Lmao that was my mother...i picked her up from the bar at 2am and halfway home she said "i want this off. Its nice out" while pulling the handle. At 65 mph. Yeah she did pay me for a replacement, and shes no longer with us, but i laugh when i think about that. Still have the car too, a 92 maui blue firebird formula. Edit, this was supposed to be a reply to another's comment lol
Nice work, I’m still running original ttop seals on my 85 Iroc. They leak slightly in one area only when I wash the car. But when I drive in the rain (rarely) I don’t notice any leaks. I’ll leave them alone for now. Btw, on my Lt L86 in my 67 c10 I had a slow sluggish crank as well and occasional long crank no start issues. Turns out the battery was 10 years old. I replaced it with a new yellow top Optima 750 CCA and she now turns over very quickly and I’ve had ZERO long crank no starts since replacing it in December. Keep those 3rd gen videos coming!
Man you definitely want safety glasses with those wire wheels! I used to use those at my old job to clean up some auto parts and those wires always fly off.
It makes me glad to see you have the seals so well in hand Matt! Gives me hope for mine. Thank you so much for the in depth instruction, you're a Goddessend mate.
Nice job on the T-Tops! I have not found a good video on doing the weather strips until you did this one! I replaced my weather stripping but did not do the heavy sealing along the back of the bar and it is leaking during heavy rain from the rear bar and down through the screw holes and on to the rear seat. So I’ll use your video to help seal that area better. I still have small drops on the drivers t-top where the weather strips meet at the A-pillar and also at the B-pillar. Seems that depending on how I put the tops on determines the leak. If anyone has advice on what to do there, I’m all ears. Great job Lsxmatt.
Did you seal up behind the weatherstripping with sealant at the a and b pillars? If not it will come in under that area by that void. Depending on how you position the t top could stop the leak intermittently if it squishes the seal against the body just right.
@@lsxmatt No, that is another thing you pointed out in the video. I was assuming that the seal glued at the bottom only would be enough not behind. So that will be the next thing.
Thanks for the reply. I found the Hawks version. It's double in price of Classic Industries and looks to be the exact same deal. I'm going to order one despite the price difference and hope that the fit and finish is spot on. Thanks for the videos and the links below. You were a big help there. Keep doing your thing. Thanks!
The 90-92 cars came with a extra seal on the lower inter part or the door panel you should have gotten a set for the front doors and helps a lot with water dirt and noise
Cut the top 2 corners off your old weather stripping and use them as a mold. Leave them in until adhesive sets up. Lightly oil the old corners so the adhesive does not stick to them when removing. You can do this with any bend using the old weather stripping. Make sure area is clean. A good idea is to warm up the area before loading cavities with adhesive to help the initial flow. Also use a piece of vacuum hose to use on the end of adhesive tube so you can pump filler in deeper.
The T-Tops lock to prevent them from being opened while driving. The handle is located where most cars "oh crap" handle is, and more than one have gone for a flight because a passenger grabbed the handle. The back corner of the window is probably best solved by shimming the back side of the seal vs putting adhesive on the seal face. I stuffed Styrofoam under my factory seals in spots no help them meet up. You can also move the felt guides along with the other adjustments to help push the glass to the body, closing that gap. My 89 has factory seals still no rust that you can see peaking under them. The only time they leak is if you hit them from the side with a pressure washer. One note on the outer beltline window sweeps factory used hex head screws on those, replace them with button head screws or your glass top edge will eventually chip on the screw. My driver side has a chip on the top due to this (it's been there for 24 years)
Excellent work as usual. I wound up going through this twice (first set of seals were subpar) and followed most of the same steps you did, just not as well executed as in this video. My only small leak is the drivers door halfway down the A pillar, but may adjust the window as you did. Love this series as well as your others.
That 3M window weld is some bad ass stuff. I use to use it a lot when tabs would come off of the bottom of the window where it bolts to the window regulator.
I don’t own or plan to own one of these cars, but this was still a great video to watch on weather stripping in general, since this is worst case scenario. Great videos man, keep up the projects!
