anyone seen this b4? Glass has completely separated from the top .... and the top does not look 'abused' at all



as an R-59 owner, this worries me

clearly from the picture this is a 59

but regular rag top owners should be concerned as well . . . .

 

Wow, that's a new one!
Does it look like the window is glued to the fabric, or bonded?
Is this your car?

 

This reminds me . . . I need to get some good sun shield protection for hot summer days when the car seats outside for extended period of time.
I want to get a full coverage, meaning windshield, rear windows, and side windows. It can get really toasty in there...

I've own my other car for 13 years, bought new. It use to be in a garage all day. My office moved. The lot is in full sun. Next thing you know, my roof liner is falling apart.

So maybe it's a heat issue . . . ?

 

not my car ..... got asked about the problem by another 59 owner here in FL via a club FB group

yet another club member said same thing happened to him .... a top shop glued it for $300 and has held for over a year ....

I'm sure heat is a factor but wondering just how common it is and if unique to 59 or if regular rags have the problem too ....

 

3M makes a product called Window Weld, which from what I understand is for the repair of such a problem. Read up on how to prep an area for use (which may require other 3M products) as rarely are these professional grade sealers simple one step fixes. Hope this helps.

 

I am in New Orleans and just did the the repair myself. About $90.00. Window Weld, Primer, Clamps, tape, gloves.

First look at all the repair videos on YouTube.

Figure it will take a weekend.

I pulled the car in the garage and used the top of the garage door to connect bungies to pull up on the clamps to put tension on the top.

Good Luck

Delivered Jun 18, 2018

 

NolaSafari,
Glad to hear. Can you please tell us how the sealer is applied and if there were any tricky parts of the repair ....like sealer expansion? Àlso do you have any other tips for the next guy? Thanks!

 

This is a common issue with soft tops and some fabrics are worse than others. I saw that many times when living in Vegas mostly on roadsters like the Miata.

The problem is not the heat but the UV index being worse in some places. The only way to fix properly is removing the top.

 

I pulled up the data on Window Weld by 3m

while this might work as it is a strong adhesive, it is the stuff used to bond window glass to metal body parts .... not specifically for repairing glass to cloth/vinyl tops ....

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1...hane-08609.pdf

********************

I hope I never have to go here .....

I've seen videos of folks trying everything from super glues (Rhino is popular) to "Goop"

IF I have to go here I'll either either try a top shop ... or "SuperFlex Glue"

or maybe Gorilla glue ... which is a foaming glue which has advantages on cloth and porous materials

I had to re-glue the top bow on my Miata top and used Gorilla glue ... it held for years (until the top needed to be replaced)

 

Basically it is all tricky. You have to mask, clean so on. The sealer is not like Gorilla Glue it dose not expand, it will squeeze out. You have to mask along the edge letting it squeeze on to the tape. It is relative easy to cut with a razor to remove excess. I am not a fan of Gorilla Glue for wood working are much of anything else, the expansion is to much of a mess to deal with or control, but that is just my working style. I do think the Branding is great. Review all the repairs shown on YouTube and pick your poison. I did pull the car in to my garage, I did rig a bar to attach bungie cords to pull up on the window clamps.

As far as Window Weld I believe it is the same product that is used to install your windshield on your car and seemed to be close to the adhesive I removed. I have used it on my Sailboat to reseal a large cabin window and it has held up well. If you know anything about Sailboats they flex a bit. The primer helps with the UV issue. I believe ours failed due to heat and age more than UV. We had a car cover which held heat. If you are really concerned I am sure a call to 3M would provided much better guidance than I can provide.

Removing the top would more than likely give you a better fix, but I wasn't willing to go there, I think you can affect a good fix with the top on the car. My wife did work the inside of the window I worked the outside.

I see some great suggestions made by other posters, you should consider those options then decide what works for you, you have to live with it.

I do believe that 3m also sells a solvent for Window Weld, I did not buy any but would if I had it to do again. The window did clean up well with alcohol.

Good Luck

 

How much is a whole new top, window included, installed? Don't convertibles need a new one overy 5-10 years depending on wear and tear?

 

interesting question ..... altho I wonder why you ask if you have a coupe ......

I'm a long time ragtop owner so this got me wondering ..... a few points to ponder:

I had a Miata for 12 years and when I sold it the top was still in decent shape ... the plastic rear window was beginning to discolor. I know the guy who bought the car and he got several more years out of the top. I did garage the car AND had the optional hardtop so when I lived in the frigid north the soft top was usually safely stowed for the winter. On the other hand half the time I owned the car it was in Florida so it got sun cooked plenty .... for the record Miata top was vinyl while the MINI is cloth.

if you look at manufacturers of 'aftermarket' tops, the cost of a MINI top is up there ...... not quite to the Ferrari range, but getting there! JUST the top will run upwards of $700 before install (this includes the window)

folks who do offer tops for MINI typically have warning about installation difficulty and mention 10 hour time estimates ....

I've not found a top maker who HAS a replacement top for the roadster ..... not listed on their websites anyway ..... I'm afraid this is gonna be another 'gotcha' of a limited production model. We MAY be locked into the dealer for top replacement ......

dealer has replaced mine under warranty (already) but the paperwork just says n/c ...... I have the job code isf anyone has the secret decoder ring ....