I lowered my t-tops and i still get a leak on my drivers side and passenger front and rear I lowered both of them as low as i can go. But I mean if i had to stop when driving it would all pour on my leg and looks like i Pissed myself lol.


Tried black silicone it was really runny. Is there something that is able to get them to stop leaking and will not run. Like a epoxy of some type to keep it in place and not running all over.

 

This is what I had to do to get mine to stop leaking:

-New seals all the way around.
-Sealer put all the way around the seals.
-I then used rubber that was designed for windshield installs. I put some of the rubber in between the A-pillar and the seal because there is a gap there. Then you also do that for the B-pillar in the back as well. Then I put a small little piece of rubber going over the top of the seal.

It's kind of hard to explain on here, but you have to seal EVERYTHING. Both corners will leak on the door and the corners in the middle will leak too if you do not seal them.

 

That's where i get my leaks? both a and b pillars where you latch t-tops to hold down on.

 

That's where mine were. There is a big gap in the seals between the two spots, which lets water drip down the molding and gets all over the carpet.

 

Post up a pic with your t top off i wanna see what type or material you used to cover over it. Also was thinking about silicone. Had some tried it was way to runny it almost went on my door.
I need something that isn't going to run that quick.

 

Death, Can you post up a pic for me or get a image of of google.

 

The best thing you can do for this is to replace your seals. They are expensive, but well worth it!

 

It might be more involved than that. I recently repaired the t-top channels on my '83 Z/28 because they had been neglected by the previous owners. These cars were designed with NO means for any water to escape the t-top channels, and over the years the trapped water will slowly eat thru the metal and cause massive corrosion. The worst areas seem to be the outer portions of the front and back channels, and the center t-bar (which just rots out completely). If you want to be sure you aren't just fighting the symptom, you need to pull your seals and t-top center bar and look at the condition of the metal underneath. I pulled mine and found massive pitting and numerous small holes along the front and rear channels, and a huge (8" by 3/8") gash in the rear passenger channel towards the window. The metal was wasted away to the point of being aluminum foil thick and extremely crunchy. My center t-bar was completely rusted apart from the two side "wings", and was held in place from the tension of the weatherstrips only. Keep in mind this is on a car that has spent its life in non-snowy climates. I used a drill with a wire wheel to take everything down to bare metal, which revealed even more pinholes hidden by paint. Once everything was bare and exposed, I filled the larger holes with expanding foam, trimming it with a sharp blade once it had fully cured. Then I used 2 part 5-minute metal repair epoxy to fill in all the holes and weak spots, and rebuild any degraded areas. Once this had fully cured (a few hours later), it could be sanded and shaped and prepared for painting. I sprayed everything with a liberal coat of rust converting primer, then a couple coats of filler primer, and finally a few coats of my car's Dupli Color. After all this was done, I replaced my completely rotted center t-bar with a new one, sealing under it with a little 3-hr rain-ready exterior rated black silicone. Then I used weatherstrip adhesive, starting at the front corner of the center t-bar and working outward, attaching the new weatherstripping, working it down in and making sure it glued all the way along. Once this had dried, I went back again with the black silicone, first filling both ends of the center t-bar where it meets the body at the front and rear. Then I pulled back the weatherstrip at the body and center t-bar and ran a thick bead down in between the weatherstrip and body, letting the weatherstrip close back in behind the caulk. Then I ran a second smaller bead over top of the first, and with my other hand pressed down slightly on the weatherstrip behind the caulk gun as I made my pass. This allowed the caulk to squeeze out slightly, and made sure the entire gap filled and bonded both to the weatherstrip and body. I then took a paper towel and carefully wiped along the weatherstrip and body seam to clean up the excess and make a nice neat line. I did this for both front and back channels, and put a good dollop of caulk at all four corners of the center t-bar where the weatherstrip makes the 90 degree turn. This keeps any water from entering down between the weatherstrip and body, or between the weatherstrip and center t-bar.
Before I did this repair, riding in my car in anything besides light drizzle was like taking a rolling shower. Now my car stays dry even in pouring rain, and my t-tops seal perfectly.

 

I know mine has some rust to I just don't have the time in this cold weather sense i don't have a heater in my garage. It does have rust flakes and i was going to get scrapper crap it to see how far in it goes.