I did them on my 85 t/an and I must have been lucky since mine didn’t leak.I wasn’t a huge fan of the kit I got but was a complete kit for the t-tops and hatch.
goddamn man that car is gonna look so good once the paint and interior are finished a 3rd gen firebird with a bigger engine slapped in is just like the perfect car
Great work Matt! I did this job on my TA this past summer and it was quite the chore! Hope I never have to do it again. It definitely took longer than expected. When doing door seals, get the soft seal ones. They usually have blue weather strip holder pins. The other ones out there are extremely tough and makes the door very hard to close.
My ex had a Purple Haze Metallic w/ stipes '92 Camaro RS with the monster 305 TBI that we'd cruise on Hylan back in '93. Any time it rained or we washed the car, she had to jam napkins in the front corners of the t-tops. Such a shit show. Lol Nice job, dude.
T Top theft was a thing. My dad’s 86 Trans Am just after he bought it new, TTops were stolen when the windows were down in the driveway. Found them in the neighborhood, some kid tried to put them on his car that had t tops and they did not fit, where sticking out from the car.
Back in the 80s t tops getting stolen was a huge thing. Here on Long Island my father had his t tops stolen twice on his 81 z28 so GM put those locks on the later models
Kinda funny seeing people fight with model specific weatherstripping. For my car there's zero aftermarket or repop stuff, so I've got shortened mustang stuff for door seals, reversed F150 window run channels in the front doors, modified Dodge Coronet run channels in the rear doors, trunk seal from the home improvement aisle and random universal stuff for beltline weatherstrip.
You may already know this but there is two kinds of rainx window cleaner and rain repellent, the cleaner is junk always get repellent. Nice work on the t tops
Some people use silicone to rejuvenate rubbery seals. Sometimes that seems to work. Occasionally, we have seen some rubbery parts decompose a few years after application. Maybe modern rubbery items are different.
gm actually sells a seal conditioner. small bottle, they call for it on the c6 targa tops. there's some videos on it. you put it on thick, let it soak in and then wipe it down.
My t-top leaked right off the lot when I bought my '88 IROC new. The dealer tried to fix it. No luck. I don't drive it much in the rain, but I do wash it often and water would get in. I got the T-top adjustment handbook. Doing everything they recommended didn't help. Then about 12 years ago, my wife and a buddy of mine "stole" my car to get it repainted. I purchased new seals and I was really thorough with cleaning, prepping, and installing. My tops continue to leak to this day--perhaps not as badly, but leak nonetheless.
Holy fuck~!!!! talk about a process and then some for mere T top seals!!!! Way more then I expected, so I'm genuinely surprised! Looks worth it in the end tho! Came out Very Nice! & the passenger door! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA cracked me up
I've found companies that sell new reproduction t-top seals for 3rd gens. I cant find any for my 4th gen Comp T/A EDIT: I retract my previous statement. Just some some for 4th gens at a premium. $550.00
@@Adrian-mq5ld Must be..lol...Still cheaper then the new old stock Comp T/A racing stripe I found for sale on E-Bay...Seller wanted like $700.00 for a 27 yo decal. I can have a reproduction made locally for around $250.00 and it'll be new!
I'm watching this video with 10.5k sitting in my lap. I'm supposed to be picking up either an SS Trailblazer or 80s ttop monte tomorrow, and now I'm scared. I don't want project car issues 😂
Great vid, love the 3rd gen content! My original seals in my 87 are still holding (so far) but the drip edge rubber on the tops are getting caught closing the door... does anyone sell just those pcs?
Here are some www.ebay.com/itm/331328601639?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=LRMjuD6oRLe&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=ypSWFaEfQEi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Be advised fairchilds door hull seals are way oversized expect not to be able to close your doors without slamming them I have tried 2 different sets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1985 t/a with Ttops
I’m only 28 minutes in as I’m typing this, but I wonder if door seals from Home Depot could work? I put some in my Ram for the rear brake light leaking and it freaking worked. Wonder if you add a strip of that down too to help make a barrier?
