I have some t tops that had a thin, black hard plastic edging along 3 sides that I assume acted as a protectant for the glass. They were cracked and falling off the tops in some places so I removed them. I replaced them with door edging like what's linked below:
https://www.autozone.com/trim-dress-...00000043798784

Not a great fit and they are not staying on very well. Does anyone know of a better replacement that fits to the glass better? Or do I even need them at all? My latch receivers are adjusted down as far as they'll go so I'm afraid if I remove this edging and go with just the glass, the tops won't fit as tight and might leak or rattle. I just put new t top body seals on.

Any ideas? Thanks

 

I did a quick search and found these. You will have to check them out for yourself.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...lass-edge.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...-top-drip.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...stic-edge.html

http://www.tacreationsusa.com/t-tops_and_glass.htm

 

The first two links have to do with the drip rail on the outside, not the thin plastic trim that goes around the other sides of the glass itself. The third link does have to do with the plastic edging that I'm asking about and had seen that post, but thanks anyways.--

Interestingly enough, the link for the t top dealer lists my 82-83 tops as not having the plastic edging, whereas the 84-85 Fisher tops are shown with the molding. Mines and 82 and had the molding but I think they're the original tops.

Just wondering if anyone else has taken the molding off and been OK with not scratching the glass or having them leak afterwards. It looks like many people have tops without the trim molding as standard and are OK, so I'll probably take it off and see what happens. Thanks

 

Third gens had 2 types of T Tops 1st Design & 2nd design it appears that you have the 1st design.here's some info on them.if I were you I would shop around for some single sided thick flat Rubber weatherstripping and install it on the underside of the tops.(if I were you}

 

Thanks for the detailed reply and parts breakdown. So that purpose of that rubber weatherstripping on the underside would just be to make up for the thickness lost when I took off the existing edging? That would certainly help keep it a snug fit. I was also worried about the center bar scratching the top of the glass, but if later models didn't have the trim then I guess it's not a problem?

 

If you install new weatherstripping, you won't necessarily need the outer plastic channels anymore. I removed those channels from my 82 T-tops when I had the car painted and all new weatherstripping installed several years ago. My painter tried and failed to restore those plastic channels without removing them, but they were just too brittle and had way too many cracks in them. I stripped it off the glass and cleaned the edges. My tops seal fine without the plastic channels and haven't leaked since installed with the new weathershipping.