i recently ordered t top weatherstrip from 1a. it seems to be very nice stuff but now i can not get the t tops to slide into the tbar for the life of me. EXTREMELY tight fit. so i have new weatherstrip but no t tops.. lol. does anyone have an idea of what needs to happen to get these working? i am sure that they will settle in over time but the weather around here isn't great and i kind of need to put my tops in!!

 

Can you post a pic of the problem? Maybe you installed the weatherstripping incorrectly.

 

its in right. i finally got the tops in.. took 3 guys and f-ed up my t bar a little. i sure hope this gets easier as it wears in.

 

its like to thick or what? o.O

 

am gonna say yes.. too thick and will not let the t top slide between the weatherstrip and the t bar. that is the problem area.. everything else is tight but workable.

 

well you shouldnt have any leaks! lol

 

No offense guys, but that's why I like the original stuff. I installed the OEM weatherstripping and installed my ttops without any adjustment issues or seating issues. The factory stuff just works better. Hopefully the added pressure won't damage or crack the glass.

 

What do you mean when you say you are sliding the tops into place? I've had two ttop cars and everytime I installed the tops, I only needed the inner edge (the edge that goes under the middle bar) to be touching the car, then you just lower the top down into position and lock them. There was no sliding in and out, they pop up and out.

 

yeah.. thats what i am talking about. the top kind of slides between the weatherstrip and the t bar maybe 1/8 of an inch or so. only in my case it does not really want to do that.

 

Yeah, those metro seals are pretty tough at first.

Working the T-top in for the first time takes quite a few tries (and quite a few choice words). You may want to adjust the height on your T-tops to reduce the stress on the glass. After they set in for a few weeks, you can adjust them back to where they were (cause the trim won't fit quite right unless they're at their factory adjustments).

IMO, I wished that I'd have gone with GM replacements on both sides. I did on the passenger side after my metro seals fell apart on me, and now my driver's side is starting to deteriorate a little (after a couple of months). I hope your seals are better than mine were.

 

IMHO--
GM is the way to go if you can.
We have the 1A kit. Since I didn't know what I was doing,
I had a body shop put it in. We have no leaks around the
tops, but a leak from around the t-bar, & that's a PITA!!
Tops fit real good!

 

hey guys, sorry to hear you're having an issue with the metro stuff. it is definitely going to be a bit bigger than what you pulled off (since our cars are 18+ yrs old), but should still fit and work like the OE. however, we do also sell the GM OE seals to those who will not settle for anything less. when it comes time to do my own (and that time's coming soon), I'd have no problem using the metro personally. We've sold many sets with little to no issue, but its all in the install as many say. If you're looking for the GM seals:

GM OE t-top seal kit

 

i am not ******* the seals at all.. i like 1a auto. you guys have always done right by me. and i know that since the seals are new it will take some time for them to settle in to where they need to be. but MAN!.. getting the tops in for the first time was rough. i hope that after they have been in for a few days in this heat the next time won't be as bad. i would have gone with original stuff but actually didn't see any (didn't know you could still get it) and i am sure there is a price difference... budget is always an issue.