My ex had an '86 Berlinetta Camaro with T-tops. That thing was the noisest POS I've ever ridden in. When we got her new truck I MADE the dealer take it. I told them I was leaving with once vehicle, it could be ours or theirs. I hated that car. lol
I just bought a new t-top bar for my 91 gta. I bought the t-top bar from Classic Industries, and the fitment is WAY OFF. I didn't catch if you said where you purchased yours. I need a new one that fits terribly bad. Hopefully, you'll see this and let me know. Thanks!
The butyl is under the t top bar and at the front and back as well as the voids by the window transition and windshield corner. The weatherstripping glue went under the rubber seals, and the seam sealer went along the outside edges over the outside weatherstripping channel.
Mine had a pin hole in the back of the crossbar so i never knew it leaked till my driver speaker stoped working i caugt it before it ate too big a hole in the bottom of the sail panle
After I fixed my T-top seals I found out my new windshield has a leak at the front upper corner and the water drips out of the A-pillar so I have to replace it again
Dilemma? I have a 1985 Trans Am that has been sitting in my yard for over 20yrs . It has T-tops as well, I can only imagine how bad of shape mines in. This looks like a very complicated process. I also have a 1991Z 28 hardtop that’s been sitting for about 15 years in my yard. I like both cars a lot, but can’t decide on which one to restore the Trans Am was my first car T-top but after watching this video, it makes me think maybe the Camaro would be better to restore, and it also has less rust in the car T-top cars are wonderful when they don’t leak but what I’ve learned about these 3rd Gen F bodies is that the T-topped cars are structurally weaker and can’t accommodate a very powerful engine without twisting the body all up
Also if you had to pay someone to do this I couldn’t even begin to guess what the cost would be and that’s if you could find someone skilled enough to do it
Lmao that was my mother...i picked her up from the bar at 2am and halfway home she said "i want this off. Its nice out" while pulling the handle. At 65 mph. Yeah she did pay me for a replacement, and shes no longer with us, but i laugh when i think about that. Still have the car too, a 92 maui blue firebird formula. Edit, this was supposed to be a reply to another's comment lol
"Another Trans Am Video" Music to my ears!
God I love Trans Am Content.
You're really churning out videos! Love the progress!
Love these 3rd Gen F-body videos!
Heck, I like all your videos.
Nice work, I’m still running original ttop seals on my 85 Iroc. They leak slightly in one area only when I wash the car. But when I drive in the rain (rarely) I don’t notice any leaks. I’ll leave them alone for now. Btw, on my Lt L86 in my 67 c10 I had a slow sluggish crank as well and occasional long crank no start issues. Turns out the battery was 10 years old. I replaced it with a new yellow top Optima 750 CCA and she now turns over very quickly and I’ve had ZERO long crank no starts since replacing it in December. Keep those 3rd gen videos coming!
It’s amazing the progress you have made on this car since you first bought it. It’s going to be awesome when it’s done
Great job! I felt like a student in class and now I have a bunch of notes on how to fix and repair my t-tops on my 82 Z28.
We used the Kryon on the Astra roof rails several years ago. Holding up great. We waxed it once.
I absolutely love the synth wave sound track.
Escalade next week that's what I love to hear.
Sorry to let you down but it looks like the weather isn’t going to cooperate. The Escalade’s return might be another week out.
@@lsxmattno need to apologize not everyone got a million dollar shop, I understand the struggle of being at the mercy of nature
Man you definitely want safety glasses with those wire wheels! I used to use those at my old job to clean up some auto parts and those wires always fly off.
It makes me glad to see you have the seals so well in hand Matt! Gives me hope for mine. Thank you so much for the in depth instruction, you're a Goddessend mate.
Yeah i stripped all my false torxs on my Camaro panels my first time removing them . 😅 Great video as always!
Yesssss!!! I’m getting ready to do this too on my channel!
Nice job on the T-Tops! I have not found a good video on doing the weather strips until you did this one! I replaced my weather stripping but did not do the heavy sealing along the back of the bar and it is leaking during heavy rain from the rear bar and down through the screw holes and on to the rear seat. So I’ll use your video to help seal that area better. I still have small drops on the drivers t-top where the weather strips meet at the A-pillar and also at the B-pillar. Seems that depending on how I put the tops on determines the leak. If anyone has advice on what to do there, I’m all ears. Great job Lsxmatt.
