i thought some of you might find this interesting. i have a 91 z-28 convertible and was toolin down the interstate and nearly 100 when the rear window started making a little wind noise. i still had another hour to drive before i got to my destination. by the time i reached where i was going, most of my window has disintegrated and there were only shards left of the old fogged up plastic.

i didnt know who to contact so i called my local upholstery shop and he said he wouldnt be able to squeeze me in for another 3 months!! needless to say this wasnt going to work. BUT he told me if id bring him a new window he would show me a trick he learned on his own car. so i called my local awning manufacturer and , what do ya know, they have a slightly thinner window material thats already got a light tint in stock that is very durable and ALOT easier to see thru than the factory stuff was. so i bought a piece of it large enough for 2 rear glasses, in case i messed it up, to the tune of about 5 dollars and went back to the upholstery shop. with an xacto knife i carefully trimmed the old window up close to the threads to get a clean working surface and he tossed me some 3-m VHB (red) tape.i pulled the tape along the remaining edge of the old window and let it sit over night inside the garage to ensure a positive adhesion and cut the new material to the approximate shape.

next i stretched the top tight using duct tape on the outside of the car. also i had to apply duct tape to the inside of the strips of duct tape that were on the car so the tape didnt stick to the new rear glass. then just carefully remove the red backing on the VHB and apply the new glass. it helps to have 2 people so one can apply pressure from the inside while the other person does the same from the outside. again , let it sit overnite to assure the maximum adhesion and , ooila!!

saved me over 500 bux for a new top and its been in my car for over 2 years with this setup. its never leaked and doesnt get the stress marks that the factory glass did when folding.

"update" i finally had to install another glass the same way when i locked my keys in my car and had to man-handle the back glass to get in. the taped-in glass was going on 3 years with no problems. my new one is almost at the 2 year mark again with not a hint of moisture around the inside.

although a long post, hopefully it'll save the day for someone else out there in f-body land as it did me. one of these days im actually gonna get the window sewn in, but heck, why fix it if it aint broke.

 

Can you post a pic of what it looks like?

Also, I may be missing something, but is the 3M Tape a Double Sided Tape that you taped on the inside of the top? Also, what was the deal with the duct tape? Are you saying that the top became loose when the window blew out?

It's early in the morning and I must be a little slow, so maybe I'm just having problems visualizing your description.

Sounds like you found a great work around to the fogged window issue.....

 

you are correct, o forgot to mention that the 3m VHB tape is double sided. and yes the top loses alot of its strength when you remove the rear glass and starts sagging in the middle. the duct tape just holds it in the original position while you're applying the new window. ill get pics up as soon as i remember to take them. ive only had one minor problem since installing this window...the material is thinner so wrinkles show up a little more, but if you get the top stretched right, they are very very small and almost unnoticeable.

 

mcfly89,

T H A N K Y O U!

That was a great post for vert owners with the blown out window problem. I replaced my top about 18months ago - not because it was torn or worn but b/c the back window had blown out... Everyone in the business that I talked to told me that there was no way to repair the window without removing the top and of course if you have gone that far you really should just replace the top...

I could have saved a small boatload of money had I known about this... I will know next time though!

THANKS!
Speedy