 

That's how mine was for a long time. I would get rust flakes inside the top of the headliner and in my Berlinetta overhead console's map light and dome light. It gets pretty crunchy up there over the years from the water slowly eating away at the metal. You might have to wait for the next dry day you have to do the repair, but I know you don't want to just fight the symptom. The corrosion will continue underneath from humidity alone unless you remove it and treat / corrosion proof the metal. It's not an easy or quick fix, but it is definitely worth it. You may even luck out like I did and manage to find a good set of t-top seals in the junkyard. The trick is getting them off the donor car without tearing them (putty knife, razor blade, and slooooooooooooooow going).

 

It rains less than "8 the whole year here in az, so rust isnt an issue, but finding a used set of weatherstripping here is impossible due to the sun. I totally forgot about rust as a factor! LOL!

 

any updates ?

 

Haven't got to get outside to do anything about it yet. Too cold its 21 out. No heater in garage.

 

Here is the stuff I used:

 

Looks rubbery like squishy and will fall apart. I need a picture how you possienend it.

 

Would be hard to show that since my t-tops are sealed on with the stuff. If you don't want your tops to leak, you have to make it so that you can't take them out.

You just pieces of that stuff and jam them in the corners until it's full. I'll see how good of pics I can get but I can't guarantee much.

 

Proper maintenance and some TLC will make it so your T-top can be removed regularly and still seal properly. I've already posted the proper fix on this thread, and explained the reason for the fix and what causes the problems with our T-tops. If you follow the steps I listed above you can have functional T-tops also. You have to treat the cause, not the symptom.

 

I know, but im defiantly am going to do it the right way. But i don't like the way how the tops do not come off.

 

I've done your fix and it helped for when water was pouring in through my headliner, but it never fixed the two pillars.

Not that it matters to me, I never take the tops out anyways. I only bought them because it looks better than a hardtop when they are on the car.

 

A-pillars or B pillars? If it's coming down those and you did the fix I outlined then it's not your T-tops leaking. My fix physically seals completely everything but the door window side of the T-top. So unless your seals themselves leak, or your T-top outer edge piece leaks (a lot of people miss that one), then the leak isn't in your T-tops.

 

There is a gap between the t-top and the rubber seals on both the A and B pillar. Water runs in these spots and then run down the trim pieces onto the carpet. I put a bunch of rubber in these spots and no more leaks.

 

Mine goes onto the seats not the carpet.

 

front or rear seats? check the A-pillar

 

Where on the seats? I had multiple issues on my car, and there are more places the water can get in besides just the seals. I had a puddle in the bucket of my driver side rear seat, and water would collect under the seat. The leak there was partially from water leaking in thru the corroded T-top channels, and also from water leaking past a degraded rear hatch seal and under the plastic interior top piece and soaking the headliner, then dripping down. A new rear hatch seal and the T-top fix took care of that problem, as well as a drain hole drilled under the rear seat to allow any water to escape. I also had a problem with the front left corner of the driver side T-top where it meets the A-pillar and door window. I added a little black 3-hr rain ready 3-hr silicone to that spot to control how the water drains off the T-top seal and direct it down the front seam of the window, instead of allowing it to come into the car.
The simple fact is the T-tops on these cars could have been designed far better, but with a little work and ingenuity a lot of the issues can be overcome. My beaten on, former trailered drag car, creaking and groaning '83 Z/28 is now leak free and proof that it can be done, and on a budget.

 

I forgot to mention to check the headliner by the windshield. After my first attempt at a fix (just sealing them with silicone and not using them) it would still leak, because water was getting in at the front of the T-top bar and leaking under it between the outer and inner sheet metal, then thru a hole for the headliner tab above the passenger sun visor and soaking the headliner, sun visor, and passenger seat. It's why I said to silicone under the T-top bar before installing it, and then sealing all around it so water can't get down under it or the seals.

 

THANK YOU, It's been awhile sense i got on here and yeah the back weatherstrip just started leaking pisses me off. I think the t-top weatherstrip is fine in the front but needs to be moved down. Also i need new door hinges door's are sagging.

 

Yeah they also sense that back part is now making a huge puddle in my seat. I'm lucky there leather but not a puddle of water. Would like dry free. and where my A pillar meets in the left front side There is a big gap with nothing there like it's missing part of sealent.

I went to the automotive store i bought some weatherstrip its alright. But i can't build up on it or put it in a cualk gun. It's really wet like water. It drips right out. What is the stuff you used for your caulk gun thanks.

 

3M weatherstrip adhesive