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How can I fix my
leaking (rain and wind) T-top?
What's the best way to
protect the weather stripping and T-top seals?
What's the
best way to apply new decals/stickers to the paint?
How can
I properly reattach the emblem that fell off my car?
What's
the best car wash/wax for my car?
Should I use a car
bra?
What's steps are necessary prior to prolonged storage
of my car?
How can I fix my sagging door which hits the
post when I close it?
How can I fix my
leaking (rain and wind) T-top?
You
can adjust the T-tops in all directions: up/down,
in/out and front/back. Once you remove the two
screws that hold the A and/or C pillar cover,
you'll see two bolts holding the T-roof bracket.
Loosen these to adjust for front and back. To
adjust up/down or side-to-side, remove the plastic
bushing and use a 3/8" x 8" extension to
bend the bracket the way you need it to go.
There
is also a spray powder available that you spray on
the seals. Then put the top back in and take it
back out. You can see where contact is being made
on the seals. When the top is in, you can see where
things are going wrong. Any decent body shop should
have this powder available.
Otherwise
the t-top seals probably need to be replaced (the
kit is part # 10164133). The key difference between
the retro kit and the OEM method is a
"secondary seal". The factory did not use
a second seal in the original installation. The OEM
seals were installed using just an adhesive. The
retrofit calls for both adhesive and strip caulk;
the caulk is the secondary seal. So replacement of
the rubber seals might not be necessary, only
replacement of the adhesive and installation of
'strip caulk' in the seal retainer's outer lip
might be required. The adhesive is 3M part # 08011
or 08001 ($5), the strip caulk is part # 8578
($7.50). The adhesive comes in two viscosities,
8001 being thinner. To remove the old adhesive, use
3M's general purpose adhesive remover. It's about
$10 a quart. The remover works best if allowed to
soak, and if the goo is perturbed by a screwdriver
blade it will gel up quicker for scraping away. A
rag soaked with it and rubbed hard will take it off
slowly. Try blowing off the residue with compressed
air. The remover does not damage paint and won't
eat the rubber. The strip caulk is pretty sticky.
It is much softer than dum-dum putty and will
accept a soft rubber seal and conform. This is the
key to sealing; the adhesive just can't because of
voids and the channels that retain the seals are
not a tight fit at the sealing edges of the rubber.
Handling of the caulk is tricky. Keep a glass of
water at hand to dampen your fingers.
Install
the secondary seal caulk in the outer edges of the
seal retainers. Next, apply the adhesive to the
inner and outer edges as primer coat, and then the
seals get a coat just before installation.
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What's the best way
to protect the weather stripping and T-top seals?
The
best way to keep the rubber weather stripping in
good condition is to use a silicone spray (or gel
in a tube). Open the doors, hatch/trunk, and
t-tops, and let the car sit in the sun for a little
while. The heat will expand the rubber and make it
more porous allowing it to absorb more. It's also
best to clean the rubber with soap and water before
beginning. Any dirt will prevent absorption and can
cause cracking. Spray (or squeeze) a liberal amount
of silicone on a clean rag and rub it into all
pieces of the weather stripping. Put on a second
coat if it looks like the first is being absorbed
quickly. Then leave the doors, hatch/trunk, and
t-tops open for a while, allowing the silicone to
be completely absorbed. You should do this at least
once a year, if not twice.
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What's the best way to
apply new decals/stickers to the paint?
These
things are next to impossible to apply correctly
when dry and sticky. The easiest way to apply these
sort of emblems is to apply them wet. Get a bucket
of water and add a few drops of a dish detergent to
the water. Either dip the applique in the water or
thoroughly wet the sticky side using a spray
bottle, also spray and wet the area you are
applying the applique to on the car. The emblem
will feel as if all the stickiness is gone. Put it
on the car and position it as you want while wet.
When satisfied with the positioning squeegee with a
credit card or whatever to smooth it and remove the
bubbles. Carefully wipe it dry and you're done. The
stickiness returns when the water/detergent is
gone.
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How can I properly
reattach the emblem that fell off my car?
Get
a roll of 3M Scotch Mount Double Coated Acrylic
Foam Tape (Gray) - OEM approved. It's also sold as
3M Emblem and Body Molding tape. A 3' x 1/2"
roll costs about $4. You can recognize the stuff by
the red film which separates the layers of tape.
It's the same material used by GM on your emblem,
except that it comes in rolls and is not die-cut to
shape. This is not a problem. You'll also need a
sharp X-acto knife or razor blade and some alcohol
or adhesive solvent. Clean all of the old tape off
the emblem and paint. Use solvent or alcohol to get
it completely clean. Then apply the tape to the
emblem in strips, leaving the red film on at this
point. Cover it completely. Rub it a bit to set the
tape. Then flip it over and use the x-acto knife to
trim the tape around the edges and openings.