Did you seal up behind the weatherstripping with sealant at the a and b pillars? If not it will come in under that area by that void. Depending on how you position the t top could stop the leak intermittently if it squishes the seal against the body just right.
@@lsxmatt No, that is another thing you pointed out in the video. I was assuming that the seal glued at the bottom only would be enough not behind. So that will be the next thing.
@@shawnchadwick4943 cool that should take care of it!
Great alignment of all those parts and gaskets. Looks ace.
Thanks for the reply. I found the Hawks version. It's double in price of Classic Industries and looks to be the exact same deal. I'm going to order one despite the price difference and hope that the fit and finish is spot on. Thanks for the videos and the links below. You were a big help there. Keep doing your thing. Thanks!
The 90-92 cars came with a extra seal on the lower inter part or the door panel you should have gotten a set for the front doors and helps a lot with water dirt and noise
I'm so thankful you did this video. I'm about to do this myself within the next month. Thanks so much.
Get some subframe connectors and show us how you put them on
Dude!!! Great video!!! 92-94 worked at Chevy dealership. The leak and squeak guy hated!!! T-tops under warranty!!! ✌️
Cut the top 2 corners off your old weather stripping and use them as a mold. Leave them in until adhesive sets up. Lightly oil the old corners so the adhesive does not stick to them when removing. You can do this with any bend using the old weather stripping. Make sure area is clean. A good idea is to warm up the area before loading cavities with adhesive to help the initial flow. Also use a piece of vacuum hose to use on the end of adhesive tube so you can pump filler in deeper.
I did my t-tops about 2 years ago. It was interesting to revisit this watching your video.
Badass man. Been on the grind lately. Awesome sauce!
another great video from matt! thanks for the tips
Definitely enjoy the much longer videos! Keep em coming
The T-Tops lock to prevent them from being opened while driving. The handle is located where most cars "oh crap" handle is, and more than one have gone for a flight because a passenger grabbed the handle.
The back corner of the window is probably best solved by shimming the back side of the seal vs putting adhesive on the seal face. I stuffed Styrofoam under my factory seals in spots no help them meet up. You can also move the felt guides along with the other adjustments to help push the glass to the body, closing that gap.
My 89 has factory seals still no rust that you can see peaking under them. The only time they leak is if you hit them from the side with a pressure washer.
One note on the outer beltline window sweeps factory used hex head screws on those, replace them with button head screws or your glass top edge will eventually chip on the screw. My driver side has a chip on the top due to this (it's been there for 24 years)
Excellent work as usual. I wound up going through this twice (first set of seals were subpar) and followed most of the same steps you did, just not as well executed as in this video. My only small leak is the drivers door halfway down the A pillar, but may adjust the window as you did. Love this series as well as your others.
That 3M window weld is some bad ass stuff. I use to use it a lot when tabs would come off of the bottom of the window where it bolts to the window regulator.
I don’t own or plan to own one of these cars, but this was still a great video to watch on weather stripping in general, since this is worst case scenario.
Great videos man, keep up the projects!
Appreciate the all the tips, wow.
Great video, Matt! Nice work on the T-Tops. And, I leaned a lot about door adjustment. Thanks as always and can't wait for the next video!
I did them on my 85 t/an and I must have been lucky since mine didn’t leak.I wasn’t a huge fan of the kit I got but was a complete kit for the t-tops and hatch.
goddamn man that car is gonna look so good once the paint and interior are finished
a 3rd gen firebird with a bigger engine slapped in is just like the perfect car
Woo hoo! Can't wait to see what happens with the Escalade.
Great work Matt! I did this job on my TA this past summer and it was quite the chore! Hope I never have to do it again. It definitely took longer than expected. When doing door seals, get the soft seal ones. They usually have blue weather strip holder pins. The other ones out there are extremely tough and makes the door very hard to close.
Dude this video is awesome!
Thank you for a great informative video!
You got skills, Matt.
Dude thanks for doing this! I’m about to do this with my 85 Camaro and this helps so much👊🏼
F-bodies and leaky T-tops...name a more iconic duo.
