have them for the glass t-tops? Either in a glass t-top strip finishing//repair kit or as seperate part #s? Thanks !

Again Thanks to alleneyre for doing all the pounding!!

I don't as of right now.Hang in there.

Hey Tony, I could use a couple of drip edge moldings. How much do ya want for them?

HI Steve,

We do not have them in stock yet.

Yeah I need em too lol. But I think I'd rather have the plastic ones, wouldn't they last longer?

does anyone know how to remove them.

formula forever,

It's fairly easy. Remove the screw on the lock handle and remove the handle. Unscrew the plastic cover and remove. Underneath you will have to remove the weatherstripping (you can sometimes just slide it out of the guide... other times it's glued in pretty good and you'll have to give it a yank... try not to rip it unless you're replacing it too!).

Now remove the screws from the weatherstripping frame. What'll you'll be left with is the hardware for the rods and the drip edge. The drip edge is only secured by the weatherstrip adhesive at this point. Use a razor to release it from the glass and you're done.

Debatable...

Often the door catches the rear end of the edge and sometimes it gets folded in pretty good or caught between the glass and the weatherstripping.

Logically one would think the rubber should be able to bend and un-bend more often without tearing (after all... that's what rubber is meant to do). While the plastic may tear more often... it's also less apt to start "flapping" in the wind at high speed and making some excess noise (especially if it eventually tears or comes loose from the glass).

So... either/or... your mileage may vary. I have a 91, so I'd rather keep mine as close to stock as possible by using plastic.

Hey again all,

I... like a few others of you... are waiting for 1ATony to get those reproductions in stock so I can pick up a few pairs.

However, in the meantime I located and purchased a set of glass tops for what appears to be an early 80's camaro ($50... a steal, they're flawless and came with the orig. bag!).

Interestingly, these tops are different in a couple ways, and I wanted to warn those of you who might be thinking of doing the same thing.

1st: The early 80's tops used a rubber drip edge. Not really a bid deal, but it is different from stock late 80's/90's third gen's that use the re-designed plastic edge.

2nd: Pin size. The lock pins on these models appears the same, but the later model tops started to cover the metal pins with a plastic sheath. This sheath appears to make a tighter fit into the t-top pin retainer on the car's frame. Theoretically you could transfer the sheath from a later model top the the earlier version and it should work. However, I've found this isn't always possible because of #3.

3rd. Pin alignment. The early 80's tops seem to have their pin aligned closer to the roof line than those on my 91 Z28. No matter how much I try to compress the weatherstripping, it's still about a 1/2 inch too high for the existing receiver holes.

The only thought I had was to strip the hardware from the glass tops and re-mount a later model set of hardware to the glass (These tops I found were flawless... stored in an attic since the early 90's as a "spare" set for a car long gone... so I'd like to get them working on my car).

Has anyone done this??? Were there any big issues with doing it? It looks like the hardware is just mounted to the glass with a heavy duty adhesive. Any help would be appreciated!

Also... I'd rather do this with a junk set of tops (late 80's/90's tops) rather than my originals. If anyone has a crap set (scratched glass or plastic/cracked/etc... as long as the hardware and interior plastic is in good/great shape) they're will to toss and would like a couple bucks for them. Let me know!

Thanks!

I would get a pair of calipers and check the measurements on both. Harbor Freight had a good one that I paid $15 for.

You can also swap out the pin retainers mounted in the car, I don't know if that is the issue or the actual mounting hole placement as you were mentioning. I know that they've changed the locations on a couple of things later on though.

I've got some retainers from an '87 Firebird if you're interested. They are adjustable and I'm assuming yours are as well. But it looks like 1/2" would be the max they can move.

It's going to be a little bit on those drip edges. It takes a little while to reproduce things.

Glass tops here.

I'd like a set when available.

Later

ME TOO!!!!

Until they are available, I am gonna try to repair my own. I even thought of fabricating them myself. Just need the hard rubber, and a heat gun.

Subscribing, I need these too!

Hey all.... It's been a while and 1A auto still doesn't have these in stock. I was on the site today and they have at least got them listed with part numbers and a "Notify Me" button that they're using to gauge customer interest. Check out the parts and click the button on your set (Rubber or Plastic... depends on the year, and type of t-top (glass or Lexan), see above posts for other details).

I'm posting to bump this thread up to the top and get some interest again so hopefully 1A auto will make this part!!! Check out the pieces and click the Notify Me button!

http://www.1aauto.com/search?words=drip+edge

Done!

I clicked it too.

subscribe

Dan just test fitted these the other day. The prototypes are done and have been approved. I'll give you guys a heads up as soon as I get word.

Tony

even got a set of the prototypes in my hand right now

I hope you guys get these out soon!

...cash in hand; ready to buy...

Are they ready yet!!!!!!??????

Ahemmmmm... 7 days later... updates? Any? Me want to buy................. now...............

HI, these are being produced.The manufacturer is going to try to send us some before the main supply we have coming.

Here's a part link to the plastic ones. If you enter your email address in the Notify Me button you'll receive an email when they're instock.

82-92 Camaro Firebird Trans Am T-Top Drip Rail

Is here any type of ETA? I mean, the email when instock option is nice, but are we talking weeks or months? Just curious...

HI, I have no idea.It may be a couple of months out but not 100% sure.

Any word yet? Chompin' at the bit!

Me Too!!! Mine look like crap.

I'm so glad I found this thread. The ones that originally came on my car were ripped completely off and the ones on my parts car, which I swapped them for, were torn on the back and catching underneath of the glass really bad, causing it to leak whenever it rained and I forgot to pull the rubber out. So, I hope to get a set after I get some money to start on my car.

last word i had was that they were still trying to perfect the mold for the plastic ones. they definitely fit perfect (at least on my 87 TA), but were a little rough around the edges when it came to finish. you can be sure we'll let you know ASAP once they're ready

Put a rush on it for us will ya?... Badger the hell out of the mfg. guys and tell 'em how many of us want these things!!

Going back through the posts, it seems like these have been "in process" for 10 months now...

Just bought my car and mine has this exact issue. I've opted on your site to notify me when they are available.

I will follow this as well.

Just another monthly "bump". Any updates?

What exactly does "bump" mean?

"bump" - moving the msg to the top again