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new top weather strip too thick?

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 7:31 pm
by sevenmilebridge
Finally got my new top installed and looks great however when I put the weather strip on the top will not latch down. maybe there are two sizes of weather strip? top clamped down very nice without the rubber after I put it on WILL NOT LATCH. I tried to adjust latches. Very frustrating anyone else have this problem??

Re: new top weather strip too thick?

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 7:44 pm
by Solex68
If you have a high windshield car...
Do you have the spacer in place for the center latch? Also, are you verifying the center latch stub (it's the only latch with one) is going into the rectangular hole in the center latch and not in between the latch and the window frame?

Re: new top weather strip too thick?

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 8:41 pm
by sevenmilebridge
Not sure it's a high windshield spacer??

Re: new top weather strip too thick?

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 8:56 pm
by mraitch
maybe you are confusing the work on the mustang - ??

Re: new top weather strip too thick?

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 9:34 pm
by Linda
You can adjust the top at the back of the frame, if you have to.
Tops are often hard to latch if they are cold, especially a new top. i always have less trouble in the summer. Yours should stretch a bit too.
Linda

Re: new top weather strip too thick?

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 9:35 pm
by Solex68
sevenmilebridge wrote: Tue Jan 01, 2019 8:41 pm Not sure it's a high windshield spacer??
Yes, on most (maybe all) high windshield cars there is a spacer that goes in between the center latch and the window frame. The outer two latches don't have spacers. Not sure if that is your prblem but it did help my situation when I got one. You can make one. I originally did until a good friend gave me one.
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Center-Top-Frame-Latch and spacer.jpg

Re: new top weather strip too thick?

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 11:12 am
by jrusso07
To help diagnose the issue, disconnect the top from the posties and twisters on the back of the car, drop the cross bar down and then see if top latches. Once latched, connect top to twisters with cross bar down. Then push cross bar into position above rear window.

If you can’t do this, the top may be fitted to tightly or it needs to stretch a bit. Use the cross bar to try to stretch it incrementally.

I installed a new top and it is very tight, especially in the cold. This technique works well for me