Maybe F-bodies and broken 10 bolts....no wait f-bodies and 4l60 with a few to many neutrals
My ex had a Purple Haze Metallic w/ stipes '92 Camaro RS with the monster 305 TBI that we'd cruise on Hylan back in '93. Any time it rained or we washed the car, she had to jam napkins in the front corners of the t-tops. Such a shit show. Lol Nice job, dude.
T Top theft was a thing. My dad’s 86 Trans Am just after he bought it new, TTops were stolen when the windows were down in the driveway. Found them in the neighborhood, some kid tried to put them on his car that had t tops and they did not fit, where sticking out from the car.
Back in the 80s t tops getting stolen was a huge thing. Here on Long Island my father had his t tops stolen twice on his 81 z28 so GM put those locks on the later models
Actually I was wrong. I just spoke to him about it and they were stolen 5 times! The 80s were a crazy time lol
I had a 87 TA in the late 90s, there was a small puddle of water on my center console after every rain storm when the car was parked. 😆
Another great video bro now I have to replace mine on my 89 camaro
Kinda funny seeing people fight with model specific weatherstripping.
For my car there's zero aftermarket or repop stuff, so I've got shortened mustang stuff for door seals, reversed F150 window run channels in the front doors, modified Dodge Coronet run channels in the rear doors, trunk seal from the home improvement aisle and random universal stuff for beltline weatherstrip.
When I got my car, I replaced the t top drip guards. Every time I'd open and close the door with the window closed, it would get caught.
You know
It may work even Better after chasis connectors
Yes the part I think it's called the T-top end clips it goes in the back and front of the t-bar
This is just as big of a job as I feared. Donor Hardtop Car, roll cage for support during the transplant, and couple months in paint jail hear we go
You may already know this but there is two kinds of rainx window cleaner and rain repellent, the cleaner is junk always get repellent. Nice work on the t tops
Did you think of just welding in metal to replace the whole T-Top contraption? Stiffer chassis and fewer leaks (maybe).
Some people use silicone to rejuvenate rubbery seals. Sometimes that seems to work. Occasionally, we have seen some rubbery parts decompose a few years after application. Maybe modern rubbery items are different.
Gm actually recommends wiping some silicone on the seals to keep them pliable. They have that in the tsb.
@@lsxmattThat is helpful as we know the seals (likely) have been tested by GM. I would think there is a lot of testing behind the TSBs.
gm actually sells a seal conditioner. small bottle, they call for it on the c6 targa tops. there's some videos on it. you put it on thick, let it soak in and then wipe it down.
My t-top leaked right off the lot when I bought my '88 IROC new. The dealer tried to fix it. No luck. I don't drive it much in the rain, but I do wash it often and water would get in. I got the T-top adjustment handbook. Doing everything they recommended didn't help. Then about 12 years ago, my wife and a buddy of mine "stole" my car to get it repainted. I purchased new seals and I was really thorough with cleaning, prepping, and installing. My tops continue to leak to this day--perhaps not as badly, but leak nonetheless.
This is what im doing now. I hope i can do what matt did. What is the best kit to get?
@@aaronshankle5253 Soffseal is what I used--I think. I will have to check my purchase records.
Holy fuck~!!!!
talk about a process and then some for mere T top seals!!!!
Way more then I expected, so I'm genuinely surprised!
Looks worth it in the end tho!
Came out Very Nice!
& the passenger door! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
cracked me up
I've found companies that sell new reproduction t-top seals for 3rd gens. I cant find any for my 4th gen Comp T/A
EDIT: I retract my previous statement. Just some some for 4th gens at a premium. $550.00
Are they putting gold in them? If yes is there a version without gold lol
@@Adrian-mq5ld Must be..lol...Still cheaper then the new old stock Comp T/A racing stripe I found for sale on E-Bay...Seller wanted like $700.00 for a 27 yo decal. I can have a reproduction made locally for around $250.00 and it'll be new!
I'm watching this video with 10.5k sitting in my lap. I'm supposed to be picking up either an SS Trailblazer or 80s ttop monte tomorrow, and now I'm scared. I don't want project car issues 😂
Great Job !
