Still would like to see some pictures.....

 

Wow! Must be summer time with all of these posts about glass coming out of the tops!
Found out that my glass was separating also. So far I have...

• Moved my PRETTY 65 Chevelle SS out of the garage (sorry Baby) so I can put the Roadster in.
• Bought a car cover so I can cover the car while it is outside at work.
• Repaired the top with 3M Window-Weld (08609). So far so good!

We are in our monsoon season now so I will probably drive other cars until I am sure I will not get caught in the rain.

 

7-2-09
I will try to get pics of the new convertible top posted as soon as possible.
scubaman

 

I was wondering if something besides our intense FL heat could be the culprit. Does everyone drive with their top up & windows down? I have a lot of friends with roadsters here & every single one that has rear window issues does that. I don't roll my windows down with the top up, but if I have to roll the window down I notice a LOT of rear window vibration. Could this be an issue across the board? My parents always told me not to drive top up - windows down in a roadster for this reason & I trusted them because they know cars. Is this a wives tale or maybe something???

 

I'm going to go ahead and agree with Kim......I think it's something besides the sun and heat that's causing the problem.

The reason I say this is there's photo evidence that Karmann did extensive climate testing on the operation and structure of our convertible tops. A member from a long time back (REDCROSS) had Karmann send him a bunch of pictures which he promptly put up on Flickr, and linked to the forum.

Karmann Factory - a set on Flickr







Granted....this is just cold weather testing, but 2 things to keep in mind. 1. It's standard operation for auto manufacturers to test cars in both extremes (hot and cold) to a degree that they think the car will never see, (Behr has a testing facility that goes from -22f to over 120f in a couple hours just a few miles from here. Very impressive to see!). 2. The lack of a "hot" photo is nothing to be speculating on....you can see ice on the car, it's hard to show "heat" in a picture. These are press photo's after all, and are just meant to promote what they can do.

 

It's the moisture...if you're in AZ where it's hotter than hell, you still have dry air. The only way the adhesive will fail is if it cracks. However in FL, we have near the same temperatures (our heat index has been over 100 the last couple weeks) but also high levels of humidity. That humidity might make the adhesive "gummy" which coupled ith the weight of the glass and the stress points around the corners of the glass when the top is down, could lead to the failures

granted this is all speculation but my $.02

 

Used the 3 M adhesive last Feb. and so far it is holding. Have not put the top down since the repair so I don't know what to expect when I Do. Was out in the rain today - will check tomorrow. Ken

 

Primary cause? Top up, windows down. It's called "Cowl Shake" and I learned about this with the C4 Vette. With the Targa top removed and windows up, a resonant or vibrating air pressure would shake the interior to pieces.

I noticed this with the XF right away and will NOT drive even secondary roads with the windows down unless the top is down also.

Having said that, having a heavy glass window simply glued to the top is not the best idea either.

 

7-6-09
here are the crossfire convertible top pics

 

A really nice looking top, thanks for the pics. Were they able to reused you original back window?

 

Wow, the tan color was a great choice, it looks great on your car. Now you have a one of a kind Crossfire, get out there and drive, drive, drive.

 

7-7-09

At this point I am completely pleased with my new top and the color gives the car a "lightness" that the black top did not. Driving in the Florida monsoon there were no leaks and the ragg top treatment sheds water like a duck.
The original rear window was used in the new top but each new top is made for the car so there is no pattern. Typical turn-around time is 2-3 days. Colors can be black, tan, and midnight blue.
The name of the shop is Classic Auto Interiors in Tampa and the person to talk to is Tom. 800-473-4567
I have no connection to this business...I selected them after some research and some phone calls and a visit to the shop to see their work.
scubaman

 

What are folks using (top treatment)?
Guess I gotta get some now that I have the roadster.

 

I use Raggtopp.

 

I use 303 High Tech Fabric Guard and it works great. I have also used Raggtopp on my cars in the past and believe the two products are very much alike, I am using 303 because I can buy it in a store near my house. I hope this helps.


303: 303 Products: High Tech Fabric Guard

Raggtopp: The Haartz Corporation - Cloth Top Cleaning Guide

 

Thanks for posting the pictures. LOOKS GREAT!!!

 

Nice work on the top...definitely doing this instead of trying to adhese it back on, wonder if I can get dark gray for a fabric

 

Looks great and I bet you have the only crossfire with a tan top.

 

Ordered some.
Thanks!

 

Hi Scubaman, the "pocket" they installed, was its main function to capture and support the glass? Or, to provide a way that the adhesive would surround the glass, inside and out? I'm just across the bay in Gulfport and opened the trunk yesterday and found it soaking wet. Further inspection revealed the back glass totally separated across the bottom edge. I sealed it with black windshield cement before I came across this forum this afternoon. I guess a top replacement is in the near future.........Art