Neatness counts here. A new blade helps a lot. The
tape is very sticky so you have to place the emblem
precisely. If you have a good eye, you can just
stick it to the car. You can try to align it to the
residual "shadow" that usually shows on
the paint. Try applying two strips of artists tape
(masking tape will also work) to the face of the
emblem leaving about 6" hanging upward. Then
hang the emblem on the fender. Take a few steps
back to make sure it's properly positioned.
Finally, flip the emblem up (leaving the artists
tape in place), peel the red film, and set the
emblem back in its final resting place. Remove the
artist's tape and apply pressure to emblem to set
it nice and tight. That it.
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What's the best car
wash/wax for my car?
This
is a matter of individual taste and preference.
However, in general, the following guidelines are
considered basic:
-
Never
use a product with abrasives/and or detergents
on a clear- coated car, especially one that is
new.
-
Always
use soft 100 percent cotton terry cloth (or
fuzzy gold mitts) for applying soaps and
waxes.
-
An
orbital buffer is useless
-
A
rotary buffer can achieve results that hand
waxing never could, however it is a skill that
must be mastered as incorrect use can also
damage the paint/clear coat.
-
Never
wash/wax a car in direct sunlight.
-
Love
elbow grease
The
following products have received good reviews (in order of
popularity):
The
following results came from a recent Consumer Reports
evaluation:
Better 5 ------ 1 Worse
SCORE PRODUCT TYPE GLOSS DURA EASE CLEAN PRICE
81 Meguiar's Cleaner Wax
Liquid A-1216 L 5 3 5 4 $5.38
80 Nu Finish Soft Paste
NFP-80 P 3 5 4 5 5.97
74 Turtle Wax Carnauba
Soft T225 P 4 4 4 4 4.99
71 Nu Finish Liquid
NF-76 L 3 4 5 4 5.27
GLOSS
refers to the shine, DURA is durability, EASE refers to the
ease of application, and CLEAN is the extent of cleaning
results. So Meguiar's Liquid seems to give the best shine
while Nu Finish Liquid seems to last the longest.
The
article also mentioned that the following products
left light swirls and/or a haze:
-
Blue
Coral Blue Poly Sealant BP25
-
TR3
Resin Glaze 12A
-
Total
Image AS910
-
Simoniz
Super Blue Soft AS902B
-
Turtle
Wax Super Hard Shell T222
-
Mothers
California Gold Carnauba 05500
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Should I use a car
bra?
While
a bra can protect the front end paint, it can be
equally harmful. If you leave it on for too long
(days on end) in the sun, then the paint under the
bra won't fade evenly with the uncovered paint.
Then when you finally remove the bra, the front end
won't match the rest of the car. Also if you leave
it on in the rain a lot, dirt can get trapped
underneath and scratch the paint. So you should
keep the bra clean by washing both side with soap
and water. Also - make sure the bra fits tightly.
If it's loose, there's chance rocks will get caught
under it and scratch as the bra moves around. Just
use them wisely and moderately and you shouldn't
have a problem.
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What's steps are
necessary prior to prolonged storage?
This
is from the VetteNet on car storage:
-
Clean
the car inside and out and put a good coat of
wax on.
-
Change
the oil and filter and run the car for at
least 5 minutes to circulate the new oil.
-
Flush
the radiator and add new fluid.
-
Flush
the brake system and add new fluid.
-
Change
the rear axle fluid.
-
Change
the transmission fluid and filter.
-
Replace
the fuel filter.
-
Fill
the fuel tank and add a gas stabilizer. No
fuel injection cleaner.
-
Long
term remove the good tires and wheels and put
on a set of crappy tires and wheels. Short
term over inflate the tires by 10 or 15 lbs to
cut down on flat spotting. You can also put
the car on jack stands but this tends to put
the car in an unnatural state and undue
stress.
-
Put
moisture absorbing packets in the car.
-
Stuff
rags in the tail pipes to keep rodents out.
-
Remove
battery and charge it once a month.
-
Store
your car on wood. Wood absorbs moisture,
cement floors are like a sponge. You should
lay plywood down on cement and park your car
on top of the plywood.
-
Put
a cover over the car. The type depends on
where you store the car, inside or outside.
-
Do
not start your car over the winter. If you do
you should drive it around for at least a 1/2
hour.
-
Pull
the spark plugs and squirt a little oil down
the cylinders.
-
Tape
a piece of paper to the steering wheel to
remind you in the spring anything that you
need to do first before starting the car for
the first time like pulling the rags out of
your tail pipes.
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How can I fix my
sagging door which hits the post when I close it?
GM
uses brass or bronze bushings in the construction
of their door hinges. Over time these bushings wear
and the cause the door to drop. This wear can be
accelerated if the car has power windows/locks and
if the car is a two door because of the increased
load placed on the hinge from the added weight. The
solution is to get the replacement bushings and
replace them. It's not that hard to replace them
but it does require some patience. Open the door
and place a jack under the end of the door. Lift up
on it and remove the hinges one at a time and
replace the bushings. It takes some patience
because of the limited work space in the hinge
area, but it can be done, and it makes a world of
difference.
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