Next level bro
The best thing you can do is make sure those seals are always taken care of vaseline or whatever it may be.
Great vid, love the 3rd gen content! My original seals in my 87 are still holding (so far) but the drip edge rubber on the tops are getting caught closing the door... does anyone sell just those pcs?
Here are some www.ebay.com/itm/331328601639?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=LRMjuD6oRLe&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=ypSWFaEfQEi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Be advised fairchilds door hull seals are way oversized expect not to be able to close your doors without slamming them I have tried 2 different sets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1985 t/a with Ttops
I’ll probably try to get softseal
Any update on Tahiti? New videos coming out on the new Escalade? Or Tahiti?
Yea after the trans am is together then I’ll be jumping back into Tahiti stuff
What type of chasis connectors are you gonna use?
I think that Detroit speed seems to be the best
I have UMI in my Camaro but I’m up to try something different in this car.
@@lsxmatt if you see the video on how the (dse) is installed (cutting and welding )
It seems to be a superior way of doing it.
I’m only 28 minutes in as I’m typing this, but I wonder if door seals from Home Depot could work? I put some in my Ram for the rear brake light leaking and it freaking worked. Wonder if you add a strip of that down too to help make a barrier?
Did you use semi-glass paint or full gloss on the tops? Mine are sun baked.
Semi gloss/satin
I actually have the same issue but with my 4th gen Firebird Trans Am
Who made the 1k mixed aerosol can for you?
My ex had an '86 Berlinetta Camaro with T-tops. That thing was the noisest POS I've ever ridden in. When we got her new truck I MADE the dealer take it. I told them I was leaving with once vehicle, it could be ours or theirs. I hated that car. lol
Great content!
That looks like torture
You doing good because i cant hear whistling...lol. and i downloaded the book to do my t's.....( over)
I just bought a new t-top bar for my 91 gta. I bought the t-top bar from Classic Industries, and the fitment is WAY OFF. I didn't catch if you said where you purchased yours. I need a new one that fits terribly bad. Hopefully, you'll see this and let me know. Thanks!
I got mine from Hawks a few years ago. Its stainless steel.
@@lsxmattglad i ordered the hawks one. What seal kit do you recommend after seeing how your install went?
Where did you put each type of sealant at?
The butyl is under the t top bar and at the front and back as well as the voids by the window transition and windshield corner. The weatherstripping glue went under the rubber seals, and the seam sealer went along the outside edges over the outside weatherstripping channel.
Number one ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Any updates on the astra? it's been a while since the last video lol
Haven’t been driving it much but I still have it. Need to do some maintenance on it so you’ll see it again eventually
You need a key on your T Top for the drunk a**hole buddy that ejects your T Top out at highway speed and sends it into pieces.... Ask me how I know.
Mine had a pin hole in the back of the crossbar so i never knew it leaked till my driver speaker stoped working i caugt it before it ate too big a hole in the bottom of the sail panle
JB weld.. seriously 😅
Omg the wall was so close to that poor front bumper
Hi my name is Paul I own a 1986 Z28 and I'm looking to LS swap it
Rain-X no worky until you hit 41 or 42 mph.
After I fixed my T-top seals I found out my new windshield has a leak at the front upper corner and the water drips out of the A-pillar so I have to replace it again
Brass and lead filler !
TTops are cool until you have to deal with shit like this.
First one😅
Dilemma? I have a 1985 Trans Am that has been sitting in my yard for over 20yrs . It has T-tops as well, I can only imagine how bad of shape mines in. This looks like a very complicated process.
I also have a 1991Z 28 hardtop that’s been sitting for about 15 years in my yard. I like both cars a lot, but can’t decide on which one to restore the Trans Am was my first car T-top but after watching this video, it makes me think maybe the Camaro would be better to restore, and it also has less rust in the car
T-top cars are wonderful when they don’t leak but what I’ve learned about these 3rd Gen F bodies is that the T-topped cars are structurally weaker and can’t accommodate a very powerful engine without twisting the body all up
Also if you had to pay someone to do this I couldn’t even begin to guess what the cost would be and that’s if you could find someone skilled enough to do it