Okay, this is a difficult one. When I bought my 87 Firebird in March, since the snow was frozen, I had no problem with them. Along comes the rains in May and my T-tops leak, the driver's side in the front and the pass side in the rear. I went to a local junkyard and picked up a different pair of tops. I swtiched the latch assembly, complete, to the "new" pass side t-top from my old one, so that I could use my keys to lock the top in. I tried the same thing with the driver's side t-top and it didn't work. I have adjusted the latches downwards so that the top presses on the weatherstripping more in the front, but now the back leaks like a sieve and I ended up with a half-inch puddle in the rear footwell. I managed to vacuum out the water with a Bissell cleaning machine and sprayed the s**t out of the carpet in that area with disinfectant and odor eliminator to kill any mold that may have developed. Needless to say, I have the top I got from the junkyard in the car now. I was wondering, how do I bring the lock from the original top to the other latching assembly and put the latch in the top? I have tried to change the locks and I couldn't get at the lock clips if I tried. Does anyone know how to do this? I want to keep the original top if that's possible because the originals were tinted with window film, and I hate cleaning that glue up- I still have yet to get it all off of my driver's window.

 

I'm not sure I understand, Maverick...

Do you just want to switch the locks out (where your key goes in) or the whole locking mechanism?

I've switched the locks on a set of t-tops and it's fairly simple. As far as changing the whole mechanism, though... I'm not sure.

 

I only need to switch the locks so I can lock the tops.

 

Me too.

I have plastic tops, but recently scored a nice set off glass ones.

Looks like you have to grind off the rivet heads by the lock cylinder, but how do you get off the clip or nut at the bottom of the lock stem?

 

When I switched locks, it was real easy. Drill out the rivets. And then I think, just pull the clip out. I think it was that simple for my t-tops. I was surprised. After the rivets were removed, that thin sheet of metal just came out (I don't think you really need it) and the locks just came out.

 

I must have forgotten to post, as I just saw. About two days after my last post, I decided to find out for myself. I took everything out of the one top and drilled out the rivets, and presto, it came out. I feel like an idiot now...

 

Bravo.